Efficient greenfield sawmill with integrated drying system

stela belt dryer HS Timber Group Acon, Argentinia

HS Timber Group, Argentina

sectors: Pellet industry, timber industry
Challenge: Construction of a complete sawmill in an ‘open field’ in Argentina under challenging climatic conditions
Solution: Implementation of the requirements by means of a suitable drying system whilst taking optimised energy use into account
Dryer used:belt dryer type BT 1/6200 with a length of 43.5 metres
Product to be dried: Sawdust, wood shavings, wood chips

Challenge

Successful commisioning of Acon Timer: Challenges and technological innovations in tropical Argentina

The HS Timber Group officially opened the Acon Timber Sawmill in Argentina in April of 2024. Equipped with state-of-the-art systems and technologies, the sawmill also contains a drying system from STELA. Here, wood chips, sawdust and wood shavings are processed into pellets with an annual capacity of 132,000 tonnes.

Combined with high temperatures and rainfall, the tropical climate posed a major challenge, not only during operation of the system, but also and particularly during installation. The wood to be dried was also a fast-growing material with a very high water content, placing special demands on the drying system.

One of the main technical challenges was using saturated steam as a source of heat. For this purpose, STELA provided the entire steam distribution system within the dryer. The entire planning phase was carried out in close collaboration with an experienced engineering office (HEP), which was responsible for coordination. STELA Laxhuber provided all the relevant technical documentation and data to guarantee the planning and construction phase went smoothly.

Solution

Acon Timber, which already uses STELA dryers at several sites and is very satisfied with their performance, once again decided on a STELA drying system for the new site. To meet the requirements, a BT 1/6200 exhaust air dryer with a length of 43.5 meters was installed. Saturated steam at a temperature of about 180°C acts as the heat source for the drying process. Particular attention was paid to energy optimisation energy by cooling the condensate to below 100°C, which was achieved using additional heat exchangers.

Manufacturing and assembly

The drying system was delivered on schedule in December 2022 and finally installed in summer 2023 at the customer's request. The components were temporarily stored on site until the construction work was completed. During installation and commissioning, the at times extreme climatic conditions presented an additional challenge. High temperatures and heavy rainfall resulted in further delays as local labor regulations prohibited work in the rain. These adverse conditions demanded flexibility and perseverance from everyone involved in order to complete the project successfully.

Mr. Günther Preiß, Technical Division Manager of Acon, is extremely satisfied with the performance of the STELA drying system, calling it a ‘reliable drying system for a dependable raw material supplier’, and he rates the cooperation in the project with an overall mark of 1.

Conclusion and outlook

The drying plant can now process up to 33 tonnes of wet material per hour, reducing the water content of the wood from 55% to 10%. The heat requirement is just under 17 MW. The next challenge for the customer is to recruit qualified personnel for the optimum operation of the drying plant and associated pelleting system. Regular STELA service calls and personnel training are being carried out on an ongoing basis. The close and positive cooperation with Acon Timber will continue in the future so that the operation of the plant can be optimised and long-term efficiency guaranteed.

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