The production of sustainable fuels such as biofuels and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) requires highly specialized process chains that range from raw material preparation to final fuel refinement. A central process step is the energy-efficient drying of the biomass in order to reduce the water content of the starting material to an optimum level for the process. For this purpose, stela Laxhuber offers application-specific low-temperature belt dryers designed for use in complex bioenergetic conversion processes.
Processes such as pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) or thermochemical wood gasification require defined drying of the input material. By using excess thermal energy from upstream or parallel process stages, stela drying systems enable resource-saving and low-emission drying.
Practical examples demonstrate the efficiency and the various possible applications of this technology:
- In a pyrolysis plant in Sweden, wet ground biomass with a particle size <10mm is continuously dried to less than 3% residual moisture. Evaporation rates of over 5.5 tons per hour are achieved with a thermal energy consumption of approx. 7.5 MW.
- Heterogeneous wood residues are processed as part of an HTL process in western Canada. The belt dryer used reliably copes with strongly fluctuating particle sizes and achieves water evaporation of up to 3.5 tons per hour.
- In eastern Canada, a biomethanol production facility uses materials from waste recycling and bark waste to achieve evaporation rates of over 10 tons of water per hour, even under extreme climatic conditions (down to -20 °C).
Thanks to their modular design and integrated air guidance systems - such as the “change-over function” of the BTU series - stela belt dryers can be flexibly adapted to different process requirements and varying input materials. This adaptability is a decisive advantage in a dynamic market environment with heterogeneous raw material qualities and fluctuating operating conditions.
Visitors to the LIGNA 2025 trade fair in Hanover can find out about these innovative solutions in person from May 26 to 30, 2025. At the stela Laxhuber stand E15 in hall 26, experts will be available for individual consultation - with concrete practical examples from SAF and biofuel production.
Would you like to make an appointment in advance? Please contact us!
