Technical Specification

The biomass system was purpose built to provide the required power for the dryers.

At the peak of the harvest season between August and the middle of October the operation runs 24 hours a day, using up to 50 tonnes of wood chip fuel each day.

The Topling SASP boilers use a combination of gasification and combustion, with fuel being fed to each of the three boilers from a dedicated hopper with a walking floor, via an auger system.

The wood chip is burned in the gasifier at 1,400°C, with the resulting gas being carried into the boiler where it heats the water. Ash is removed by a multi-cyclone system while the water is stored in two 55,000 litre accumulation tanks at around 100°C.

The amount of heat transferred to the dryers, as well as the operation of the boilers, pumps and the rest of the system, is controlled remotely by a laptop in the central store control room.

We dry between 60 and 70 tonnes of malting barley an hour It is important not to overheat grain as this will kill it. For feed grain however we dry up to 160 tonnes per hour.