Wood pellets & biomass energy
Wood pellets turn wood residues and fast-growing energy crops into a solid fuel that can replace part of the coal in power plants and boilers already in operation — without modifying the equipment.
3.5×
energy density compared with bulk wood chips
≤ 10%
maximum moisture content — fresh wood is 45–55%
0.03%
sulphur content, about 15× lower than coal
1–2 yrs
energy crop harvest cycle
01 — Renewable Energy
Renewable energy comes from natural sources that replenish themselves — sun, wind, water, and plants. Unlike oil and coal, these sources do not run out as long as they are managed properly.
Wood from plantations that are replanted counts as renewable energy; wood from clearing natural forest does not. The material is the same — how it is managed is what sets them apart.
Indonesia's Energy Law distinguishes the two. Renewable energy replenishes naturally, while new energy — such as nuclear and hydrogen — refers to technologies not yet widely used, whose sources can run out.
Renewable energy is not necessarily sustainable. Sustainability requires management that protects forests, water, and community welfare over the long term.
02 — Feedstock & Product
Biomass is organic material from plants — wood fibre, shells, husks, and stalks — that stores energy captured through photosynthesis. That energy can be recovered as fuel.
Combustion heat produces steam to drive turbines. Wood pellets belong in this category.
Biomass powder is compressed into pellets or briquettes to raise its energy density.
Wet waste is processed in sealed tanks into biogas that can be used as fuel.
Vegetable oils are processed into biodiesel, and sugary materials into bioethanol.
Wood pellets are a cylindrical solid fuel 6–8 mm in diameter, made from dry wood powder compressed under high pressure. No binders are added — lignin, a natural substance in wood, acts as the binder.
Freight is charged by volume, not by energy content. Densification multiplies the energy carried in the same space, making logistics more efficient. The uniform shape also allows boilers to be fed automatically.
Pellet cross-section
The 6 mm size lets pellets flow through automatic feeding systems, resist crumbling into dust, and burn completely with minimal char residue.
Wood pellet quality is judged on measurable parameters matched to the user's boiler specification. The ranges below follow ISO 17225-2 (classes A1, A2, B) as used by the ENplus scheme, and SNI 8021 for the domestic market.
| Parameter | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 6 mm or 8 mm | matched to the boiler feeding system |
| Length | 10 – 40 mm | keeps feeding smooth |
| Moisture content | ≤ 10% | determines combustion efficiency |
| Calorific value | 16.5 – 18.5 MJ/kg ≈ 3,900 – 4,400 kcal/kg | basis for pricing and fuel requirement calculations |
| Ash content | 0.7% – 3% | affects furnace maintenance frequency |
| Bulk density | 600 – 750 kg/m³ | determines load capacity and freight cost |
| Mechanical durability | ≥ 97.5% | keeps pellets intact during shipping |
| Sulphur | ± 0.02% – 0.05% | low emissions, lower risk of acid rain |
Co-firing with coal at 5–10% of total fuel, without modifying the equipment.
Heat and steam for the textile, food, paper, and crop-drying industries.
Strong demand from Japan and South Korea, whose energy policies recognise biomass as renewable energy.
03 — Energy Transition
Co-firing — blending biomass with coal in power plants already in operation — is one of the fastest ways to cut emissions, without waiting for new plants to be built.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide as they grow and release roughly the same amount when burned. With replanting, the carbon cycle stays in balance.
Coal releases carbon stored for millions of years, adding to emissions in the atmosphere. Biomass is carbon neutral as long as it is followed by replanting — which is why replanting is an inseparable part of its supply chain.
Sustainable energy meets three conditions at once: affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. The three are linked — clean energy that is not affordable will not be widely used.
Solar and wind are clean and economical, but depend on the weather. Biomass complements them: it can be stored and used whenever needed, with the same power-plant infrastructure as coal.
Every shipment can be traced back to its land of origin — ownership, permits, and planting date. Domestically this follows SVLK, Indonesia's timber legality assurance system; for export, it follows the supply-chain certification the buyer requires.
A land management plan is drawn up before the mill begins operating — covering the area harvested each month and the recovery period for every plot.
The farm-gate purchase price must cover the cost of tending the crops. Farmer welfare is the key to a continuous supply.
