Vencor Receives Order to Produce 3,000 Tons of Bio-Coal

 

Vencor International Inc., Boulder, Colo., USA, this week announced today that it has received an order to produce 3,000 tons of bio-coal, a renewable energy product produced from timber waste using technology called torrefaction. Torrefaction is a partial carbonization process at temperatures between 475°F and 575°F (200°C - 400°C) in a low oxygen environment. The physical and energetic properties of the biomass are then much more comparable to conventional coal. 

 

The torrefaction process has the added benefit of reducing or eliminating undesirable volatiles, such as nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxides in the bio-coal, which is considered carbon neutral to the environment. The key property that makes bio-coal attractive for co-firing in existing coal-fired power stations is its superior "grindability" compared with untreated or fresh biomass.

 

Vencor International is in the business of providing torrefied wood products to customers around the world. Bio-coal is a special type of torrefied wood. The current order for 3,000 tons of bio-coal is valued at approximately $600,000. Vencor is scheduled to start production on this order for its client, Vega Biofuels Inc., Norcross, Ga., later this month.

 

Vencor recently announced that it had entered into an agreement to purchase the exclusive rights to torrefaction equipment manufactured by Virginia-based Torretherm. The agreement with Torretherm increases the company's production capacity to meet the growing demand for its torrefied products. 

 

James Gaspard, CEO of Vencor, said that "the order from Vega will be the first order we will manufacture using the Torrretherm torrefaction machine. The Torretherm deal allows us to produce various torrefied wood products much cheaper than any other torrefaction technology. We are excited about this deal and look forward to working with Vega Biofuels to meet their production needs. We anticipated receiving this order once the testing of our product was accepted late last year." 

 

More information about Vencor International Inc. is available online.