Winter drying bottlenecks can cost pellet mills millions in lost wood pellet sales. Discover how FlowDrya equipment can help mills recover capacity and maximise profits.
Each winter, from November through to May, many wood pellet producers in Canada (and other cold weather climates) lose 30%+ of their production capacity because their drying arrangement is sub-optimal. Frozen woody biomass fibre combined with cold ambient conditions and high moisture pellet fibre is seriously constraining pellet production.
<b>The sub-optimal drying process has become their bottleneck.</b>
If you are producing pellets in a cold winter climate, now is the time to consider the cost of allowing your dryer to become your winter production bottleneck. What is the cost of the lost tonnes of pellets not sold when demand is at its highest, every single winter?
This is the exact problem one Stronga customer in Canada is looking to resolve…
Collaborating with the management team, Stronga are optimising their existing process, implementing FlowDrya equipment as a “pre”-dryer, conditioning the high moisture content pellet fibre, often 50%+, before it enters their existing drying process. This would upgrade their pellet production process and maximise pellet income. The indicative financial summary below is based on a loss of production of 6tph during winter, indicating average financial losses, every single winter.
| Category | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Production Shortfall | Average lost production rate | 6 tonnes/hour |
| Operating Hours | 24 hours/day | 24 hours/day |
| Winter Operating Period | November–May | 212 days |
| Daily Production Loss | 6 t/h × 24 h/day | 144 tonnes/day |
| Total Winter Production Loss | 144 t/day × 212 days | Circa. 30,500 tonnes |
| Pellet Sales Value | Market price | CAD $250/tonne |
| Lost Revenue | 30,500 t × CAD $250/t | CAD $7,600,000 approx. |
| ESTIMATED WINTER REVENUE LOSS | TOTAL LOST REVENUE | CAD $7.60 MILLION |
FlowDrya equipment from Stronga is highly efficient as a pre-drying and conditioning solution, levelling out wood pellet production year-round. It can integrate seamlessly, using residual stack flue heat from existing dryer systems. By eliminating the need for producers to use saleable pellets to generate heat, it allows pellet producers to gain a competitive edge - elevating pellet production and energy efficiency.
So, Why Choose FlowDrya?
FlowDrya equipment from Stronga is highly efficient as a pre-drying and conditioning solution, levelling out wood pellet production year-round. It can integrate seamlessly, using residual stack flue heat from existing dryer systems. By eliminating the need for producers to use saleable pellets to generate heat, it allows pellet producers to gain a competitive edge - elevating pellet production and energy efficiency.
FlowDrya contributes to higher winter throughputs, more stable year-round production and improved thermal efficiency, reducing seasonal performance losses and improving overall plant profitability. By integrating FlowDrya into your pellet production process, you gain:
✓ Increased winter drying throughput
✓ Improved thermal efficiency through waste heat utilisation
✓ Increased saleable pellet output during peak demand periods
✓ Proven high-throughput flow drying with unique PulseWave™ agitation
✓ Drying equipment with a super-long operational lifespan (30+ years)
✓ Robust drying equipment with flexible heat-source compatibility
✓ Indirect, low temperature drying (lower fire risk)
FlowDrya helps bring winter pellet fibre up to summer peak operating conditions, unlocking peak capacity.
Recover the Tonnes. Recover the Profit.
Our friendly and experienced team would welcome the opportunity to quantify the value of recovering that lost drying and pellet production capacity. If you are interested in learning more, please contact the FlowDrya team today at enquiries@flowdrya.com