Production of charcoal on an industrial scale. Charcoal production: technology, equipment. Total cost and return on investment

One of the promising areas of business today is the production of charcoal, which is actively purchased by both private individuals to provide themselves with fuel, for cooking barbecue during their country holidays, and various enterprises that practice cooking in their open areas. Charcoal itself is a type of natural biofuel that can be used in a wide variety of applications. This is a great option for anyone looking for a new field of activity in vacant niches. Other promising projects can be found in the list best startups 2017 year.

This led to the appearance of factories for the production of the corresponding product, but it will be quite difficult for a private trader to compete with them for large customers. It should be noted that for the most part such products can be purchased at various points of the retail chains. Charcoal has certain advantages over other types of fuel resources, which can be actively used within advertising campaign... Among the main positive aspects of charcoal are the absence of sulfur and phosphorus. The high calorific value, along with the possibility of complete combustion, attracts people who are inclined towards "green" psychology. Most importantly, this resource is renewable, which allows charcoal to be produced again.

Those who have previously faced the urgent need to purchase charcoal know how high the cost of this type of fuel is. At the same time, the cost of the raw material itself is quite small, and the equipment for the production of the final is very unpretentious. Various hardwoods are most suitable for making charcoal. Among them, birch, oak, beech and so on can be distinguished, however, soft varieties (poplar, alder, aspen) can also be used, only the quality of the final product will be slightly lower. In particular, fuels obtained from hard rocks are classified as "A" grade charcoal, while soft ones produce fuel with the "B" marking.

Making charcoal at home

Making charcoal at home will require some preparation. Firstly, this fuel product cannot be released in closed rooms, since there is a high risk of fire, and there is also smoke, which is dangerous for humans, because it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning accumulated in places with poor ventilation.

The most in a simple way to make your own charcoal at home is to use a wood-burning stove. It is enough to choose burnt red coals and place them in a container with high tightness rates. In the simplest cases, a simple ceramic barrel with a well-fitting lid will suffice. When using metal containers, the chance of getting burned is higher, and the fire hazard also increases. After cooling, you get ready-made charcoal.

To increase the amount of coal, you can add firewood to the stove, and after it flares up well, close the blower and the doors, slide everything in and wait 15 minutes until everything burns out. It should be noted that this is a rather unreliable method, and it is undesirable to use it. Instead of dangerous experiments, it may be worthwhile to devote time to such a promising direction today as. The agricultural sector is actively supported by government programs, especially in the regions. This area of \u200b\u200bactivity includes not only livestock raising, but also accompanying production. Often in countryside you can earn good money if you have, since this product is in stable demand.

Making charcoal in a pit

The first way to make charcoal at home is to use a pit. This method is the oldest and was known in ancient times. He's pretty primitive. On the one hand, this allows you to get charcoal without much financial investmentson the other hand, the quality of the final product is likely to leave much to be desired. In particular, the sealing remains low due to the presence of pores in the soil, which lead to almost complete burnout of the wood instead of "languishing".

Advice: To avoid moisture from the soil and increase the quality of the finished charcoal, it is worth covering the bottom of the pit and the lower part of the walls with a mixture of sand and clay. Pre-firing will create a sufficiently dense surface, which eliminates some of the problems and helps to form a "clay pot". The creation of charcoal in this case will take place with a high percentage of yield.

The pit itself can have different dimensions. For example, you can make it small if you are just trying out the technology for making charcoal at home. The recess should be cylindrical and deep enough, but moisture should be avoided. With a depth of 0.5 m and a width of about 0.8 m, approximately two bags of wood can be loaded, which will later become coal.

The bottom of the pit should at least be tamped so that at the end the soil does not mix with coal. We make a fire directly in the pit using fast-burning materials (brushwood, small dry wood, birch bark, etc.). Exceptions are the various ignition chemicals. If you use them, you can leave corresponding invisible traces. In such cases, customers, after using your charcoal, probably won't want to do anything with you. Gradually add wood to the fire, keeping the combustion process active. After that, you need to lay the prepared pieces of wood, which will be used to obtain coal.

Advice: Use blanks to make bark-free charcoal. The latter produces a large amount of smoke, which will lead to a drop in product quality. To increase the convenience of using the fuel obtained as a result of the procedure, it is worth initially cutting the wood into small pieces. Sizes can be chosen to suit your taste, but it is advisable not to make them more than 30 cm. This advice can be used to give your products some personality. The standardization of sizes will provide an opportunity to create some recognition, which has a positive effect on sales in the long term.

After the first portion of firewood burns out, new ones must be laid on top. All of them need to be wiggled periodically with a long pole to increase the tightness. After the pit is filled, we stop lining the firewood and wait for the preliminary burning. In some cases, this can take about 1-2 hours. The next step is sealing. To do this, cover the hole with green grass and leaves, and cover it with a large layer of earth.

In a more "advanced" version, you can put a thick sheet of metal on top or a partition made of another dense non-combustible material that will restrict oxygen access. In such conditions, for conditions for the charcoal to cool completely, it will take about two days. The final step will be sifting and sorting the resulting product. After completing all these procedures, it will be possible to carry out packing into separate portions and send it to the warehouse or directly to the customer, if the work was carried out on pre-order.

Making charcoal in a barrel

A better result in terms of the amount of the finished product and a decrease in the percentage of incompletely burned parts of the loaded material is obtained by another method of producing charcoal. It is about making a product in a special barrel. It should be made of concrete or metal and have sufficient wall thickness. The size itself should be selected depending on the amount of charcoal that needs to be done in one go.

At a sufficiently high turnover, it may be necessary to prepare several barrels. Loading at intervals will create a virtually continuous release of the product. If the process is well organized, employees can be hired, which will free up time to expand the business through negotiations to replenish the list of regular customers.

There are two main methods for making barrel charcoal. The first involves lighting a fire directly inside the container, and the process itself in this case is almost identical to that which takes place in the pit. When the amount of wood loaded into the barrel is large enough, it is worth checking that the fire is intense enough and does not disappear immediately after a large amount of material appears at the top.

Advice: Place several refractory bricks in an upright position on the bottom of the container. Already between them, it is worth laying small branches that will be used to start a fire. Above them, you need to place a special grate on which logs will be laid for making charcoal at home.

After filling the barrel, you need to wait until the first tongues of flame appear on the surface, and only after that you can cover it with a metal sheet, leaving only a small gap. To speed up the process itself a little, at the bottom of the container you need to make a hole into which air is supplied with a vacuum cleaner, however, you can do without active pressurization.

In the process of burning firewood, it is worth noting a change in the color of the smoke. After it changes its color to a gray tint, the barrel must be sealed as tightly as possible. In this position, it will remain until it cools. Then the lid is removed and the sorting and packing of the finished charcoal begins.

The second option for using the barrel is the initial dense packing of the raw material. After that, it is necessary to ensure an almost tight closure, leaving only small holes for the gases to escape from the container. The barrel itself is placed on a platform under which a fire is made. Refractory bricks can be used as a pallet. This warming up of the barrel will cause a reaction of the wood inside it, which will be visible by the appearance of smoke from the holes left.

After the completion of the process of gas release from the barrel, it is necessary to leave the container directly on the fire for some time. Then it is removed, and all the holes in the lid are sealed for tightness. After that, it remains only to wait for the barrel to cool completely. As a result, there will be finished charcoal.

The above techniques are characterized by extremely low equipment costs. The main problem with using them is that the process itself is quite difficult to track. You have to navigate approximately, and use indirect signs as reference points, which can be strongly influenced by various factors, which leads to the heterogeneous quality of charcoal.

After sorting, the entrepreneur receives several separate product fractions. If a part can be packaged and sent for sale, then a separate quantity will need to be re-loaded for additional processing. Much of the result will depend on the experience of the manufacturer. After a series of experiments, it will be possible to find some balanced option, but at first it is better to prepare for various problems. This can be not only underburning, but also complete burnout of a part of the raw material.

Charcoal manufacturing technology

For those considering charcoal production as a source profitable business, it will be quite difficult to get by with just a pit or a barrel. With them, two main problems arise: high demands on control and low productivity. It is advisable to purchase special equipment. The line for the production of charcoal at home will include:

• A stove in which coal will be burned from wood;
• Scales and filling equipment;
• Electricity generator (you can connect to a stable source, but no network is immune from problems, therefore the generator is more reliable);
• Equipment for crushing large beams (chainsaws, wood splitting mechanisms and other options).

All this will require certain financial costs. All equipment can be placed in an open space, which will save on special workshop premises. At the same time, at the initial stage, it is enough to purchase only a furnace, and sawing and packing by hand. When working with a high turnover of charcoal, you will need to expand for faster work.

The technology itself can be divided into just 3 stages:

1. Drying. Initially, the wood is placed directly into the charcoal block, where it is treated with flue gases with a temperature of about 150 ° C. The total duration of this stage largely depends on the moisture content of the feedstock. At the end of drying, it should not exceed 4-5%.
2. Pyrolysis. In fact, we are talking about an endothermic reaction. At first, the temperature gradually rises to 300 ° C, this leads to the complete removal of residual moisture after drying. Then the wood is charred. At the peak temperature, exothermic pyrolysis starts, which is characterized by an increase in temperature due to smoldering of the raw material. In this case, the temperature can rise to 400 ° C, and the raw material becomes directly charcoal, in which the carbon content is about 65-75%.
3. Cooling. First, the coal is cooled to a temperature below the self-ignition threshold in free contact with oxygen. In some cases, unloading starts at 85 ° C or less. Ideally, wait until the temperature has dropped to 40 ° C.

Equipment for the production of charcoal - price

The cost of equipment fluctuates within a fairly wide range. It is worth noting that in total the entire production line can be assembled at a cost of 350-750 thousand rubles. In many ways, the final cost depends on performance. Some involve the expense of creating multiple parallel production lines, which significantly raises the bar for entry.

To reduce capital requirements, it is not possible to purchase a new furnace, but to take advantage of the offer on the used market. You can also find there.

In particular, the furnace can be purchased for 150 thousand rubles, but there are also options with high performance, for which you will have to pay more than 2 million rubles. Primitive options will cost only 15-20 thousand rubles. The same is true for the rest of the line nodes. Filling equipment and cleavers are based on the furnace performance. The most advanced models carry out product stratification down to coal dust, which is in demand in certain areas of production.

Where to buy a charcoal furnace?

Today, a fairly large number of companies in various regions of Russia are engaged in the release of equipment for the production of charcoal at home. First of all, you need to decide on the budget, and then start searching for manufacturers in your own or neighboring region in order to save as much as possible on logistics costs. Whether you are looking to splurge on a single oven or a complete line of equipment, find your nearest supplier first. It is worth asking them:

• Cost of equipment;
• Cost of delivery;
• Availability of spare parts for equipment;
• The possibility of obtaining a discount.

A separate point is the purchase of raw materials. Wood will have to be taken from other enterprises. It is cheaper to buy large quantities, but for these purposes you will need a warehouse. Before deciding in what volumes to purchase, it is necessary to calculate the economic feasibility. At first, it is better to limit yourself to small batches, and after an active entry into the business, return to this moment.

Charcoal price per ton

Today, the cost of 1 ton of charcoal ranges from 10-20 thousand rubles when buying a product made at home. If we talk about the use of more expensive equipment, which gives the result more high Quality, then the price will rise to 30-40 thousand rubles for wholesale.

The highest cost for charcoal remains with industrial enterpriseswho are ready to carry out additional processing of the product. For example, the price of activated charcoal can go up to 100 thousand rubles per 1 ton, but it is almost impossible to get it at home.

The simplest methods of making charcoal at home do not require large investments, but an entrepreneur intending to make high profits will need to invest in equipment to ensure the competitive quality of the final product. The equipment can be placed outdoors, for which a small plot of land is sufficient, but in some cases a warehouse for raw materials and finished packaged products will be required.

The advantage is that it is undemanding to the type of wood for coal production. Some create charcoal from sawdust pellets, some entrepreneurs form them on their own, which has many similarities to. The main difficulty lies in the packaging of the product to comply with quality standards, but modern equipment copes with this quite well. This area of \u200b\u200bactivity itself is very promising, but not suitable for everyone. There are other options as well.

Charcoal production - video

Composed of almost 100% carbon, charcoal is also known to be environmentally friendly and efficient view fuel that does not spoil the air with poisonous vapors and is very convenient for quick cooking. Along with its use in the economy, charcoal is also used in industry. Whole metallurgical and chemical complexes... It is also used in construction as a convenient insulating material. Farmers use it as an additive to livestock feed.

Here we will talk about the production of charcoal, equipment for its production, technology.

• Black - obtained by firing soft wood species (aspen, poplar, alder, etc.);
• White - obtained by firing hard wood species (hornbeam, birch, oak, etc.);
• Red - obtained by soft firing, mainly from coniferous trees.

In accordance with GOST 7657-84 coal quality is divided into three grades: A, B and C (see video below).

Major buyers

Given the high demand, the production and sale of finished coal can turn into a respectable business with a very high percentage of profitability. Objects alone catering in one season they consume more than four million tons of charcoal. If we add to this the rest of the enterprises and objects of life (schools, kindergartens, universities, etc.), as well as private consumption (hunting, fishing, dacha farms), then we get a gigantic figure. It should be borne in mind that given form business does not require any high-tech and costly forms of production.

Equipment for the production of

The following equipment is used for the production of charcoal:

• Charcoal kiln (from 100 thousand rubles);
• Libra (from 5 thousand rubles);
• Electricity generator (20 thousand rubles);
• Chainsaws (from 5 thousand rubles);
• A hydraulic device for splitting firewood (from 55 rubles / piece).

An open and flat area is required for arranging a furnace for making charcoal. The area of \u200b\u200bthe complex, including storage facilities, will be about 200 sq.m.

Production technology

As raw materials for the production of commercial coal, you will need wood (price from 1000 to 1800 rubles / m3) and bags for packaging (price from 7 to 11 rubles / piece).

The basis for the production of charcoal is the pyrolysis process (a special process of burning wood without oxygen). For these purposes, mobile and stationary charcoal kilns, also called retort kilns, are used. Such furnaces consist of special chambers in which the operations of roasting and drying of raw materials are performed. The basic principle of operation is that vapors and gases released during the combustion of coal flow into the furnace, where they are burned, providing the process with additional heat.

Detailed video of charcoal manufacturing technology:

The action takes place in the following order: the wood delivered for this purpose is placed in a special loading chamber. After receiving from the sensors the corresponding signal about the burning out and drying of coal, it is unloaded and left to cool. Then the final product is crushed into small pieces, packed into paper or plastic bags and bags. The degree of crushing depends on the intended use of the batch. Coal for household use is crushed into smaller pieces. For industrial enterprises, accordingly, the crushing is larger.

In the manufacture of coal, any wood waste can be used as a raw material - stumps, twigs, waste from the paper and furniture industries. Often contacts are made with local forestry workers who harvest the forest annually. Peat and sawdust can also be used. The consumption of raw materials per ton of the final product is approximately as follows: birch wood - 7-8 cubic meters, soft woods - 11-12 cubic meters. m.

Capacities for the production of charcoal are recommended to be located in suburban areas. The optimal number of employees is about 2-3 people. No highly qualified personnel is required to service the equipment. In addition to workers, you will also need a watchman, an accountant and a manager.

Charcoal is a completely organic material used as fuel. Its high environmental properties are known for the fact that when smoldering, it does not emit toxic and toxic fumes, since it consists entirely of carbon.

In industry, it is widely used by metallurgical complexes and chemical plants, in agriculture it is used as a mineral supplement. This high demand for carbon fuels, combined with unique qualities, has contributed to the development of technological processes for its manufacture.

Charcoal is produced using a soft charcoal system, which is characterized by a low temperature regime. There are three main types of charcoal:

1. Black, obtained from the processing of soft wood.
2. White, made from hardwood.
3. Red from coniferous trees.

When receiving coal, any wood waste (waste from the paper, furniture industry, stumps, twigs) is used as a consumable. Moreover, white coal is valued in Japan, and red - for private use.

This universal product has found adequate application in almost all spheres of human life. As an alternative fuel, it is still actively used in household... The industrial dimensions of its application are huge and multifaceted, they affect the following areas of its active use:

• smelting of metals;
• water purification;
• as a trap of harmful and toxic gases;
• in medicine for poisoning;
• feeding for animals and birds;
• in catering systems;
• as a fertilizer.

Depending on the quality, it is subdivided into three grades, assigning the letter designations A, B, C.
The technological process for obtaining this product is simple, but it requires additional knowledge and skills. Therefore, this type of activity is often used as profitable business... But, it should be borne in mind that with a clear understanding of the role of correct adherence to all stages of the process, the percentage of output of a quality product increases.

Charcoal production technology includes 4 main stages as standard: drying, pyrolysis, calcining, cooling. More recently, its production brought serious harm. environment... But modern technologies have solved this problem by introducing new unique equipment.

Equipment for the production of

The basis production process for the production of charcoal is the following mechanisms:

1. A device for splitting firewood on hydraulics.
2. Chainsaws.
3. Libra.
4. Charcoal kiln.
5. Electricity generator.

For the construction of the furnace, an open and flat area should be equipped; the furnace itself must be of high quality, ensuring the impossibility of oxygen penetration. Otherwise, part of the raw material will not be processed, but will burn.

Video: oven for making charcoal.

A good furnace is designed in such a way that the gases produced during oxidation are fed into the furnace, burned out there and directed to maintain the required temperature. This energy saving is environmentally friendly and economical.

There is also equipment in which it is possible to use only one container. In this case, the continuity process technological production charcoal is disturbed and downtime occurs. This situation is solved by the presence of removable containers in which you can separately dry, oxidize firewood and leave them to burn out.

Modern technologies used for the production of charcoal are waste-free, environmentally friendly and ergonomic. The equipment does not need additional and specific maintenance. The production, as a rule, employs 3 people who are responsible for the continuity of the process and automatic adjustment of machines.

The equipment differs in its variability, but they can be grouped into 3 main types:

1. Mobile units;
2. Stationary mechanisms;
3. Auxiliary equipment.

The first and the second group of equipment differ from each other in the presence and absence of the possibility for its transfer. Moreover, some of the types of equipment have a single function for drying and pyrolysis.

Charcoal kilns have a weight of 6 to 80 tons. When choosing mobile equipment, you should take small models that will allow you to change their location. The choice in their favor is due to the lack of the ability to systematically supply consumables to a specific location. Mobile units consist of modules, are quickly assembled and dismantled. They can be placed without creating additional sheds and protective rooms.

Stationary installations, on the other hand, require the allocation of a separate adapted room, which can be used simultaneously as storage finished products.

Installation of equipment must be carried out by specialists and comply with the provisions of GOST. All installations must meet safety and environmental requirements, since waste and carbon residues are burned in the furnaces.

Ancillary equipment is desirable for purchase, since it greatly facilitates costs, primarily of a temporary nature. Such mechanisms include a weighing and filling batcher, a separator.

Using the oven

The central mechanism of the whole process is the oven. The modern charcoal kiln, or, as it is also called, retort, differs significantly from its predecessor at the beginning of the 20th century. Its transformations took place against the background of the growth of scientific and technical knowledge, as a result of which the equipment used now is excellent both in external characteristics and in the quality of the output.

Various modifications of furnaces are used, differing from each other in the way of supplying the heat carrier to the raw material. Since it is located in an insulated chamber, contact with the flue gas is eliminated. The material is fed through the feed hopper and activation compartment. For the supply of raw materials, a trolley is used as an auxiliary mechanism.

Loading depends on the selected type of equipment and may involve manual or automatic feeding. In automatic mode, it is produced by means of a mechanical type conveyor. After full loading, the trolley is driven into the chamber for drying-pyrolysis.

The chambers, equipped with separate ovens, can simultaneously accommodate three trolleys.
After the laying, the raw material is dried, the gases released in the process are transferred to a separate chamber, being burned there.

In order to increase production efficiency, the heat remaining from the pyrolysis compartment is directed to the drying chamber. Further, the chambers change roles and the drying performs the functions of pyrolysis. All condensate is discharged through specially equipped pipes. Thus, dual functioning of these chambers saves time and energy resources. After finishing this technological stage, trolleys leave the chambers with finished products.

The separator helps to sort the finished product into lump sizes. With the help of a weighing batcher, you can quickly pack coarse coal into bags. If the production provides for the use of a filling batcher, then fine coal is used for packing and it is carried out in an open package.

The finished material can also be briquetted, for which auxiliary equipment is used.

The production of charcoal briquettes also consists of the order of observance of the stages - coal grinding, creating a briquette mass, pressing briquettes, drying and calcining.

Charcoal is a versatile, environmentally friendly type of fuel that has found its application in many areas of industrial and household activities:

1. Acts as a stabilizer (reducer) in metallurgical production.
2. In the chemical-technological process, it is an important component in the vacuum dehydration of air and water.
3. Activated carbon is a well-known sorbent that is irreplaceable in case of poisoning.
4. Used for cleaning sewer systems and drains.
5. It is widely used in agricultural work and for the care of large cattle, poultry.
6. In everyday life, it is used for kindling a fireplace, cooking.

Business project summary table

Registration and business organization

Legalization of production is a complex multi-stage process that includes a number of preliminary and main stages of legal preparation.

The preliminary steps include:

• shape definition economic activity - individual entrepreneur or LLC;
• collection of documents for registration;
• filling out an application;
• setting the deadlines for the delivery of tax reports and the interest rate (for personal income tax 13%).

The main stages of organizational and legal activities include:

• overhaul of the production area;
• obtaining a sanitary certificate, admission from the city fire service;
• conclusion of an agreement for the removal of garbage and production waste;
• purchase and installation of the necessary equipment;
• drawing up a work schedule and staffing table;
• production line launch.

Premises and equipment

To launch a production line, it is recommended to rent an industrial facility outside the city with a total area of \u200b\u200b180 to 200 m2. This is necessary in order to reduce the cost of purchasing and transporting raw materials. In addition to all of the above, such a technique will attract an additional group of buyers (summer residents, gardeners).

Equipment for the plant is imported as soon as the premises are ready. The required list includes the following types of machines:

1. Furnace for oxygen-free roasting - produces 400 kg of finished products per day.
2. Packing block.
3. Metal grilles.
4. Packing conveyor.

Production technology

Today in Russia there are several methods of making charcoal. The choice of one of them is determined by the quality of the source material and its variety.

However, the basis of everything technological process comes down to the following steps:

1. Burning wood in an oxygen-free oven. This operation is called "pyrolysis". As part of this process, the wood is placed in retorts (specially prepared chopped blocks) and heat treated.
2. Drying. After firing has occurred, the material must be dried in a special chamber.
3. Spreading out on metal grill... At this stage, the coal finally cools down.
4. Packing.

Raw materials and their varieties

Wood slag or waste is considered the main material for the manufacture of coal. You can buy them by establishing strong business ties with:

• furniture factories;
• woodworking factories;
• pulp and paper workshops and so on.

In the event that there are no such industrial enterprises nearby, then you can conclude an agreement with government agencies about cutting down a part of the forest. Usually, the forestry allows you to take out "driftwood" or old diseased trees.

Since the initial quality of raw materials does not significantly affect the final result of production, it is not of fundamental importance how exactly the wood will be purchased.

However, the final type of product will directly depend on the type of raw material selected. This is expressed in a change in the color index of coals:

1. Red - its production is based on the use of exclusively coniferous wood. The finished product is obtained by low-temperature processing.
2. White color - obtained by processing hard hardwood: maple, ligature, larch and others.
3. Black coal is obtained by prolonged heat treatment of more malleable wood species: chestnut, willow, alder, aspen, birch.

Supplier search

It is worth purchasing raw materials from trusted suppliers who sell quality goods. These include large furniture companies with many years of experience, forestry, paper factories and wooden toys, wood processing plants.

In addition, you can simply buy wood from dealerships that have a valid contract with government bodies authorities.

The choice of the most suitable procurement method should be chosen based on: considerations of the cost of raw materials, the duration and complexity of transportation; other nuances that can significantly increase the price.

Staff

It is worth hiring personnel for production based on its volume, the specifics of doing business. In this case, it will be enough to include in the staffing table:

1. Several workers.
2. Sales manager.
3. Secretary for the weekend.
4. Accountant (or do this work yourself, which becomes possible thanks to specialized courses for individual entrepreneurs).
5. Cleaning ladies in the workshop and on the territory.

Sales market

Charcoal is not a hot commodity in our country. Is that during the summer holidays, when most of the working population begins to go out into the countryside en masse. However, you can find profitable contacts. To do this, you need to create several sales methods:

• sell coal wholesale and retail;
• supply products to owners of cafes, barbecue, bars and restaurants;
• conclude lucrative contracts with other manufacturers (we are talking about smelting production, forging shops);
• opening of country shops and tents with garden utensils.

Financial component of business

You can determine the validity of a business project by counting important economic indicators... These include: the amount of the initial investment, the monthly level of profit, the full payback period of production.

Opening and maintaining costs

The base cost of the project is determined by the amount of production start-up, which is at least 1,170,000 rubles. What it consists of:

1. Rent and repair of premises - 300,000 rubles.
2. Purchase and installation of equipment - 500,000 rubles.
3. Raw materials (chopped wood) - 1.5 - 2 thousand rubles per meter 3.
4. Packing bags - 15 rubles apiece.
5. Remuneration for labor - 200,000 rubles.
6. Development of a company logo - 30,000 rubles.
7. Tax (land tax, personal income tax, regional) - 100,000 rubles.
8. Utility bills (electricity, water supply) - 10,000 rubles.
9. Payment for cleaning sewer pipes and ventilation shafts - 30,000 rubles.

Amount of future income

The expected level of profit from production is at least 200,000 rubles per month. However, this figure will fluctuate significantly, depending on the seasonality of demand and the availability of regular customers.

Payback period

Based on the first 2 indicators - "the cost of opening and maintaining" and "the size of future profit", we can conclude that the production of charcoal will pay off to the owner of the company no earlier than 1.5 years from the date of opening.

Manufacturing any kind of product is never easy. High competition within the market segment and a small number of possible distribution channels become a serious obstacle on the way to obtaining the desired level of profit. And, nevertheless, all difficulties can be overcome. To do this, it is enough to correctly plan your activities and try to minimize costs, especially at the initial stage.

Until recently, the production of charcoal caused significant harm to the environment: gases emitted during burning were emitted into the atmosphere, polluting it. Modern technologies have not only eliminated this problem, but also made it possible to benefit from the pyrolysis gases formed during the burning process.

The bottom line is that modern charcoal furnaces have removable retorts (containers where firewood is loaded). They are installed through special holes on top of the firebox. The gases formed during pyrolysis (oxidation without oxygen access) are discharged through special openings and fed into the furnace, where they burn out. Thus, it turns out that "production wastes", which were previously literally scattered in the air, are used to maintain the temperature required for burning wood. If the moisture content of the wood is low, these gases are sufficient to produce charcoal, which significantly reduces energy costs.

This technology has another significant advantage: retorts can be installed with a time shift, ensuring a continuous process. Any technology for producing coal from wood consists of several stages: drying, pyrolysis, afterburning and cooling. If it is possible to use only one container, then there can be no question of the continuity of the process: first, firewood is loaded into the stove, it is melted, then the wood is dried, then they burn out and the stove is extinguished to cool the coal. Then the product is raked out and the process starts over. The use of removable retorts solves the problem: while the wood is being dried in one container, in the other they are oxidized, in the next they burn out. The retort, in which the process is over, is taken out, placed on the platform for cooling, and another one with “fresh” material is loaded in its place. In this case, the gas released during pyrolysis in one of the retorts serves as the main source of energy for processing the rest. The video describes one of the options for building a process.

The use of charcoal

Charcoal production is a promising direction. Its consumption is constantly growing, and it is used both in production and for domestic purposes. Usage in everyday life is familiar to everyone: cooking on the grill and in the barbecue today practically cannot do without charcoal. Many people prefer to lay charcoal in fireplaces: this fuel does not smoke, does not emit gases (in particular, carbon monoxide) and has a high calorific value.

Charcoal production is a promising direction

In industry, charcoal is used in metallurgy (in our country it is practically not practiced), for the manufacture of filters for various purposes. It is used in the smelting of some valuable metals, crystalline silicon, activated carbon. It is used in agriculture and medicine.

You can also use charcoal for heating. The peculiarity of its combustion is that there are no high tongues of flame. But there is a uniform steady heat. The burning temperature of charcoal depends on several factors: on the density (coal is obtained from different types of wood of different density), on its quality (burning conditions) and on the amount of oxygen supplied during combustion. In an ordinary open hearth, the temperature can range from 400 ° C to 900 ° C, but under special conditions it is possible to reach 1200 ° C (forge). If we talk about average values, then it is considered that the calorific value of charcoal is 30 MJ / kg.

As you can see from the table, charcoal emits heat at least not less than coal and almost two and a half times more than the best firewood. Why is it almost never used for heating? First, in our country, charcoal is produced in very small volumes (the world produces 9 million tons per year, Russia accounts for 100 thousand tons) and has a high price. Even if you buy it from manufacturers, then when purchasing up to 5 tons, they ask for 180 rubles per 10 kg (18,000 per ton). Even with an economical expense, it turns out to be quite expensive. If you live in a place where there is a large number of forests, in which there is always enough dead wood, then securing some amount of charcoal is not very difficult even without equipment. You can use that for the process only require a metal barrel, and even then it is not necessary. Of course, you cannot stock up in this way for the whole winter, but you can burn it up to put some amount into the boiler at night to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Charcoal requirements

According to GOST 7657 84, charcoal must have:

• Ash content no more than 3%
• Volatile matter content no more than 20%

This type of fuel is made from different breeds wood, which are divided into two groups:

1. beech, birch, elm, hornbeam, oak, maple, ash.
2. willow, linden, alder, aspen, poplar.

Depending on the feedstock, composition and quality indicators product, charcoal is of grade A (from wood of the first group) and grade B (from a mixture of groups 1 and 2). Varieties and quality characteristics are shown in the table.

Charcoal is usually packed in bags of different sizes. More often these are two and three-layer paper bags, packing in polyethylene is rare. The package indicates the brand, weight and volume.

How to use charcoal

Charcoal needs to be ignited without using any chemicals: an unpleasant smell from it will remain as long as the fuel burns. Therefore, we take a piece of paper, crumple it, arrange a few thin dry splinters around the paper with a "hut", set the paper on fire, wait for the splinters to take care of it, put some dry firewood on top. When they are hot enough, you can put in charcoal. Moreover, it must be folded up a slide. It flares up better this way. If we are talking about barbecue and cooking, then in order for the charcoal to evenly flare up, put those pieces that are on the edges of the slide upstairs. Those that were closer to the center are on the edge. So we wait until all the pieces are covered with a white coating and flames stop appearing over them. Now you can fry a kebab.

How to light charcoal? Using paper and thin chips or ... a building hair dryer

There is a way to light charcoals without paper, matches or firewood. All you need is a hair dryer and an electrical outlet. All. No paper, no matches. Take a hairdryer, turn it on to the maximum, direct the air flow onto the coal folded in a hill. The first coal will flare up in about half a minute, then the rest will be engaged, in five minutes everything will be on fire.