Boilers for the wood industry and biomass processing
For the wood industry we build boilers that turn wood chips, bark, sawdust and wood waste into steam, hot or warm water, as well as thermal oil boilers and steam generators for dryers and wood heat treatment.
Each boiler is designed and manufactured to the required capacity, process requirements, fuel type and operating conditions of the plant.
Where heat is used in wood processing
Wood processing uses heat in several distinct operations. Lumber kilns are heated with steam or hot water circulated through heat exchangers in the chamber, and some dryer designs use hot combustion gases directly. Thermal modification of wood takes place at elevated temperature in a low-oxygen atmosphere. In processes such as ThermoWood, steam protects the timber during treatment and is used again when moisture is restored during conditioning, while other processes treat the wood in hot oil. Heat treatment of wood packaging under ISPM 15 also depends on a controlled and documented heat cycle.
In the production of particleboard, fibreboard and oriented strand board, heat is needed for drying the particles and for pressing, and for some products steam is injected into the mat. A single site may therefore combine consumers of steam, hot water and thermal oil with different requirements. The heat carrier, for example steam boilers or thermal oil boilers, is chosen according to the process and to the requirements of the dryer or press manufacturer.
Regulation, fuel quality and safety
In the EU, a boiler fired with wood residues falls under air emission rules. Directive (EU) 2015/2193 on medium combustion plants regulates sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust and requires a permit or registration; plants covered by waste incineration rules are outside its scope. For wood-based panel production, Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions and the 2016 best available techniques reference document apply. Outside the EU the requirements differ, and the investor should confirm them with the competent authority.
Fuel quality is decisive for the furnace. Moisture and particle size affect combustion temperature, completeness of combustion and ash production, and the ISO 17225 series defines specifications and classes for solid biofuels. Wood dust and chip or sawdust storage carry fire and explosion risk; documented incidents cite smouldering hot spots, dust deposits and heat transfer from boiler equipment as causes, which is why ATEX zoning, hot-spot detection and protected conveying routes are assessed. As pressure equipment, the boiler is designed to EN 12952 or EN 12953 and PED 2014/68/EU; see standards and certificates.
Fuel, energy and sustainability
Wood processors have fuel at hand: bark, sawdust, chips and other residues from their own production, which case studies show are often available at little cost. Using residues reduces the need for purchased fuel, but only if the boiler is matched to the fuel the plant actually produces. Biomass boilers differ from fossil-fuel boilers in furnace and grate design, and natural gas can remain a back-up fuel, as in documented kiln installations fired with wood residues.
The sustainability benefit depends on the origin of the fuel and on the rules of the country concerned, so it should not be assumed in advance. Further options are recovery of energy from hot exhaust air, combustion control and cogeneration; the European reference document for wood-based panels lists these among its energy efficiency techniques. Each should be evaluated against the plant's actual heat and power demand.
What to define when selecting a boiler
Before a quotation is prepared, the investor should define the following together with the equipment suppliers; the general approach is described in how to choose an industrial boiler.
- Consumers and heat carrier: steam, hot or warm water or thermal oil for each kiln, press or chamber
- Load profile: batch operation of chambers, simultaneity of demand, shift pattern and seasonality
- Fuel: type, moisture, particle size, ash and contaminants, with variation through the year, and any back-up fuel
- Storage, feeding and ash removal, with fire and explosion protection
- Water treatment, condensate return, redundancy, emission limits, applicable standards and available space
Boiler types for this industry
Biomass boilers
A biomass boiler burns wood chips, pellets, sawdust, bark or straw to produce steam, hot or warm water from a renewable fuel, with lower fuel costs and CO₂ emissions.
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Industrial steam boilers
Saturated or superheated steam for industrial, process and power applications. Shell and water-tube boilers for solid fuel, biomass, liquid and gaseous fuel.
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Hot water boilers
Hot water for industrial and energy systems and district heating. Shell and water-tube boilers for all common fuels.
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Thermal oil boilers
Thermal oil boilers serve process heating in industrial plants that need high and stable operating temperatures.
View →Steam generators, rapid steam boilers
FAST-P is a steam generator for rapid production of dry saturated steam, with forced water circulation and a three-pass design, built for liquid and gaseous fuels.
View →Applications
Industrial steam boilers
- Wood industry
- wood chips, bark, sawdust and wood waste used as fuel
Hot water boilers
- Wood industry
- energy from wood chips, bark and sawdust
Thermal oil boilers
- Wood industry
- dryers and thermal treatment of wood
Steam generators, rapid steam boilers
- Wood industry
- dryers and thermal treatment of wood
Frequently asked questions
Which types of biomass can the boiler burn?
The boiler can be designed to burn wood chips, pellets, sawdust, bark, briquettes, baled straw, sunflower and soybean husks, fruit stones and various residues from agricultural, wood and other production. If a company generates larger quantities of residues or waste that could potentially be used as fuel, it can contact us to find a suitable solution: we refer the investor to the necessary tests and material analyses, and once the results are available our team performs the calculations, defines the furnace, grate and fuel feeding design and prepares a technical solution and offer. Whether the material can be used for energy depends on its origin and composition, moisture, particle size, calorific value, ash content and other properties, as well as on the applicable regulations, permitted emissions and flue gas cleaning requirements; not every type of waste can be burned in a standard biomass boiler, and waste incineration or co-incineration plants are subject to special technical conditions and emission controls.
How does a biomass boiler differ from a coal boiler?
In the grate design, the distribution of primary and secondary air, the arrangement of combustion zones and the fuel feeding system, because biomass has a higher moisture and volatile content.
How much do fuel costs fall when switching to biomass?
It depends on the local biomass price and the fuel being replaced; biomass is often a by-product of wood or agricultural production, so savings are greatest where the investor already has its own fuel.
How are ash and flue gas cleaning handled?
With automatic de-ashing and ash transport, a multicyclone and, where required, a bag filter to meet emission limits.
Is a biomass boiler fully automated?
Yes. Fuel feeding, combustion control, de-ashing and protective functions are run by the automation, so minimal operator supervision is needed.
Can one boiler supply both drying kilns and a thermal modification plant?
It depends on the heat carrier and operating mode of each consumer. Kilns use steam or hot water, whereas in thermal modification steam serves as a protective atmosphere and is used during conditioning. Batch cycles create a fluctuating load, so a shared source is checked against the combined load profile of all chambers; separating the two heat carriers is also possible.
Why does variable moisture in wood residues matter for the boiler?
Moisture and particle size influence combustion temperature, completeness of combustion, ash production and boiler operation. Where the range is wide, for example between fresh sawdust and dry mill residues, the furnace and feeding system must be designed for the full range of fuel, or the fuel must be blended or stored. Fuel analysis should therefore precede boiler selection.
Does a boiler house in the wood industry need special fire and explosion protection?
A risk assessment is required. Stores of chips, sawdust and bark and the fuel conveying routes are prone to smouldering and dust explosion. Measures include removing dust deposits, defining ATEX zones, detecting hot spots and keeping fuel handling away from hot surfaces. The specific measures follow from the risk assessment and the regulations applicable at the site.
Standards we design and build to
TIPO Kotlogradnja designs and manufactures boilers and complete boiler plants according to the investor's requirements, fuel type, capacity and operating regime. The process covers requirement analysis, solution proposal, offer, design, material procurement, manufacturing, erection, testing and commissioning. Whatever the complexity of the project or the market, the equipment is designed and built to European and international standards, including EN 12952, EN 12953, EN 13445, EN 13480, ASME BPVC and AD 2000, in line with the project documentation and the investor's requirements.
Other industries
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