Biomass Boom

Biomass is key to the UK’s energy future, and as an industry it is set to boom in the next 5 years.

This is great news for the plant sector as it will undoubtedly mean new investment in Biofuel handling equipment, such as loading shovels, and material handlers.

However for the thousands of businesses, and Port Authorities using heavy equipment to handle Biomass, this can also mean an increased risk of a fire.

Biomass covers a machine during operation; it sticks to surfaces, builds up in belly pans and behind panels, and accumulates quickly in the engine compartment. Due to the fine consistency of this product, it is virtually impossible to prevent this from happening.

Fires occur because Biomass has a very low ignition temperature. In fact a recent study by Leeds University found that dust from some forms of Biomass ignites at just 300 °C. Superheated machine components can easily meet and exceed these temperatures, and that’s typically what causes the fires.

The right fire system can be installed to manage these risks, and stop a fire before it spreads to other parts of the machine or the wider environment. For more information on this, you can contact one of our experts on 01423 326740.