Fuel Quality
Fuel quality depends on characteristics and properties that determine the performance, efficiency, and environmental impact of a fuel when it is used for energy production.
In bioenergy, these characteristics include the fuel’s chemical composition, calorific value (energy content), moisture content, ash content, and physical properties such as size and shape.
The quality of the fuel has an impact on the type of equipment that should be used for its valorisation. Low quality biomass fuels, i.e. with high ash content, can still be effectively used, but typically required more expensive equipment and they are better suited for larger-scale applications. For smaller scale appliances, such as stoves and boilers used for residential heating, ensuring high fuel quality is crucial for optimizing combustion efficiency, reducing emissions, minimizing equipment wear and maintenance, and ensuring consistent and reliable energy output. In particular for wood pellets used in such applications, consumers should opt for pellets that are certified with a fuel quality certification scheme, such as ENplus.
