Biomass pellet plant starts production in just 18 months
Greenfield plant overcomes logistical and geographical challenges to put Colombia on the road to becoming a major biomass supplier.
The scope of supply from ANDRITZ was significant, encompassing the design, build, installation, testing and commissioning of four complete lines
THE CHALLENGE
•Greenfield site in non-industrialised location•Integration of hardware and software from multiple suppliers
•Strict company sustainability standards
THE SOLUTION
•Four complete wood pelleting lines
•Plant equipment for grinding, conditioning and pelleting
•Mass flow engineering
•Layout engineering
•Automation solutions
•Process control and PLC cabinets
•Automation software for plant control
THE RESULT
•18-month project timeline
•125,000 tons of pellets p.a.
•Plant designed to double capacity
•Significant local and regional socio-economic benefits
INTRODUCTION
Bioena is a pioneering Colombian company dedicated to the production and commercialisation of industrial wood pellets.
Its strategically chosen location, in the lower Magdalena River basin in Colombia, means it is close to a large number of sustainable commercial forest plantations, as well as giving it access to a broad supply network of sawmill residues and non-commercial wood.
In addition, its proximity to the ports of Barranquilla and Santa Marta means that the biofuel wood pellets it produces can be easily and efficiently exported, primarily to thermoelectric powerplant customers in the Caribbean and Europe.
CHALLENGE
“As is common in projects of this scale we faced numerous challenges,” explains Juan Camilo Sanz, the project’s co-founder and lead developer. “One of the most significant was the logistical complexities of implementing technologies sourced from 11 different countries and then coordinating the delivery of critical components at precisely the right time. As a major supplier to the project, we came to rely heavily on ANDRITZ’s experience, expertise and management of capital projects.”
Nicolas Bouziot, ANDRITZ Biomass Technology Manager for Latin America, who drove the application know-how, including the process technology, and selected the optimal equipment and system solutions, including third-party equipment and processes, adds: “As far as we are aware this is the first industrial-scale wood pellet plant in this part of the world and, as a result, there were major operational hurdles to overcome. However, we approached this project as we would any other, by really listening to the customer and understanding its precise needs, before creating concepts, ideas and solutions that fed off the combined knowledge and experience of the teams from both ANDRITZ and Bioena.”
“If I was to undertake the whole project again, I would specify more solutions from ANDRITZ”
Juan Camilo Sanz
SOLUTION
The scope of supply from ANDRITZ was significant, encompassing the design, build, installation, testing and commissioning of major elements of four complete lines.
As well as supplying primary machinery – for grinding, conditioning, and pelleting – ANDRITZ also undertook mass flow engineering for the process calculations, layout engineering, the design and deployment of the automation solutions, process control and PLC cabinets, and the programming of the automation software for plant control.
“This was the first major industrial project close to the town of Fundacion in Columbia,” explains Juancarlo Depablos, Operational Manager at Bioena. “Not only does it leverage the abundant and renewable sustainable natural resources, but it also brings skills and opportunities to an area where many people live below the poverty line. By deploying advanced automation solutions, the intuitiveness of the software and HMIs means that you do not have to rely on highly skilled specialists, broadening the scope for local employment opportunities.”
RESULTS
“By securing a long-term sustainable fibre supply, adopting world-class technology from ANDRITZ, and aligning with international certification standards, Bioena can now deliver a reliable, high-quality product even in a volatile market,” explains Juan Camilo Sanz. “With a capacity to deliver 125,000 tons of premium pellets annually, backed by long-term offtake contracts, the new plant creates skilled jobs, strengthens industrial capacity in the region, and opens Colombia’s participation in the global bioenergy market.”
Taking just 18 months from concept to production, the plant is a success story for project management, too, and will set the benchmark for other greenfield bioenergy projects, not just in Columbia.
“Before the project commenced, I had already spoken to a number of suppliers,” Juan Camilo Sanz says, “but the first time I met with ANDRITZ in Denmark I realized that these were the people I wanted to work with. In fact, if I was to undertake the whole project again, I would specify more solutions from ANDRITZ.
Rodrigo Beleboni, Team Lead Project Management at ANDRITZ, who handled project and contract management and managed all general, technical, and organizational resources, from the pre-engineering stages through mass balance calculations, plant designing, sourcing, and site management, explains: “Our 1ANDRITZway principles of Customer Focus, Ownership for Performance, Shared Commitment, and Collaborative Openness not only led us to outstanding results, but also earned us fantastic feedback from Juan Camilo.”
A testimonial backed by Juan Camillo Sanz, who concludes: “All KPI traffic lights were green from start to end – all thanks to a well-managed solution. The collaboration really was outstanding. We worked closely with highly qualified teams from different regions, benefitting from their global expertise and local responsiveness. Their professionalism and technical depth gave us confidence throughout the process, making the partnership with ANDRITZ a key factor in the successful execution of our project.”
Contact information
ANDRITZ Feed and Biofuel A/S-Denmark
Glentevej 5-7
6705 Esbjerg, Denmark.
Phone: +45 72 160 300
Email: feed-biofuel@andritz.com