Rice Straw Pellet Production Line in Brazil

RICHI MACHINERY

The cooperative needed a workable collection-to-fuel route

The customer supports small and medium-sized farms in southern Brazil. Its practical resource was the rice straw available through partner farms, together with an idle site suitable for processing. Collection remained local, within a 30 km radius. Hauling low-density straw over that distance still required organised loading, suitable bale condition and a clear place to unload. The business therefore treated collection and prepared-stock availability as part of the production system.

The cooperative operates this biomass pellet plant in Brazil with a small local team. It needed equipment that handled the fibrous material predictably and remained accessible for service. RICHI’s contribution covered the machinery configuration, process layout, installation support and operating instruction. The customer organised farm collection, local site work and fuel distribution. That division of responsibilities linked the equipment quotation to the work required before and after the machines arrived.

Three needs directed the project from its early planning stage:

1. Collect usable surplus from identified rice farms, keep soil and binding materials out of the feedstock, and move the prepared straw through a short local supply chain.
2. Make a fuel with a defined diameter, moisture condition and handling form for compatible industrial users, supported by cooling and product screening.
3. Fit one production train into the existing premises, with working access for material delivery, wear-part replacement, bagging and finished-stock movement.

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The buildings already set the process boundaries

For this rice straw processing line in Brazil, the site arrangement starts with the existing workshop and storage areas. Trucks deliver to the straw side of the property, prepared material enters the process bay, and finished fuel moves toward the warehouse. Keeping those movements organised matters on a cooperative site where the loader also handles daily stock duties. The factory remains a local processing operation on its own premises.

Keep handling outside and service access inside

RICHI arranged the layout around the movement of straw, the press service space and the available buildings:

• Bale reception and loader work stay outside the main equipment bay, with a controlled transfer into preparation and clear separation from packed-product handling.
• The press, milling section and cooler retain room for inspection, lubrication and component removal. Foundations and access are checked against the actual machine footprint.
• Covered stock and internal routes use the existing site. Vehicle turning, working aisles and access between buildings remain part of the layout allocation.

Where the operating space is used

• Production workshop: 350 m² in the southern part of the site, containing preparation, the press and downstream finishing, with space for routine service.
• Raw-material yard: 800 m² of covered, ventilated working storage. It receives dry straw and protects prepared stock from rain rewetting.
• Finished-product warehouse: 200 m² in the brick building, keeping cooled pellets and filled bags away from incoming straw and vehicle dust.
• Office: 40 m² for administration, production records and the cooperative’s day-to-day site coordination.

These areas total 1,390 m², leaving 2,310 m² of the site for open circulation, unloading and access between buildings. The straw pellet plant keeps its main process inside a modest workshop while reserving substantially more space for stock and handling. Storage provision follows the light straw volume and delivery rhythm, while finished-pellet stock follows the dispatch schedule.

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Field straw reaches the mill after curing

Rice straw collection for pellet production in Brazil supplies this project from the cooperative’s partner farms. The material is the stalk and leaf residue left after rice harvesting. Rice husk belongs to the grain-milling stream and is outside this feedstock specification. Receiving checks cover moisture, foreign matter, fibre condition and the way the straw has been collected. Soil picked up during collection adds to the mineral burden without adding useful fuel.

Field curing takes place before dry bales enter the covered production stock. The milling route accepts material within a 10–14% moisture window, using 12% as the material-balance inlet condition. Wet collection material is kept out of that stream. Drying depends on suitable conditions at the farm and collection stage; the plant’s roof protects already-dry stock. Bale condition and stock rotation are checked after rain and before a new production batch. The seasonal operating calendar is organised around prepared material availability.

Collection weight and dry process feed are separate quantities

The annual material balance uses 25% average collection moisture: 3,125 tons become 2,500 tons of pellets, 125 tons of non-reusable sorting material and 500 tons of evaporated water. Pellets are balanced at 10% moisture and the sorting stream at 25%. Most water leaves during field curing; a smaller amount leaves during processing and cooling. The 370,000 kWh yearly power allocation covers production and site auxiliaries. This works out at 148 kWh for each planned ton of pellets.

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Five linked stages through the processing bay

Rice straw pelleting in Brazil follows a dry prepared-feed route at this installation. The milling stage shortens and sizes the fibres, controlled feeding supplies one press, and cooling prepares the product for screening and packing. Reusable clean fines stay within the processing circuit. The arrangement gives operators distinct points to inspect incoming material, prepared feed and finished pellets.

1. Receiving and preparation
   Rice straw arrives from the local collection network after field curing. Bindings and foreign pieces are removed before controlled feeding into the preparation section. The material is opened and reduced from long straw into a form the mill can handle. Covered stock is used in a planned sequence, while damp or unsuitable material remains outside the approved feed stream. Loader movement and machine feeding have separate working positions.
2. Fine grinding
   The straw milling assembly works with 3–5 mm screens to control the coarse fraction before pressing. Long fibres are cut or opened ahead of fine grinding, and the discharge is cleared through matched aspiration. Screen condition and the length of the remaining coarse fibres are checked together. The prepared material enters a short feed buffer so brief receiving interruptions do not immediately empty the press feeder.
3. Ring-die pressing
   Prepared material enters the rice straw pellet making machine through metered feeding. A single MZLH520 with a 132 kW main motor serves the 1.5 T/H project duty and forms 8 mm pellets. Die selection, roller setting and material condition govern compaction. The compacted-pellet density specification is 1.1–1.3 t/m³ at individual-pellet level. Warehouse and transport calculations use bulk density, accounting for the spaces between pellets.
4. Cooling and screening
   Hot pellets leave pressing at the process temperature range of 80–90°C and pass into the counterflow cooler. Airflow, working bed depth and discharge control remove heat before the product enters finished stock. The finishing section screens out loose fines for controlled return to processing. Cooler and screening capacity match the press discharge. The operator checks product temperature and condition before sending a batch to bagging.
5. Packing and dispatch stock
   The bagging route uses 25 kg units, with a nominal requirement of 60 bags/hour at the line duty. Weighing, closing and moving bags are included in the finishing workflow. Bulk fuel has a separate covered handling route for suitable industrial orders. Product remains dry between cooling and dispatch, and the receiving buyer’s storage arrangement determines the delivery format. No household-fuel grade is inferred from the bag size.

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One press with the preparation and finishing it needs

The rice straw pellet production line in Brazil uses the MZLH biomass series. The MZLH520 has a general biomass range of 1.5–2 T/H; this installation is specified at 1.5 T/H for its prepared rice straw. The supporting equipment handles reception, movement, fibre reduction, cooling and material recovery. The table lists the principal site and process assemblies, with screening and weighing included in the finishing scope.

For a rice straw pellet machine in Brazil, wear access deserves attention alongside nominal output. Rice straw carries silica-bearing mineral matter, and soil introduced during collection adds variation. Operators inspect milling screens, hammer edges, die openings and roller surfaces as part of planned care. An adequate wear-parts list supports the single-press arrangement. The workshop provides access for those tasks, with collection and loading kept clear of the service positions.

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Electrical provision follows the actual machine duty

• Water: the municipal connection serves staff facilities. Preparation, pressing and counterflow cooling use the dry material and air route, without a process-water cooling circuit.
• Electrical connection: grid power serves the press and auxiliary equipment. Starting sequence, feeder controls and motor protection are coordinated with the site’s available supply and simultaneous operating load.
• Process heat: mechanical preparation and pressing generate heat within the material route. No thermal dryer furnace or process steam boiler is included; suitable incoming moisture remains a supply requirement.

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Four checks keep the rice-straw duty controlled

The operating team concentrates on the condition of the feed and the way it travels through the equipment. These checks connect receiving work with the press and finished-product release:

• Moisture at receiving: check several points in a load and segregate unsuitable material. A dry surface alone does not establish the condition inside a bale.
• Fibre preparation: inspect the coarse fraction, screen condition and feed-buffer discharge. Long strands and bridging are addressed ahead of the press.
• Press load and wear: relate motor load to feeder setting, die condition and the incoming material. Lubrication, fasteners and service access remain part of the daily routine.
• Finished-product condition: inspect cooling, loose fines, bag weight and dry storage before dispatch. Clean recovered fines are kept separate from contaminated sweepings.

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Six people work within a seasonal daytime calendar

Six locally recruited workers cover receiving, preparation, press operation, finishing, stock handling and shared supervision or maintenance duties. This 1.5 t/h rice straw pellet line in Brazil operates one 10-hour shift on 180 days, giving 1,800 scheduled hours. At nominal duty, the calendar ceiling is 2,700 tons. The 2,500-ton annual design programme leaves operating allowance for cleaning, maintenance and material handling. The off-season provides a longer window for overhaul and collection planning. Daytime operation also concentrates loading, machine service and dispatch within the same working window.

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Capital focused on adapting the available assets

The biomass pellet production line was implemented within the cooperative’s idle premises. Existing land and buildings gave the project a defined starting point. The machinery package and site work were organised around four scope items:

• Complete equipment package: US$120,000 for the defined processing supply, covering preparation, pressing, conveying, cooling and finishing interfaces, process-air collection and controls.
• Building adaptation: prepare machinery foundations, maintenance access, stock segregation and the working routes between the available buildings.
• Local connections: coordinate electrical distribution, equipment starting arrangements and the physical interfaces needed for installation and operation.
• Installation and handover: connect the equipment, check the starting and feeding sequence, and instruct the local team in operation and planned service.

Rice straw pellet production cost in Brazil starts with the delivered condition of the material and the scope of the site work. This installation uses the customer’s own premises and a dry feedstock route. Procurement, field curing, grinding demand, electricity, wear parts and dispatch remain operating considerations. Raw-material stock and customer payment terms belong to working capital, separate from the fixed implementation investment shown in the project summary.

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The fuel is matched to suitable regional heat users

Industrial rice straw pellets in Brazil need a receiving combustion system suited to agricultural fuel. Rice straw’s ash composition and behaviour affect the grate, ash-removal arrangement and operating practice. Silica-rich ash makes deposit formation and sintering relevant fuel-selection questions for the receiving boiler. This project serves that industrial-fuel application. Product discussion includes moisture, ash characteristics, fines and durability alongside diameter. The cooperative’s local collection and seasonal production programme are matched to regional distribution, with dispatch organised from the existing finished-product warehouse.

Three buyer checks help define the delivery:

• Combustion suitability: confirm that the receiving boiler or furnace accepts rice-straw fuel and can handle its ash behaviour and fuel-feeding characteristics.
• Handling and storage: agree the package or bulk format with the buyer’s unloading equipment, covered space and consumption schedule.
• Product verification: use representative fuel measurements and receiving requirements when agreeing supply. Pellet diameter alone does not establish a complete fuel specification.

The cooperative’s role extends from organising collection to supplying a defined product. RICHI’s equipment turns the prepared material into a manageable fuel form, while the customer maintains the collection and delivery links. The operating scale keeps those responsibilities visible to a small team, with stocks and machinery sized for the seasonal production programme.

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RICHI connected the material plan with the installed process

The cooperative worked with RICHI Machinery as its rice straw pellet equipment supplier for Brazil. Our work covered process matching, layout inside the available workshop, machinery supply, installation support and operator instruction. Feed preparation, press duty and finishing were specified together. The customer’s responsibilities covered farm collection, prepared-material availability, local site readiness and regional fuel distribution.

To specify a rice straw pellet production line in Brazil, send RICHI the annual collection quantity, moisture at collection and at the factory, straw form, available storage, working calendar and target fuel specification. Include workshop drawings, electrical supply and the buyer’s combustion application. Those details define the required preparation, press capacity and installation interfaces before the equipment scope is fixed.

The useful starting point is a representative straw sample and a clear material supply plan. RICHI builds the equipment proposal around the condition of that feed, the space available and the finished product the customer needs to deliver.