20–24 T/H Wood Pellet Production Line in Bangladesh

When the client first contacted RICHI, his requirement was clear: he wanted a large-scale, automated pellet plant capable of producing export-grade pellets for international markets while also supplying domestic industrial boilers. He emphasized three main demands during consultation:

• High capacity: at least 20 tons per hour combined output.
• Stable operation: equipment designed for tropical climates with high humidity.
• Flexible raw material handling: the ability to process mixed residues including sawdust, wood chips, furniture waste, and limited amounts of agricultural residues.

Raw Materials for Pellet Production in Bangladesh

Bangladesh may not have the extensive natural forests of neighboring Myanmar or India, but it possesses a large furniture manufacturing industry, small-scale sawmills, and agroforestry plantations. The client’s project mainly sources raw materials from:

• Sawmill residues: Fine sawdust and wood shavings from processing hardwoods and softwoods.
• Furniture manufacturing waste: Trimmings, off-cuts, and sanding dust, especially from the Dhaka and Chattogram furniture hubs.
• Rubberwood: Residues from rubber plantations, common in southeastern Bangladesh.
• Eucalyptus and Acacia residues: Plantation trees grown for quick cycles, increasingly available in rural areas.
• Coconut husks and shells: Used in smaller percentages to enhance calorific value.

By combining these sources, the client secures a stable year-round raw material supply.

Processing Technology of the 20–24 t/h Wood Pellet Plant

The project employs a complete wood biomass pellet production line of modern pellet processing technology. Since raw materials are diverse and moisture content varies, the plant design integrates drying, grinding, pelletizing, cooling, and packaging systems, optimized for Bangladeshi conditions.

1. Raw Material Reception and Pre-processing
   Trucks deliver sawdust, chips, and residues to the factory. Oversized pieces are first shredded to ensure consistent size for downstream processing. A magnet system removes tramp metal to protect equipment.
2. Drying
   Many residues in Bangladesh, especially fresh sawdust and rubberwood chips, have moisture contents above 35%. The production line uses a rotary drum dryer to reduce moisture to around 10–12%, ideal for pelletizing. The dryer is designed with heat recovery systems to improve efficiency and is fueled partly by biomass itself.
3. Grinding
   After drying, the materials pass through wood hammer mills to achieve fine particle size, typically below 5mm. Uniform particle size is critical to ensure smooth pelletizing.
4. Mixing and Buffering
   Materials from different sources are mixed to maintain consistency in calorific value and ash content. This stage also provides storage buffering to keep production continuous.
5. Pelletizing
   At the heart of the line are two ring-die wood pellet machines, each with a 10–12 t/h capacity. Using high-pressure rollers, the feedstock is compressed through dies to form dense, uniform wood pellets with 6–8 mm diameter.
6. Cooling
   Fresh pellets are hot and slightly soft after extrusion. A counter-flow pellet cooler reduces temperature and hardens the pellets to ensure durability during handling.
7. Screening
   A vibrating screen removes fines and broken pellets, ensuring only premium-quality pellets proceed to packaging.
8. Packaging
   Finished pellets are packed into 20 kg bags for retail and 1-ton jumbo bags for export and industrial use.

Main Equipment Adopted for wood pellet production line in Bangladesh

For this Bangladesh project, RICHI Machinery supplied a full suite of equipment, tailored for tropical climate and local raw materials. The main wood pellet processing equipment list includes:

• Rotary dryers (large capacity, energy-efficient design)
• Hammer mills with dust collection
• High-capacity ring die wood pellet mills (2 units, 10–12 t/h each)
• Counter-flow coolers
• Vibrating screens
• Belt conveyors and screw conveyors
• Automatic packaging machines (small bags + jumbo bags)
• Central electrical control system with PLC automation

This equipment package was carefully engineered to balance cost-efficiency and durability, ensuring uninterrupted production under heavy-duty operation.

RICHI's Added Value: Beyond Equipment Supply

For the Bangladeshi client, RICHI Machinery delivered more than just machines. The wood pellet production line in Bangladesh project came with comprehensive support services:

• Factory layout design: Optimized to reduce internal material handling and energy loss.
• Civil construction guidance: Recommendations for concrete foundations, material silos, and utility systems.
• On-site installation supervision: Engineers from RICHI traveled to Bangladesh to oversee the assembly and testing.
• Operator training: Local workers received intensive training on equipment operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• After-sales service: A dedicated service team remains available for spare parts supply and remote technical support.

Market Prospects of Wood Pellets in Bangladesh

Wood pellet production in Bangladesh is relatively new, but demand is rising rapidly. There are two key drivers:

• Domestic market: Many textile and food processing factories are replacing expensive fossil fuels with biomass boilers. Wood pellets, with consistent size and high calorific value, are preferred over raw firewood.
• Export market: Neighboring countries such as South Korea and Japan have strong demand for imported pellets to meet renewable energy targets. With Bangladesh’s strategic location and port access, pellets can be shipped efficiently.

The government of Bangladesh has also shown interest in renewable energy initiatives, which may lead to favorable policies and incentives for biomass pellet projects.

Experts estimate that within the next five years, pellet demand in Bangladesh could grow by 15–20% annually. This wood pellet production line in Bangladesh project, with a total capacity of over 120,000 tons of pellets per year, positions him as a leader in this emerging sector.

Raw Material Sourcing in the Local Context

To ensure the feasibility of long-term supply, the client secured contracts with multiple suppliers. A typical raw material distribution for the plant is:

• 45% sawmill residues (sawdust, wood shavings, trimming waste)
• 25% furniture industry waste (hardwood and plywood residues)
• 20% plantation residues (rubberwood, eucalyptus, acacia)
• 5% coconut husks and shells
• 5% mixed agroforestry by-products

This raw material strategy matches the actual availability in Bangladesh and ensures cost control while maintaining pellet quality.

Financial Perspective

The total equipment investment of wood pellet production line in Bangladesh of USD 814,080 is considered highly competitive for a project of this scale. By leveraging locally available residues at low or even negative cost (since furniture factories often pay to dispose of waste), the client expects a strong return on investment.

With an average pellet market price of USD 110–130 per ton for export-grade pellets, the plant’s annual revenue potential exceeds USD 13 million. Even after deducting raw material, labor, energy, and logistics costs, the payback period is estimated at 2–3 years.

Customer Evaluation

After the first months of trial operation, the client shared his satisfaction with RICHI's work:

“When we first thought about entering the pellet business, we needed a partner who could deliver not just machines, but a complete solution. RICHI Machinery listened to our needs carefully and offered a design that was realistic for Bangladesh. Their team helped us from the first draft of the layout to the moment the first bag of pellets came off the line. The performance of the two pellet lines has been excellent, and we are already shipping our first export orders. For anyone in this region looking at biomass pellets, I would strongly recommend working with RICHI.”

The 20–24 t/h wood pellet production line in Bangladesh represents more than just a new factory—it is a milestone for the country’s renewable energy sector. By transforming waste into valuable biofuel, the client is not only building a profitable business but also contributing to environmental sustainability.

For other entrepreneurs in South Asia considering biomass energy, this case proves that with the right partner like RICHI Machinery, large-scale pellet production can be both technically feasible and financially rewarding.

Are you planning a similar pellet project in Asia or beyond? Contact RICHI Machinery today to discuss customized solutions for your needs.