Market For Biomass Power
Market for Boilers in Sugar Mills
Sugar mills in Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam have high potentials to upgrade their existing outdated and inefficient cogeneration plants with modern, efficient, high pressure systems. In most of the sugar mills, the existing cogeneration system ranges from 21 bar and 340°C to 42 bar and 400°C. Some of the sugar mills in these regions have implemented 67 bar and 490°C systems. However, there is a wide potential for very high pressure systems in the range of 87 bar and 510 °C to 110 bar to 540 °C. There are already several such projects operating in sugar mills around the globe.
Market for Boilers in Palm Milling Industries
Palm oil milling industries traditionally used palm fibre and shell as fuel. It was a normal practice to dispose the empty fruit bunches (EFB) without any use for energy purpose. In the past 10 years, slowly, equipment suppliers started doing R&D efforts and started implementing projects to burn EFB, which is a difficult fuel. Though several equipment suppliers have implemented such projects in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, no one has succeeded fully in this aspect. Equipment suppliers who can bring in reliable and proven combustion system can capture the wide markets in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Palm oil mill owners are carefully watching the technological development in this area and when the technology is 100% proven, most of them will go for new power plants which use EFBs. Fuel preparation system for the use of EFB is another area where good opportunities are there for proven suppliers.
Market for Boilers in Rice Mills
Rice husk is a difficult biomass fuel compared with wood and bagasse, due to high silica content of rice husk ash. The most commonly used technologies in Asia are travelling grate, reciprocating step grate system and Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) system. Cyclonic Combustion System and Circulated Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) system are also used in rice husk power plants.
Rice husk ash is mainly used in the steel industry as an insulator in the manufacture of high quality steel forgings. This allows forged steel to cool down gradually. As high quality ash is required for this purpose, the price of rice husk ash is quite high at the steel plant gate level (as high as 400 USD/ton). The density, unburnt carbon content and moisture content of rice husk ash should be as low as possible. Rice husk ash is also used in cement industries as a substitute to portland cement. Research work is also going on regarding silica chip manufacture as the silica content of the ash is very high. Boiler suppliers who can guarantee high quality rice husk ash are in demand in Asia.
Market for Steam Turbines
Market for efficient high pressure extraction condensing turbines with multiple extractions is high in sugar and palm oil industries. Rice mills also started using the extraction condensing turbines with single steam extraction, mainly for paddy drying application. High pressure condensing turbines are also highly in demand in the market. Back pressure turbines in the existing sugar mills and palm oil industries are slowly being replaced by efficient extraction condensing turbine.
Market for Pollution Control Equipment
Pollution control equipments such as electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), bag house filters and efficient multi cyclones are on demand in Asia. Though ESP is most commonly used these days in new power plants, its performance over a long period of time is an issue. Once years pass by, in some ESPs, the efficiency slowly deteriorates due to various reasons including usage of different biomass fuel, resulting in emission levels higher than the country limitations. ESP suppliers who can give longer performance guarantee period with the usage of different biomass fuels are in demand in the market.