Carbonisation

Context

Ever-increasing European environmental standards have forced charcoal producers to modify their production methods in order to conform to new regulations.

Carbonisation processes

At the beginning of the '90s, there were basically two processes :

• Production by means of hot gases
  These are automated industrial processes which require heavy capital investment and generate high maintenance costs.
• Production by partial combustion
  These are for the most part traditional techniques using simple equipment and working methods. They result in difficult and unpleasant working conditions, poor process control, and in consequence, a low yield. Furthermore, they generate significant amounts of air pollution.

Nevertheless, over 95% of the world's charcoal production uses the partial combustion process. In consequence, the development of more efficient equipment with a lower cost becomes an urgent necessity.

LRCB Développement (ex JCKB International), in partnership with a charcoal manufacturer and the CIRAD (International Center for Cooperation in Agricultural Research), have been developing and installing a new clean technology for the production of charcoal : The CML process.

This process allows high quality charcoal to be produced economically, under excellent working conditions, in conformity with environmental standards.

What's more, the waste gas de-pollution system generates large amounts of heat. This heat is recovered and can be used either directly for drying, or for the production of electricity.