Biomass Pellet Production Facility in Greece

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The First Call – “I Have Sawdust and Straw”

The client called us in August 2023. He had been running a small agricultural trading business for twelve years. He noticed that furniture factories in Central Macedonia were producing sawdust – dry, clean, consistent. He also had access to straw from wheat and barley farmers. The straw was cheap – farmers were often paying to have it baled and removed.

He had a building (2,000m² total site, 1,600m² built) – an existing empty factory with concrete floor and steel frame. He had grid electricity, municipal water, and sewer connection. He had saved about $120,000.

His question: “Can I set up a 750kg/h biomass pellet production facility in Greece that uses both sawdust and straw?”

We asked about his raw material. He sent samples. The sawdust was from kiln-dried lumber – moisture 10-12%. The straw was dry (10-12% moisture) but fibrous. No dryer needed. The straw would require a slightly different die configuration than the sawdust.

We told him yes. A 750kg/h biomass pellet production facility in Greece could work with his blend. The simple design would keep capital costs low.

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Raw Materials – Two Feedstocks, Low Cost

The client set up collection agreements with three furniture factories and ten local farmers within a 50km radius.

The client pays $25/ton for sawdust and $15/ton for straw. The straw is baled and delivered.

Total input 1,510 tons, output 1,500 tons. The 10-ton difference accounts for dust collected (about 2 tons) and moisture loss (about 8 tons). The client also generates about 0.2 tons of rejects annually, which are returned to the biomass pellet production line.

The client uses no binders – the natural lignin in the sawdust and straw binds the pellets.

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Why No Dryer?

Most biomass pellet production lines need dryers for wet sawdust or fresh straw. This one doesn’t.

Why no dryer? The sawdust comes from kiln-dried lumber (10-12% moisture). The straw is field-dried and baled during the dry season (10-12% moisture). No drying needed.

This 750kg/h biomass pellet production facility in Greece has no dryer. The client saved $30,000-40,000 upfront and avoids ongoing fuel costs.

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Equipment List – Simple and Compact

Equipment price (EXW Qingdao port): $58,000 USD

Shipping: Two 40-foot containers. Departed Qingdao September 15, 2023. Arrived Port of Thessaloniki, Greece on October 28, 2023. Sea freight: $4,200 USD. Inland trucking to Central Macedonia (about 40km) added $600 USD.

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Facility Layout – 2,000m² Site, 1,600m² Built

The client’s site was 2,000m² with 1,600m² of building space.

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Process Flow – Two Feedstocks, One Line

Here’s how the 750kg/h biomass pellet production facility in Greece actually runs.

Step 1 – Chipping – Straw only
Straw is fed into the chipper. Output size: 20-30mm pieces. Sawdust bypasses this step.

Step 2 – Crushing
Both sawdust and chipped straw are fed into the straw hammer mill. Output size: 3-5mm particles. The crusher is enclosed with dust collection.

Step 3 – Pelleting
Ground material is fed into biomass pellet press. It produces 0.75 t/h (750 kg/h). Die size: 8mm for industrial and residential heating.

The pelleting process uses friction heat (80-100°C) to soften the lignin, which acts as a natural binder. No added binders or additives.

Step 4 – Bagging
Pellets are bagged using the bagging machine. The client uses 15kg paper bags for retail and 500kg bulk bags for industrial customers.

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Dust Collection – Simple Baghouse

The client installed a single baghouse filter.

System specifications:

• Type: Pulse-jet baghouse
• Collection points: Crusher, pellet mills
• Collection efficiency: 95-99%
• Filter efficiency: 99%

Calculated emissions:

• Total dust generated: 2.08 t/yr
• Collected and filtered: 2.058 t/yr (returned to production)
• Fugitive dust: 0.021 t/yr at 0.0105 kg/h

Well below Greek EPA limits.

The client also uses (raw material pile dust control –covering with dust-proof fabric.

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The Greek Market for Biomass Pellets

Greece is an emerging pellet market. The country has:

• A growing number of pellet stoves and boilers
• Government subsidies for biomass heating through the “Εξοικονομώ” (Saving) program
• Abundant agricultural residues (straw, olive pits, nut shells)
• High energy prices making pellets competitive

The client’s current customers:

• A pellet distributor in Thessaloniki (60 tons/month)
• Hardware stores in Central Macedonia (40 tons/month)
• Direct sales to households (25 tons/month)

The client plans to add a second biomass fuel pellet machine in 2025 to reach 1.1 t/h.

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What the Client Learned

We spoke with the client in July 2024, five months after startup. Here are his observations.

What worked well:

• No dryer. “Greek sawdust and straw are dry. I saved $30,000.”
• Straw as feedstock. “It’s cheap and available. Farmers are happy to sell it.”

What he would change:

• “Straw is more abrasive than sawdust.” The dies wear out faster when processing straw. He’s ordering spare dies ($800 each).
• “The chipper needs more power.” The 15kW chipper struggles with baled straw. He’s upgrading to 22kW ($2,000).
• “I should have bought a moisture meter.” He’s ordering one ($200).

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What We Provided

For this 750kg/h biomass pellet production facility in Greece, we delivered:

• Process design – Dual-feedstock line with chipping for straw.
• Equipment package – Chipper, crusher, two pellet mills, bagging machine, baghouse, conveyors.
• Installation supervision – Our engineer spent 8 days in Central Macedonia.
• Operator training – Two days on die changes, feedstock blending, and Greek compliance requirements.
• Spare parts kit – One spare die , bearings, belts, and filter bags.

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Thinking About a Small Pellet Facility in Greece?

If you’re looking at a 750kg/h biomass pellet production facility in Greece – or anywhere in Southern Europe – here’s what we’ve learned from this project:

• Straw is a viable feedstock. It’s cheap and abundant. But it wears dies faster than wood. Budget for spare dies.
• No dryer needed if you source dry material. Greek sawdust and straw are dry. Save $30,000 upfront.
• Two mills at 375 kg/h each is a sweet spot. Run them at 100% capacity. One spare gives you redundancy.
• Greece has growing demand. Government subsidies and high energy prices make pellets competitive.

The client in Central Macedonia is already profitable and planning to expand. If you have access to sawdust or straw and a market for pellets, this model works.

Contact us for a site assessment or equipment quote. We can provide references from this biomass pellet project upon request.