Review of sustainable biomass pellets production - A study for agricultural residues pellets' market in Greece

Agro residues constitute the biggest source of biomass in Greece. Although large amounts of agricultural residues are produced in Greece each year, their contribution towards meeting national energy demand has remained rather low due to inefficient and unplanned use. These residues have low heating value per unit volume and high transportation and storage costs when used in as received condition; these difficulties can be largely overcome through densification which is an effective approach for using residues efficiently. Densification offers an opportunity to make biomass easier to handle and transport. The cost of the endeavor is a challenge. However, there is a need to consider a system that operates year around with several biomass materials. The investigation in the Greek and the international market shows that mixed biomass pellets are promising fuels and with the appropriate support these fuels have many prospects for the future. The use of biomass pellets would not only create new market opportunities for agricultural industries, it would also reduce dependence on coal, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions associated with coal use. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.