Biomass Briquettes for Chhatral GIDC Boilers and Thermic Fluid Heaters

Chhatral GIDC is home to a varied mix of manufacturers: pharmaceutical and chemical units, food processors, engineering shops and packaging plants. What they share is a steady need for process heat, and many are looking at whether biomass briquettes can replace coal or costlier fuels without disrupting production. This guide covers what to plan before you switch.

Direct Answer: Can Briquettes Run Chhatral-Type Boilers?

Yes. Biomass briquettes (white coal) are widely used in solid-fuel boilers, thermic fluid heaters, hot air generators and some furnaces. Our 90mm briquettes have a GCV of 3800 to 4200 Kcal/kg, moisture below 10 percent, ash below 10 percent (typically 2 to 8 percent depending on feedstock) and sulphur below 0.1 percent. The practical question is not whether they burn, but whether your fuel feeding, combustion air and ash removal are set up for a fuel with different characteristics from coal. A structured trial answers that.

Where Briquettes Fit by Industry

Furnaces that need very high, tightly controlled temperatures should be assessed case by case. For steam and thermic fluid duty, briquettes are a well-established choice.

Fuel Handling and Feeding

Briquettes are uniform cylinders, which makes them easier to handle than irregular coal lumps, but they differ from coal in a few ways.

• They are lighter by volume, so bunkers and hoppers empty faster. Check feeder speed and bunker capacity against your hourly consumption.
• Rough handling creates fines. Avoid long drops and repeated rehandling.
• Screw feeders and manual firing both work, but feed rate should be tuned rather than copied from coal practice.

Combustion Air Adjustments

Biomass has high volatile content, so it ignites easily and burns quickly. Boiler operators often need to adjust primary and secondary air to hold stable flame and avoid unburnt carbon. Make these changes gradually during the trial and record each setting.

Planning for Ash Cleaning

Typical Indian coal carries 25 to 45 percent ash. With briquette ash below 10 percent, the volume of residue falls sharply, which usually means less frequent cleaning and lighter ash disposal. It is still worth planning: briquette ash can be fine and light, so check that ash extraction, bag filters or cyclones are ready, and confirm how the ash will be collected and disposed of. Any reuse or disposal route for the ash must be checked against your state pollution board's requirements first.

A Practical Trial Protocol with a 25 MT Order

A minimum order of 25 MT is large enough to run a meaningful trial. We suggest the following approach.

1. Baseline: Record your current fuel consumption, steam output, boiler efficiency and ash quantity for at least one week.
2. Specification: Ask for the batch lab report so you know the GCV, moisture and ash of the lot you are testing.
3. Preparation: Clean the furnace, inspect feeders, and brief operators on expected flame behaviour.
4. Run: Burn the full lot over several days at normal load. Note air settings, steam pressure stability and any clinker or slagging.
5. Measure: Compare kilograms of fuel per tonne of steam against the baseline, and calculate cost per million Kcal using the method on our calculator.
6. Review: Decide on a contract size, such as 50 MT per month, only after the numbers are in.

The Compliance Angle: Moving from Coal to Renewable Fuel

Many industrial units face pressure from pollution control authorities, export customers and corporate sustainability programmes to cut emissions. Biomass briquettes are made from agricultural residue, so they are generally regarded as a renewable solid fuel, and BBI specifies sulphur below 0.1 percent. Switching fuel does not remove your obligations: you should confirm what permits and consent conditions apply to your unit, and keep fuel purchase records and lab reports ready for audits. Document your trial data too, as it supports any internal or external reporting on fuel change.

Storage on Site

Briquettes absorb moisture if exposed, and wet briquettes swell and crumble. Store them under a roof on a dry, raised floor, away from open drains and monsoon splash. Stack neatly, keep aisles for access, and follow first-in, first-out. Keep fire safety in mind: store away from ignition sources, keep extinguishers nearby and avoid large unventilated piles. For a 50 MT monthly contract, many plants hold one to two weeks of stock rather than a full month, which limits both space and moisture risk.

Common Mistakes When Switching Fuels

Most problems we hear about are avoidable. Plants sometimes load briquettes into a coal-tuned feeder without checking the feed rate, which leads to over-feeding and unstable steam pressure. Others skip the baseline, so they cannot say afterwards whether fuel use improved. A third mistake is judging the fuel on a single day of operation. Combustion settings take a few shifts to settle, and operators need time to learn how the flame responds. Treat the trial as a measurement exercise rather than a quick test, and involve your boiler attendant from the start, because their daily observations are often the most valuable data you will collect.

Who Should Be Involved

Include the plant engineer, the boiler operator, the stores in-charge and the purchase team. Engineering confirms technical fit, operations records performance, stores plans space and moisture protection, and purchase compares the full cost. When all four agree on the success criteria before the first delivery, the decision after the trial is much easier.

What a Good Result Looks Like

Agree the targets in advance: stable steam pressure at normal load, fuel consumption per tonne of steam within an acceptable band of your baseline, manageable ash volume, and no repeated stoppages for feeder blockage or clinker. If most of these are met, scale up to a standard 50 MT monthly contract. If not, review air settings, feeder speed and storage practice with your engineer before drawing conclusions about the fuel itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do we need to replace our boiler to use briquettes?

Usually not for solid-fuel boilers, but feeding and air systems may need adjustment. An engineer should review your setup before the trial.

How much ash should we expect compared with coal?

Briquette ash is below 10 percent and typically 2 to 8 percent, compared with 25 to 45 percent for typical Indian coal, so residue volume is much lower.

What is the smallest order we can try?

The minimum order quantity is 25 MT, which suits a trial. Standard contracts run at 50 MT per month.

Do you supply Chhatral?

Yes. Our plant is in Kadi, a short road distance from Chhatral. See our Chhatral supply page for details, or read about the briquette specification.

Can we visit the plant first?

Factory visits are available by appointment, and a batch lab report can be shared on request.

To plan a trial for your boiler or thermic fluid heater, get in touch with our team and share your current fuel and monthly consumption.