Yorkshire-based Manco Energy had one of the monster Linka biomass boilers that it imports from Denmark on display. As you might imagine, the range extends from small-scale stuff right up to burners of the size that would suit large-scale district heating schemes of the sort you’d find all across Scandinavia. Of the 300 odd that the company has installed in the UK over the last few decades, around 50 of them are put to use drying grain.
Key feature of the burners is said to be the fact that they can run on pretty much anything that’s combustible from woodchip and straw to coffee grounds and nutshells. Installations vary but Manco says it can supply anything from the most basic manually-fed set-up right through to a fully automated self-feed unit with bale shredders and conveyors.
Critically the latest versions are equipped with clever particulate filtration systems to ensure they comply with stringent emissions regulations, making them eligible for full Renewable Heat Incentive grant aid.
As an example, a typical 1.5MW unit can generate enough heat to run a 40-tonne/hour grain dryer. The complete installation will cost in the region of £500,000 but Manco says in the first year alone it will net over £135,000 in RHI subsidies – you do the math…
