French company launches torrefaction technology

Mar.
25, 2010, Villenave d'Ornon, France – Thermya, a French engineering
company involved in biomass energy recovery, has released its Torspyd
technological process for biomass torrefaction. It is an industrially proven
process that enables continuous torrefaction of agricultural and forestry
biomass.

The
Torspyd process is based on the solid organics distillation principle. This
patented technology, designed and developed by Thermya, fully dehydrates and
then depolymerizes the biomass to produce a hydrophobic and homogeneous solid
fuel. The resulting fuel is characterized by high energy yields, at less than
1% moisture content, 95% of the initial energy content, and more than 90% of
the initial dry mass. The net calorific value is about 20,500 kJ/kg.

The
torrefied biomass can be mixed with coal and co-fired in thermal power stations
without facility modification. Its hydrophobic properties allow for easy
storage and shipping of the torrefied biomass.

Thermya
signed a licence agreement in 2009 with the Spanish company Idema, Group
Lantec. Through this agreement, Idema will build torrefaction units based on
the Torspyd process.