Biomass Bedding Plant for Combined Biomass Resources in Austria

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Why Austria?

Austria has a large livestock sector and strict environmental regulations:

The problem with current bedding materials in Austria:

The opportunity: The client can produce bedding pellets for €150-180/ton — 20-30% cheaper than imported products.

Target customers:

The client’s breakeven point is 5,400 tons/year (60% capacity). At full capacity (9,000 tons/year), operating margin is about 20-25%.

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Raw Materials: Combined Biomass Resources

The client’s raw material comes from three sources, allowing flexibility based on availability and price:

Why the client doesn’t need a dryer: All raw materials are already dry. Wood waste and sawdust come from kiln-dried lumber (8-12% moisture). Straw is baled at 10-15% moisture after sun drying in the field.

The client’s raw material quality control:

• The client uses a magnetic separator to remove metal (nails, staples — 6.5-6.7% of input)
• Manual sorting to remove plastic and other contaminants
• The client only accepts clean, untreated material

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The Site and Building

The client’s site is in an industrial zone in Upper Austria. The building is a single-story steel-framed structure with a concrete floor and 8m ceiling height.

Building layout (2,000m²):

The building has a concrete floor and 8m ceiling height — adequate for the equipment.

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Equipment Configuration

Equipment cost (FOB Qingdao): $68,500 USD

Why this configuration for bedding pellets (1-1.5 t/h, 9,000 tons/year):

1. No dryer. Raw materials are already 8-15% moisture — perfect for bedding pellets (target 8-12%). Saved €15,000-20,000.

2. No cooler. Pellets exit at 70-85°C. The client spreads them on the finished goods floor to cool naturally (2-3 hours). Saved €8,000-10,000.

3. Modified die for bedding pellets. RICHI modified the dies for bedding pellets:

• Die hole diameter: 6 mm → produces 6.5-7mm bedding pellets
• Compression ratio: 4:1 (instead of 5.5:1 for fuel) → softer pellets
• Target length: 10-25 mm

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Process Flow

Step 1: Raw Material Receiving

Trucks deliver straw bales, wood waste, and sawdust. The client stores raw material in the 220m² storage area (120m² indoors + 100m² outdoor covered).

Step 2: Crushing (for large material only)

Large material (wood waste, straw bales) is fed into the wood chipper crusher.

Crusher parameters:

• Output size: 3-4cm pieces
• Throughput: 1.5-2 t/h

Small material (sawdust) bypasses the crusher and goes directly to the hammer mill.

Step 3: Magnetic Separation

The crushed material passes over a magnetic separator to remove nails, staples, and other ferrous metal. The client sells the scrap metal (about 6.5-6.7% of input) to recyclers — extra revenue.

Step 4: Grinding (Hammer Mill)

All material is fed into the hammer mill.

Hammer mill parameters:

• Screen size: 6 mm
• Throughput: 1.5-2 t/h
• Output: <6mm particles

Step 5: Screening

Ground material passes through a screener to remove oversized particles (>6mm), which are returned to the hammer mill.

Step 6: Pelletizing

Screened material is distributed to wood pellet extruder machine.

Pellet mill parameters (for bedding pellets):

Bedding pellet specifications (corrected for animal bedding):

Step 7: Cooling (Natural)

Hot pellets (70-85°C) drop onto a belt conveyor and then to the finished goods area. The client spreads pellets on the floor in a shallow layer (20-30cm deep) using a shovel.

Cooling time: 2-3 hours. Austria’s ambient temperature is 15-25°C, so the temperature difference is sufficient for natural cooling.

Step 8: Bagging

Cooled pellets are bagged manually.

Packaging process:

• Bag sizes: 25kg (retail), 1-ton bulk bags (commercial farms)
• The client uses a simple hanging scale
• Bags are sewn closed with a portable bag sealer

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Utilities and Consumption

Electricity breakdown (annual, 330 days, 24 hours/day = 7,920 hours):

Electricity cost per ton: 1,077,000 kWh ÷ 9,000 tons = 120 kWh/ton × 0.12 EUR/kWh = 14.4 EUR/ton ($15.10).

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How RICHI Customized This Line for Bedding Pellets 

The client originally planned to produce fuel pellets. RICHI helped him convert the line to bedding pellets:

Requirement 1: The client needed bedding pellets (soft, absorbent, low dust), not fuel pellets. The specifications are different.

RICHI solution: Recommended:

• Die hole diameter: 6mm (instead of 8mm for fuel)
• Compression ratio: 4:1 (instead of 5.5:1) — produces softer pellets
• Target length: 10-25mm (instead of 30-50mm for fuel)
• Operating temperature: 70-85°C (instead of 80-100°C)

Requirement 2: Combined biomass resources (straw, wood waste, sawdust). Each material has different density and fiber characteristics.

RICHI solution: The client runs them separately or in controlled blends. Straw (20%) + wood (80%) works well for bedding. The client can also run 100% wood pellets (premium bedding) and 100% straw pellets (economy bedding).

Requirement 3: Low budget (less than $50,000 for equipment). The client is a small entrepreneur, not a large corporation.

RICHI solution: Recommended a simple line with no dryer, no cooler, no automated packaging. The client uses manual bagging. Total equipment cost: $48,500 FOB Qingdao.

Requirement 4: The client had 6 staff. No prior pellet experience.

RICHI solution: Provided a 1-week on-site training program:

• Week 1: Basic safety, machine startup/shutdown, daily checks (magnets, screens, lubrication)
• Week 2: Adjusting the pellet mill die gap, changing dies, troubleshooting common problems

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Product Specifications (Bedding Pellets)

The client’s bedding pellets meet Austrian standards for animal bedding (based on EU best practices).

Pricing (as of July 2025):

Comparison with other bedding materials in Austria:

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Market Outlook for Bedding Pellets in Austria

Austria’s livestock sector is stable, and the bedding pellet market is growing. Key drivers:

1. EU animal welfare regulations. Dust-free bedding is required for certified animal welfare programs.

2. Dairy farm modernization. Large farms (200+ cows) are switching to pellet bedding (better absorbency, less labor, lower mastitis rates).

3. Horse industry. Austria has 100,000+ horses. Horse owners need dust-free bedding (respiratory health).

4. Import substitution. Imported pellets are expensive (250-300 EUR/ton). The client’s product is 20-30% cheaper.

Competition: There are 20-30 small pellet producers in Austria (500-10,000 tons/year). The client’s 9,000 tons/year puts them in the mid-tier.

Challenges the client is managing:

The client’s breakeven point is 5,400 tons/year (60% capacity). At full capacity (9,000 tons/year), operating margin is about 20-25%. Payback on equipment ($48,500) is about 14 months.

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Why a Combined Biomass Bedding Plant Makes Sense in Austria

Austria has abundant biomass resources (wood waste, straw), a large livestock sector, and strict environmental regulations that favor local production. Here’s why you should consider this market:

Raw materials are available and cheap. Austria has 47% forest cover. Sawdust is 20-25 EUR/ton. Straw is 40 EUR/ton.

No dryer needed for most materials. Wood waste and sawdust from kiln-dried lumber are 8-12% moisture. Straw is 10-15% moisture — perfect for bedding pellets.

The market needs local producers. Imported pellets are expensive. The client’s product is 20-30% cheaper.

Austria has a stable business environment. EU membership, skilled workforce, good infrastructure, access to EU funding.

If you’re considering a combined biomass bedding plant in Austria (or any European country), RICHI can help. We’ve designed lines for wood, straw, and mixed biomass. We understand the differences between bedding and fuel pellets (softer, more absorbent, lower durability) and can recommend the right equipment for your budget.

Contact us to discuss your project. Tell us about your raw material (type, moisture, volume), target customers (dairy, horses, poultry), site conditions, and budget. We’ll prepare a customized process flow, equipment list, and budget estimate — no obligation.

RICHI Machinery – Combined biomass bedding plants from 0.2 t/h to 30 t/h. Shipping from Qingdao to Koper port (Slovenia) then overland to Austria: 20-25 days. Installation support available in Austria within 2 weeks.