HM3 Energy, Inc.
Projects
Pilot Plant
In the fall of 2010 HM3 Energy is moving its pilot plant to a larger facility where we will have more room for our drying, torrefaction and pelletization on a larger scale. The US Endowment for Forestry and Communities has awarded HM3 Energy $241,000, which is being used for pilot plant operation as well as key commercial scale equipment design and fabrication.
This larger pilot plant facility will allow us to test all pieces of equipment and modify them to meet our performance standard. We will also be able to produce hundreds of pounds of torrefied biomass made from various feedstock materials for future test burns. The data collected will be used to finalize the process heat and mass balance and the equipment design for the first small commercial production plant.
Torrefaction Equipment Designed and Built
We evaluated commercially available torrefaction equipment from a number of vendors and identified design flaws that either make the equipment uneconomical or fail to meet quality specifications. We then designed and built our own torrefaction equipment which remedied the problems encountered. Scaled up by a factor of 10 from our earlier lab-scale equipment, our torrefier is providing greater amounts of torrefied biomass for future test burns.
Test Burns at Research Facility
Our second co-fire test at Western Research Institute in Larmie, Wyoming, was completed on February 25, 2010. HM3 Energy TorrB™ torrefied biomass was pulverized, blended 50% with coal, and fired in Western Research Institute's small pulverized coal combustion facility, which models the operation of large pulverized coal power plants. After we observed the steady-state combustion of the 50/50 blended feed for about two hours, we switched the feed to 100% TorrB™ pulverized torrefied biomass. It performed just as coal, with the exception that a feed rate of about 20% less torrefied biomass than coal was needed to maintain the same furnace temperature. The test burn ran for more than two hours of steady-state operation before being terminated.
The analytical data of our TorrB™ torrefied biomass shows that the sulfur content was 0.03% versus 0.79% for coal on a dry basis; furthermore the mercury concentration in the TorrB™ biomass was below detection. Notably, the furnace operator observed that the slag build up near the burners after this test burn was in the normal range experienced with burns of 100% coal.
We believe this is a historic accomplishment, as the conventional wisdom has been that a torrefied biomass blend with coal of more than 25% would result in unacceptable boiler behavior. Advancing the success of the last test burns, this new test burn proves that coal can be replaced completely by TorrB™ torrefied biomass in pulverized coal-fired power plants without any modifications to the power plants.
First Small Scale Commercial Plant
HM3 Energy has engaged an engineering design firm to start designing our first small scale commerical torrefied biomass plant. We have an aggressive plan to complete design, financing and permitting by the end of 2010. We have been in close contact with biomass feedstock suppliers and are negotiating with two prime locations in Central Oregon for our first commercial plant, slated for completion by May 2011. This plant will produce the thousands of tons of HM3 Energy TorrB™ biomass pellets necessary for large-scale test burns at coal-fired power plants.
NEWS
HM3 Energy receives US Endowment for Forestry and Communities grant, worth $241,000. The award will be used for pilot plant operation and key commercial scale equipment design and fabrication.. READ MORE
HM3 Energy awarded USDA-SBIR Phase I grant to research removing soil contaminants from forest waste with minimal water usage...
Successful test burn completed with 100% torrefied biomass in pulverized coal-fired combustion facility proves torrefied biomass can replace coal directly in existing coal-fired power plants...
Torrefied biomass energy can come from a variety of feedstock sources...
Torrefied biomass energy costs compare very favorably with other clean energy forms, such as solar and wind...