Biomass and biofuel stores: What to track

Pile losses, pellet supply and deadly gas in storerooms

What this tab covers The attributes worth tracking regularly, with the latest value, the direction of travel and why each matters.

Watch storage losses and safety incidents alongside supply reliability and sourcing sustainability.

Category	Attribute	Latest	Trend	Why it matters
Techno-economic	Storage losses (in place of LCOS)	Chip piles lose 0.7-1.1% dry matter a month on average¹	→ stable	Losses are the main hidden holding cost.
Technical	Fuel quality and state of health	Biodiesel at minimum specification keeps up to 1 year; minimum-spec B100 without antioxidants tested every 1-2 months⁴	→ stable	Oxidised or wet fuel damages engines and boilers.
Supply chain	Feedstock availability and concentration	India: about 230 Mt surplus residue a year; co-firing targets missed due to pellet supply, seasonality and monsoon storage⁷	↕ volatile	Seasonal supply drives the need for storage and the risk of shortfall.
Market	Mandate-driven demand	India co-firing 5-10%; 71 plants co-firing (Aug 2025)⁷	↗ improving	Mandates set volumes that storage must buffer.
Compliance	Safety and environmental compliance	UK HSE pellet storage CO alert (2012, still the reference warning); Seveso III 2,500/25,000 t for fuels²⁹	→ stable	CO poisoning and self-heating fires are the main liabilities.
Impact	Lifecycle carbon	About 3.48 Mt CO2 avoided by Indian co-firing (CAQM, mid-2025)⁷	↗ improving	Net benefit depends on sustainable sourcing and low storage losses.
Technical	Charcoal kiln efficiency	About 10% traditional vs 30% efficient⁸	→ stable	Efficient kilns triple energy recovered from wood and cut emissions.