Torrefaction

a Scion Information Sheet (April 2019)

Using a thermal treatment technology called torrefaction, researchers at Scion are creating a lighter, more energy dense wood that has a range of potential applications in industry.

Research interest is focussed on efficiently developing torrefied biomass. Among the major benefits are:

• Reduced transportation costs by creating a more energy-dense product;
• Enabling use in large-scale coal-fired power stations or in coal-fired boilers as a replacement to combusting coal – reducing CO₂ emissions;
• Can be condensed into pellets and used in home heating like existing wood pellets (albeit with a much higher energy density); and
• Is a stable precursor for gasification, since the rate of production and composition of useable gases are improved by torrefaction.