Biomass Sawdust Straw Pelletizing Plant in Chile

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Basic Project Information

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How the Client Came to Us

The first email came in March 2023. It wasn’t very detailed—just a few photos of wood waste piles and a short message:

“We want to make fuel pellets, around 6–10 tons per hour. Materials are mixed.”

After a few back-and-forth discussions, things became clearer:

• Too much low-value sawdust from nearby wood processing shops
• Seasonal straw surplus from local farms
• Rising demand for clean fuel alternatives
• Existing factory buildings, but not fully enclosed

By June 2023, we finalized the process design.
Contract was signed in August 2023, and installation started early 2024.

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Raw Materials

In Chile, especially in forestry regions, raw materials are not the problem—handling them properly is.

The client uses a mix of wood and agricultural residues. Moisture content varies a lot depending on the season, so drying becomes a key step.

A small but important detail: all materials are untreated wood, no paint or glue. This avoids emission problems later.

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Plant Layout Considerations

The factory wasn’t built from scratch. The client already had three steel-structure workshops.

We didn’t change the structure much—but we adjusted how each building was used:

• Workshop #1 (1,281 m²): raw material + finished product
• Workshop #2 (1,347 m²): main pellet production line
• Workshop #3 (540 m²): intermediate storage after drying

One issue we noticed early: airflow inside the workshop was poor. Dust tended to stay suspended.
So we suggested partial enclosure + dust collection redesign. Not a big investment, but it made a difference.

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Main Equipment List

Instead of listing models, here’s what the client actually cares about—function and capacity.

Crushing & Grinding Section

Drying Section

Pelletizing Section

Auxiliary Equipment

Utility Consumption

Water usage is relatively low. Most of it goes to dust suppression and wet scrubber replenishment.

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Process Flow

Instead of textbook diagrams, here’s how the line runs in reality:

1. Raw material arrival
   Trucks unload directly into the raw material zone. Dust is visible here, but manageable.
2. Crushing & grinding
   Larger wood pieces go through crushing first.
   Fine sawdust sometimes bypasses this step.
3. Screening
   Oversized particles are sent back. This loop is important—otherwise pellets won’t form well.
4. Drying
   Moisture is reduced from ~35% down to around 13–15%.
   First few days of testing were tricky—too wet, pellets cracked; too dry, energy wasted.
5. Cooling (air cooling)
   Simple but effective using induced draft fans.
6. Pelletizing
   Compression + friction heat activates lignin—no binder needed.
   Temperature during pelletizing: ~70–90°C
7. Packaging
   Manual bagging, 25 kg per bag.

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Final Product Specification

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Environmental Measures

We removed unnecessary elements from the original plan and adapted to local regulations:

• Dust: cyclone + bag filter systems
• Dryer exhaust: multi-stage cleaning (cyclone + bag filter + wet scrubber)
• Wastewater: reused internally, no direct discharge
• Solid waste: reused or sold (ash, dust, scrap metal)

Nothing fancy, but it works and passes inspections.

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Shipping & Delivery

• Departure Port: Qingdao Port
• Destination Port: Port of San Antonio, Chile

Transport time was about 35 days.

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What the Client Said After Startup

During commissioning, one of their operators mentioned:

“The first few tons were either too wet or too dry. After adjustment, it stabilized.”

That’s pretty normal. Biomass is never perfectly uniform.

After two weeks of fine-tuning:

• Output stabilized at ~8 t/h
• Pellet durability improved noticeably
• Dust levels inside workshop reduced

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Why This 8t/h Biomass Pellet Plant Works in Chile

Chile has a few advantages that make this type of biomass pelletizing line a good investment:

• Strong forestry industry → steady sawdust supply
• Growing demand for renewable fuel
• Rising fossil fuel costs
• Government support for biomass energy

What we see more often now is small-to-medium investors stepping in, not just large companies.

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A Few Practical Thoughts for New Investors

If you’re considering a similar biomass pellet production line, a few things we usually discuss early:

• Is your raw material supply stable year-round?
• What’s the average moisture variation?
• Do you plan to sell locally or export?
• How much automation do you actually need?

This biomass pellet project didn’t go for high automation. It focused on stability and cost control instead.

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About Our Role

We didn’t just supply machines here.

From the first rough inquiry to final commissioning, the process included:

• Raw material analysis
• Process design adjustments
• Layout planning based on existing buildings
• Equipment manufacturing
• On-site installation guidance
• Operator training

That’s usually how these projects succeed—not by buying machines alone, but by getting the process right.

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Looking at the Market

Biomass pellets in Chile are gradually moving from “alternative fuel” to something more mainstream.

For small and medium investors, a project like this:

• Doesn’t require huge capital
• Uses locally available materials
• Has relatively quick payback

And more importantly, it’s scalable. Many clients start with 5–8 t/h, then expand later.

If you’re working with sawdust, wood waste, or agricultural residues and thinking about building your own biomass pellet plant, it’s worth running through your material and capacity plan first. That usually tells us more than anything else.