Valmet, a reference in the biodryer belt market
Jul 10, 2018
A few years ago, Valmet decided to combine its expertise in biodryer manufacturing with its industrial fabric experience and started producing biodryer belts. Today, Valmet has a solid installed base of biodryer belts in a continuously growing customer network.
Biodryers are used for drying biomass, such as bark, forest residue, bagasse, sugar cane and sawdust. Dried biomass can be utilized as a valuable energy source in gasification processes, pelletizing and power boilers. Valmet’s reliable dryer belt technology ensures that the end material is highly dry, as well as easy to maintain and handle. The dryer utilizes secondary heat – no primary energy is needed.
“It was a natural step to start producing belts for biodryers. With our existing machinery, we can offer our customers belts up to ten meters wide. In developing dryer belts, we utilize our know-how from paper machine clothing and advanced seaming techniques. For example, zipper-aided seaming makes it easier to install belts weighing as much as 1,400 kilos – which also means it’s safer and faster,” explains Tapio Salminen, Product Sales Manager at Valmet.
"Since the first positions in the Scandinavian market and in China, where Valmet Dryer Belts consolidated a strong quality reputation, Valmet has expanded both geographically and in the type of industry approached. Nowadays, Valmet supplies leading companies pursuing sustainability in the industry in the USA, Asia Pacific Region, UK, Austria, Portugal and Germany," says Raul de Almeida, Global Product Manager for dryer belts at Valmet.
Dryer belts for power plants
Examples of Valmet’s dryer belt deliveries so far include a combined heat and power plant in Vaskiluoto, Finland, and several plants in China. Vaskiluoto was, in fact, the first plant to use a Valmet Dryer Belt, and Valmet also handled the installation. “We have been using Valmet’s belt for almost two years, and our experiences are very positive. The belt has carried fuel used to produce 750 GWh of energy. When we were looking into the belt change in 2016, Valmet’s experts demonstrated their good understanding of our operating conditions and material requirements. The co-operation has been very smooth at every stage,” says Janne Österback, Technical Manager at Vaskiluodon Voima.
Valmet delivered the start-up biodryer belt 7.2 meters wide and 125.7 meters long for Metsä Group’s next-generation bioproduct mill in Äänekoski. In addition to high-quality pulp, the mill produces a broad range of other bioproducts, such as tall oil, turpentine, bioelectricity and wood fuel.
All power plants that use bark, sawdust or woodchips as an energy source for either gasification, pelletizing or power boilers can benefit from Valmet’s biodryer belts.
"The quality and reliability of our belts allied with permanent innovation are hallmarks Valmet is recognized for worldwide. Sustainability is a core value at Valmet and this product is one of the ways of showing our commitment to support our partners to build a sustainable future," continues de Almeida.
