Yes, it works! From discussions with producers in Quebec, biomass drying works very well, but requires significant installations.
Historically, biomass furnaces had a heat exchanger to transport energy to the grain dryer. Although these heat exchanger systems have their place for farm buildings (chicken coops, garages, etc.), they are not very suitable for grain dryers.
Grain drying requires high heating power and rapid operation. This is why specialized furnaces have been engineered by various companies. For example, the BioDryAir is a furnace without a heat exchanger. In this system, the output from the combustion chamber is mixed with outside air and then directed straight to the grain dryer. The result is impressive: it can generate millions of BTUs in less than 10 minutes, capable of drying thousands of tons of corn!
In terms of profitability, the cost of forest biomass (wood chips) varies between $60 and $90 per metric ton. You can dry 25 to 40 metric tons of corn with 1 metric ton of wood chips. So the drying cost is between $1.5 and $3.6 per ton!
Although the initial cost of acquiring a biomass dryer is relatively high, if your initial energy consumption exceeds $60,000 per year, the savings achieved through biomass will quickly make the investment profitable. Additionally, subsidies are currently available in Quebec and Canada to accelerate its adoption.
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