Torrefied briquettes: technical and economic feasibility and perspectives in the Brazilian market

This paper presents a study of the impact of introducing a torrefaction system installed in a briquette factory. Cost analysis demonstrates that a briquette factory with a capacity of 1,200 tonnes per year could increase operational profits and reduce the break-even point by 15.7% by introducing a process to torrefy 60% of the briquettes produced. Torrefaction, therefore, promotes operational improvement without the need to increase production volume, and the factory becomes a multiproduct manufacture, gaining flexibility and competitiveness in markets that are limited or saturated by competitors. This study includes marketing aspects, showing that torrefaction improves briquette quality, enabling access to new possibilities, mainly the domestic market, still unexplored by biomass briquette producers.