The largest consumer of wood pellets is the industrial sector in the United States.
This is primarily due to its use in combined heat and power plants for process heat and to generate electricity for their own use.
4 Key Insights on the Largest Consumer of Wood Pellets
1. Industrial Sector Consumption
The industrial sector in the U.S. consumed 2,313 TBtu of biomass energy in 2021.
This accounts for 48% of the total U.S. biomass energy use.
This sector includes industries like wood products and paper.
These industries utilize biomass, including wood pellets, in their operations.
They use biomass in combined heat and power plants for process heat and to generate electricity for their own use.
This high consumption is due to the energy-intensive nature of these industries.
It is also due to their reliance on sustainable and renewable sources of energy.
2. Role of Wood Pellets
Wood pellets are a form of solid biofuel.
They are particularly suitable for automated combustion systems in small combustion equipment.
They are made from pure sawdust and shavings.
They do not require the addition of any other binders, except for organic additives permitted by the standard up to 2% by weight.
The properties of wood pellets, such as their ability to be transported pneumatically and by screw conveyors due to their size and shape, make them ideal for use in industrial settings.
They burn with a steady and smooth flame due to their homogeneity and high energy density.
This is beneficial for consistent energy output in industrial processes.
3. Comparison with Other Sectors
While other sectors such as transportation, residential, electric power, and commercial also consume biomass, their consumption levels are significantly lower than that of the industrial sector.
For instance, the transportation sector primarily uses liquid biofuels.
The residential and commercial sectors use firewood and wood pellets mainly for heating purposes.
The electric power sector uses wood and biomass-derived wastes to generate electricity.
However, its consumption is less than half of that in the industrial sector.
4. Domestic Resource Availability
The consideration of biomass, including wood pellets, as a significant energy source is supported by the abundant availability of biomass in the United States.
The country has more biomass than is required for food and animal feed needs.
Projections indicate that up to 1 billion dry tons of biomass could be available for energy use annually.
This equates to around 13–14 quadrillion Btu/year potential by 2030.
This availability makes biomass, including wood pellets, a viable and sustainable option for industrial energy consumption.
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