Biomass to power, and biomass gasification to biofuels are driving the demand for white wood pellets. Whilst this cargo may seem benign, there are safety risks inherent in storing and moving bulk shipments of pellets, , according to Stephen B. Harrison, managing director of sbh4 consulting.
Knowing the hazards and how to mitigate them is essential to managing a safe and sustainable supply chain without incurring massive asset losses
The hazards of bulk cargoes are not always obvious. Woodchips may appear to be less hazardous than fuels such as LNG, heavy fuel oil or coal. However, wood pellets can spontaneously combust as they heat up in the presence of air.
Homing in on the hazard
Wood pellets contain unsaturated fatty acids and other volatile organic compounds. These react with atmospheric oxygen to release heat and carbon monoxide (CO). If the heat cannot dissipate, the temperature rises. In turn, this accelerates the oxidation reaction generating more heat.
As the pellets reach around 80 °C, the reaction rate increases sharply. As the temperature of the wood pellets approaches 200 °C,...
Safe storage and transportation of wood pellets in bulk
