Characteristics of Wood Pellet Fuel

Wood pellet fuel belongs to the category of biomass fuels. It is produced automatically by compressing wet sawdust and green wood chips and forming them into pellets of the same form and size of about 1-1Ѕ inches by 1/4-5/16 inches in diameter. As distinct from other biomass fuels, wood pellets are easier to use and need less storage space. They are also less dangerous to deliver than fossil fuels and more advantageous because of the high energy content by weight of almost 7,750 Btu per pound. Their moisture content equals from four to six percent. These properties and plant lignin helps to retain their compact structure and makes wood pellets a first choice fuel.



There are no pellet classifications based on wood type. Traditionally wood pellets are classified according to the amount of the ash produced. There are three grades in this classification;

• Premium (ash content of wood pellets less than one percent)
• Standard (ash content between one and two percent)
• Industrial (ash content three percent or more)

Two first grades may be sold for commercial, industrial or residential use. They are good for boilers of any type and size equipped with automatic ash removal system. Pellets belonging to the third grade with ash content of three percent or greater should be bought for industrial application only.

FEATURED BIOMASS EVENTS