Baltania OÜ, a 100% owned subsidiary of Dutch private equity investment firm Momentum Capital, has made a conditional investment decision to commission an industrial scale torrefaction bio-coal plant in Vägari, Estonia. Value of the investment is approximately Euro 45 million. Providing, that all conditions of the investment decision are met, the construction of the bio-coal plant will start in 2Q 2018.

Baltania’s production will focus on torrefied bio-coal pellets produced from sustainable woody biomass. The bio-coal pellets can be used to partially or to fully replace fossil coal in electrical power or heat generation plants as a sustainable alternative without significant additional investment in plant conversion.

The energy density and grind-ability of renewable and sustainable bio-coal pellets are similar to thermal steam coal and significantly higher than that of white wood pellets or wood chips. This also means that logistic costs per tonne transported are significantly lower. The main customer base will consist of utility companies in Nordic countries and Central Europe.

The output capacity of the bio-coal plant will be approximately 160,000 tonnes of torrefied bio-coal pellets per annum.

Pöyry has been assigned to carry out a torrefaction project feasibility study on behalf of Baltania OÜ.