Experimental Evaluation of Torrefied Sawdust Pellets as a Potential Solid Fuel in Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70112/arme-2025.14.2.4322Keywords:
Biomass, Thermochemical Treatment, Torrefaction, Palletization, BiofuelAbstract
This research paper assesses the effects of torrefaction on the fuel characteristics of sawdust pellets and evaluates their potential as an alternative solid fuel to coal in Pakistan. As an agrarian country, Pakistan generates significant quantities of biomass residues, including sawdust from furniture and carpentry industries, which are often underutilized or openly burned. In this work, sawdust collected from local carpentry workshops was pelletized using a laboratory-scale pellet machine with a 4 mm die configuration. The prepared pellets were torrefied at 200–220°C for 60 minutes. Moisture content, volatile matter, and ash content were determined through proximate and ultimate analyses, along with elemental composition analysis. The results indicate that torrefaction reduced volatile matter from 68.59% to 56.16% and increased carbon content from 39.37% to 63.15%. The higher heating value improved from 17.56 MJ/kg for non-torrefied pellets to 27.45 MJ/kg after torrefaction. The findings demonstrate that torrefaction enhances the energy density and fuel characteristics of sawdust pellets, making them more comparable to coal for thermal energy applications. These results suggest that torrefied sawdust pellets have strong potential as a partial substitute for coal in Pakistan’s energy sector.
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