She wants to see more small-scale pellet production in agriculture
PRESS RELEASE Increased demand for fuel pellets has resulted in periods of national shortages and prices that have raised eyebrows. Emelie Steen from Lund-based Skånekraft, believes that small-scale on-farm production of biopellets can be a partial solution for farmers who have been struggling with high energy costs for several years.
For Emelie Steen, a native of Skåne, interest in small-scale pellet production began even before prices took off; she wanted to find a way to produce her own feed for the farm's chickens. Pretty soon, however, the idea to start producing fuel pellets was born. Unlike most people who burn pellets, she doesn't own a pellet boiler, but burns the pellets in a so-called pellet basket directly in the tiled stove. The main reason for replacing the wood was to cut heating costs, and today she is self-sufficient in her own home-made leaf pellets. The insights and lessons learned led her to start the company Skånekraft last year, which specialises in small pellet presses intended primarily for farms and homeowners.
- We often underestimate the environmental impact when a simple product like pellets has to be transported long distances before it reaches the end consumer, in Sweden we are lucky to have extensive forestry and thus large amounts of available raw material. However, the supply of raw materials does not satisfy demand and a lot of pellets are actually imported, mostly from the Baltic States, but also from Russia, which is unnecessary and hits the wallet," says Emelie Steen.
More people want to become self-sufficient
The war in Ukraine has exposed the vulnerabilities of society, especially when it comes to energy supply. The dependence on Russian gas was directly reflected in Swedes' electricity bills. Both economists and researchers believe that Swedes need to move in a direction where more people increase their independence and become more self-sufficient, a view that, according to Emelie Steen, is shared by many Swedes.
- This is a crucial issue for agriculture and there has been a necessary change in attitude in recent years. Solar cells are a good example, and a concept that has been well established for decades and has begun to be widely adopted, especially in the countryside down here in southern Skåne, where you can now see panels on almost every barn. This is a positive thing. In addition, farmers tend to choose pellets as a primary or secondary energy source, says Emelie Steen.
One important aspect is the materials the pellets are made from, she says. A year ago, when prices were at their worst for purchased wood pellets, consumers could not compete for wood pellets with other, cheaper and more environmentally friendly materials. Research commissioned by her company shows that pellets made from common Swedish autumn leaves meet the market's quality requirements for wood pellets with a measured calorific value of 5 kW per kilo. The crucial difference is that autumn leaves are available to most Swedes. Something Emelie Steen believes is an untapped resource.
- Every year, we Swedes rake up huge quantities of autumn leaves, which we burn in a rusty barrel on the driveway or take to a recycling centre. At best, the leaves end up on the compost heap. Compared to firewood, which is a harvest product, the leaves in this context become a yield product that returns every year without us having to cut down trees for heating. Many of our rural customers also pelletise straw, hay and even grain. Those who have access to sawdust usually prefer to make wood pellets. At the end of the day, it's a matter of looking at your own situation and refining the biomaterials that are available," adds Emelie Steen.
Big savings possible for agriculture
The cost of purchased pellets has gradually increased, and prices look set to stay, with a daily price where a 16-kilo bag costs around SEK 80-100. This has prompted many people who burn pellets to consider other solutions. In conclusion, we ask Emelie Steen how much savings can be made when you make your own pellets.
- If you consider that our smallest electric pellet press can produce somewhere between 60 and 100 kilos of finished pellets per hour, and the electric motor draws three kilowatts, it pays off even when electricity prices are at their highest. I usually calculate ten kronor per kilowatt hour for fun, an electricity price few feel particularly comfortable with. But then 60-100 kilos of pellets actually cost only SEK 30, which on the last line is 30-50 öre per kilo of pellets, if the kilowatt price is one krona, the kilo price is somewhere around 3-5 öre instead. That example usually makes people who are used to paying SEK 7-8 per kilo raise their eyebrows," concludes Emelie Steen with a laugh.
Press contact and further information:
info@skanekraft.se
046-51459
