Solutions for the pellet process
Optimize your pellet process with Saalasti technology and achieve up to 20–30% lower drying energy consumption.
Optimize your pellet process with Saalasti technology
What if you could significantly reduce your energy consumption for drying – while also ensuring a consistent quality of your raw material?
In pellet production, even small changes in raw material handling can dramatically impact energy consumption, process stability, and product quality. With solutions like Hippo, you can achieve not only lower energy use but also more uniform moisture content, leading to a more stable and efficient production process.
Saalasti offers advanced solutions for biomass processing and mechanical dewatering, enabling pellet producers to improve profitability, mitigate operational risks, and produce high-quality pellets at lower production costs. Whether you’re working with sawdust, woodchips, or mixed biomass, our solutions provide you with better control and more reliable results.
Our machines are designed to withstand the demanding conditions of industrial-scale pellet production, ensuring stable operation and a long equipment lifespan.
Maximize raw material efficiency in pellet production
Material losses and inconsistent feedstock can reduce pellet yield and quality, and limit profitability. Mechanical dewatering and consistent biomass properties help ensure that a higher percentage of incoming material becomes a high-quality product.
The Saalasti High-Pressure Press Hippo enhances feedstock consistency and minimises material loss during drying and pelletizing by mechanically removing water. This means less waste, a higher-quality end product, and better use of raw materials, especially when working with challenging biomass types.
More efficient use of raw materials
Consistent production throughout the year
Improved pellet yield and consistent quality
Better utilization of challenging biomass
Mechanical dewatering with Saalasti High-Pressure Press Hippo enables more stable material and better product quality.
Lower energy consumption in the pellet process
Drying wet biomass is one of the most energy-intensive stages in the pellet production process. By removing water mechanically before thermal drying, energy consumption can be reduced significantly, along with emissions and fuel costs.
With the Saalasti High-Pressure Press Hippo, your pellet plant can achieve substantial energy savings by increasing the dry solids content of biomass before drying.
Saalasti technology has been proven to reduce energy consumption by up to 1.19 megawatt-hours per ton of biomass received, delivering a significant impact on both cost efficiency and sustainability.
Up to 20–30% lower drying energy consumption
Up to 1.19 MWh of energy saved per ton of received biomass
Reduced fuel usage and CO₂ emissions
Lower operating costs
Saalasti technology has been proven to reduce energy consumption by up to 1.19 megawatt-hours per ton of biomass.
Increase pellet production capacity through mechanical dewatering
Mechanical dewatering with Saalasti High-Pressure Press Hippo reduces the thermal drying load, allowing more material to pass through the dryer in less time. This directly increases production capacity without the need for additional drying equipment.
With drier and more stable feedstock, pellet plants can produce more pellets per hour and operate closer to full capacity, even during peak demand. Improved process stability also reduces downtime and unplanned stoppages.
Increased pellet output with existing equipment
Shorter drying time per tonne of biomass
Better utilization of installed capacity
Fewer process interruptions and higher uptime
When mechanical dewatering minimizes the load on your thermal dryer, the freed-up drying capacity becomes available for processing additional biomass.
Machinery for the pellet process
Saalasti High-Pressure Press HIPPO
Our most important solution for pellet producers. Hippo mechanically removes water from biomass before drying, reducing energy consumption, increasing dryer capacity, and improving process stability.
- The press reduces about 55 % moisture from the material
- Built for high-capacity, 24/7 industrial use
- Significantly reduces energy consumption in drying
- Robust design for long service life and low maintenance
Industrial Wood Chipper – Saalasti Chipper H
For precise biomass chipping to the required particle size. Ensures optimal material properties for drying and pelletizing.
Biomass Crusher Horizontal – Saalasti Crush H
Heavy-duty crusher for reducing biomass materials into consistent material. Ideal for processing bark, logging residues, and other challenging feedstocks.
Saalasti delivers proven technology for biomass processing in pellet production. Our equipment is designed for continuous operation, heavy-duty use, and maximum process control.
Trusted by leading pellet producers worldwide
Saalasti is a global leader in biomass processing technology. With decades of experience and continuous innovation, we offer pellet producers solutions that deliver measurable operational and financial benefits.
- Proven Finnish technology used in pellet plants worldwide
- Designed for extreme durability and demanding conditions
- Expert lifecycle services and long-term support
- Solutions with lower emissions and energy use
Customer success story: van Roje, Germany
Saalasti has provided hundreds of companies worldwide with state-of-the-art biomass processing solutions since the 1980s. In wood pellet production, German company van Roje significantly increased its production capacity with Saalasti technology. By using the Saalasti High-Pressure Dewatering Press 1803 “Hippo,” they were able to raise their production from 60 to 90 tonnes – without increasing the amount of heat used and without investing in additional combustion systems or dryers. The solution enabled year-round steady operation by eliminating seasonal capacity fluctuations caused by variations in the moisture content of the raw material. Read more about dewatering presses.
The Hippo press removes approximately half of the wood’s water content, enabling a major capacity boost without the need for more thermal energy – which was the primary reason behind van Roje’s investment in the technology.
Saalasti lifecycle services – reliable support throughout the equipment lifecycle
Many Saalasti machines have been operating continuously since the 1980s; long-term reliability starts with expert maintenance.
From preventive service and spare parts to modernization projects, Saalasti lifecycle services help pellet producers maximize equipment performance and minimize unplanned downtime.
With decades of experience and hundreds of machines in operation worldwide, our service team knows what works in pellet plants. We combine technical expertise with insight from hundreds of factories and real-life operating conditions. This results in a maintenance program that perfectly fits your plant’s needs.
- Long lifetime of wear parts
- Reduced production downtime
- Fast global delivery of OEM spare parts
- Continuous upgrades and process development
Saalasti lifecycle services ensure that the machinery remains reliable for decades.
Contact us to learn more
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