Selection of equipment for charcoal production, technology and total cost of equipment

Despite the fact that most villages in our country are gasified, and even on a remote trip into nature you can take portable cooking devices, the most delicious food is considered to be that cooked with natural fuel. Charcoal is often used as this. Although it cannot boast of great demand among the population, there is still a stable demand for it. If you live in an area that is rich in forests, and there is a wood processing industry nearby, then you can try making charcoal for sale with your own hands.

• Where to start producing charcoal?
• Charcoal making technology?
• What equipment to choose for coal production?
• How much money do you need to start a business?
• How much can you earn from coal production?

The advantages of this fuel include its environmental friendliness. It practically does not emit into the atmosphere harmful substances, since it consists mainly of carbon. This product burns efficiently. Food cooked on it has a special taste and aroma. In addition to the domestic sphere, charcoal is widely used in industry. This includes the construction sector, and the production of paints and varnishes, glass and much more. In addition, it is added to animal feed.

Where to start producing charcoal?

The main raw material for fuel production is wood waste. They come from soft, hard and coniferous trees. Accordingly, experts classify raw materials into black, white and red. The main suppliers of raw materials are forestry, furniture and woodworking industries. In addition to sawdust, peat, knots, hemp, etc. can be used to make coal.

Charcoal making technology?

So, we found out that charcoal is pure carbon. It is formed during the dry distillation of raw materials at a temperature of 450-500 degrees. In other words, the access of oxygen to the compartment is completely stopped. For stable operation, you will need furnaces for such charcoal production. Such equipment consists of two chambers: drying and combustion. To increase the productivity of the furnace, they are made interchangeable. That is, the drying chamber can become pyrolysis and vice versa.

First, the raw materials are placed in a combustion tank. Loading can be done manually or using mechanisms. When exposed to temperatures, heat and gases are released from it. Ovens can be stationary or mobile. The material is then sent for drying. From this oven the finished product is transported to the packaging or pressing area. You can simply pack charcoal into bags with your own hands or make briquettes from it. In this form it is more convenient to transport.

What equipment to choose for coal production?

Most often you can find industries that have mastered the production of red coal (from softwood). It is used in fireplaces and to light grills. It uses the technology of producing charcoal by charcoalization at low temperatures. The denser the finished product is, the more efficiently and longer it will burn.

How much money do you need to start a business?

A standard set of equipment for a workshop will look something like this:

The area of ​​the entire production, including storage and utility premises, must be at least 200 sq.m. The list does not mention packaging equipment. The machines for this are usually mechanized. At this stage, manual labor can be eliminated.

How much can you earn from coal production?

It is wise to start making your own charcoal using one stove. Only when sales channels are established can you think about expanding your business. According to experts, one installation can bring in about 70 thousand rubles in profit per month.

Initially, buyers can be sought among people who have country houses and dachas. Such fuel will also be in demand in restaurants where grilled food is prepared. It is worth entering industrial markets by increasing some production capacity to meet the necessary demand.

Charcoal is still used in many areas of our lives, often being an indispensable product. First of all, you need to draw up a business plan that will help you start an excellent, profitable production.

Today you can quickly set up the production of various types of charcoal:

• black from soft wood (alder, linden, poplar, aspen);
• white from hardwoods (hornbeam, birch, oak, elm);
• red, obtained by soft charcoaling.

Manufacturing technology

The coal production business is the use of special technology that allows the production of coal from wood raw materials, which is used today in many industries. In this case, the process of pyrolysis is used, that is, the raw materials are burned in a furnace without access to oxygen. For such production, special charcoal kilns are used, consisting of a chamber for producing coal and drying.

The process is as follows: the raw material is fed into the loading chamber, after which its burning begins.

After the sensors show that the coal is burnt out and completely dry, it begins to be unloaded to cool.

To make charcoal, you can use various raw materials: knots, hemp, most of the waste from logging production, furniture factories, and other woodworking enterprises. The plan may also take into account the fact that ordinary firewood can be used for production, although such raw materials are more expensive, and the quality of coal is higher. Approximate consumption of raw materials for the manufacture of one ton of products: birch firewood - 7-8 cubic meters, softwood firewood - 11-12 cubic meters.

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Approximate costs of organizing production

When drawing up a coal production plan, we take into account the following financial costs:

Purchase of equipment for charcoal production:

• a special charcoal kiln, the cost of which ranges from 17 to 100 thousand rubles;
• hydraulic equipment for splitting firewood and raw materials, a regular cleaver. Cost - from 55 rub. a piece;
• electronic scales costing from 5 thousand rubles;
• chainsaws cost about 5 thousand rubles;
• electric generator costs about 12 thousand rubles;

Purchase of raw materials (plan - 30 tons of products per month):

• chopped firewood. Cost from 1200 rub. up to 1700 per cubic meter. m. You can save money by using waste from a logging enterprise; the cost is much lower, but the quality of the coal is lower;
• bags for packaging production products. Cost - from 7-10 rubles per piece.

1. Salary for production workers: based on five people - 75-100 thousand rubles. per month.
2. Documents required to register a business. Cost from approximately 10 thousand rubles.
3. Further, the plan should include the following expenses:

• rent of workshop premises for production and warehouse - from 20 thousand rubles;
• advertising, transportation and other expenses.

In total, the minimum plan for the production of charcoal and its implementation requires an initial investment of 500 thousand rubles. The cost of a kilogram of coal is 17-20 rubles. The average monthly income that such a business can provide at the entry level is approximately 70 thousand rubles.

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Business payback

Any business development plan must take into account payback. When producing charcoal, to have a great initial start, you can start with a capacity of about 30-40 tons per month. To do this, you can purchase a variety of stoves, it depends on what kind initial capital you have. Some charcoal kilns are more expensive, there are models with a low price, but the main thing is to correctly calculate their power and raw material consumption. It is recommended to first draw up a plan for more economical production, gradually increasing capacity and identifying new markets.

The total costs of organizing your own business, such as a charcoal business, including the purchase of equipment, registration necessary documentation, renting a premises or site, hiring workers, can amount to approximately 700 thousand rubles. up to one million, depending on equipment and performance. Such a plan must necessarily include the costs that will be needed for the installation of equipment, a warehouse for finished products, and transportation of coal. Usually a plot of 150 to 200 square meters is required. meters.

The maintenance personnel for one shift can be from two people; usually special training is not required to work with furnaces and separators. It is possible to locate production even within the city, since the continuous process of making charcoal causes virtually no harm to the environment. environment, that is, the emission of harmful substances is minimal.

The profit received per month depends on how well the planned business is organized. If you pre-organize not only the production of charcoal, but also its packaging and sorting, this will allow you to sell your products more profitably and expand your customer base.

With properly organized production and the output of finished products in the form of charcoal from forty tons per month, the payback period for the investment will be only up to 9 months, that is, the business will begin to make a profit within a year.

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Raw materials for processing

When drawing up a business plan for coal production, you need to take care of the purchase of raw materials. Depending on which technology is chosen for this, the raw materials can be waste from the logging industry, birch wood and other raw materials pressed into large briquettes. You can purchase any wood for charcoal kilns, but you must remember that it is more expensive compared to other types of raw materials, and the charcoal that is produced is not of very high quality.

When organizing such a business, one must remember that waste from the logging industry is more profitable as a raw material for charcoal. The length of briquettes made from this material is ideal for furnaces, that is, they do not need to be further processed; usually the parameters are 0.4-0.55 meters. It is also good that the percentage of rot of the end area here is only up to 15, while the split line is up to 18 cm. For production, it is ideal to use raw materials from windfall, growing forest, burnt wood, and dead wood.

The business plan must also necessarily contain data on the volume of purchased raw materials and their quality. Indicators depend not only on the required production volumes, but also on what type of equipment will be used, what plan for the sale of products has been drawn up.

Charcoal – unique product, with its highest efficiency, it is a completely safe type of fuel in terms of environmental impact.

It is widely used not only for industrial purposes, but also in household activities.

In addition to heating homes, it is successfully used as energy source for cooking.

When using it no carcinogenic substances are released, poisoning food, which cannot be said about ordinary firewood and coal.

Construction companies also do not ignore its use as an excellent thermal insulation material. IN agriculture it is used as a biologically valuable feed component for poultry and livestock, as well as in the form of soil fertilizers.

Charcoal comes in three types:

• red, produced using the soft firing method, mainly from conifers;
• white, made by firing hardwood (oak, birch, hornbeam, etc.);
• black, obtained by firing soft wood (poplar, aspen, alder, etc.).

In terms of quality, it is divided into three grades (according to GOST):

Production technology

Basis of production – pyrolysis process.

Pyrolysis is the burning of wood in the absence of oxygen.

To perform pyrolysis, you need retort charcoal kilns. They can be:

• stationary;
• mobile.

Retort furnaces– these are the chambers where the raw materials are fired and dried.

The main principle of operation of the stove is that the gases and vapors that are released when wood burns flow directly into the firebox.

There they are burned, thereby not harming the environment and providing the combustion process with additional heat.

Work on coal production proceeds in the following order:

1. The wood is placed in the retort oven chamber.
2. As soon as a sensor signal is received about the burning and drying of charcoal, it is unloaded and left to cool.
3. After this, the product is crushed into pieces and packaged in bags and bags (paper or plastic). Coal for domestic purposes is crushed more finely, for industrial purposes the crushing is coarser.

Raw materials

As for raw materials, absolutely any are suitable for coal production:

• knotty pieces of wood;
• sawdust;
• fragments of wooden cloth;
• branch;
• waste furniture production;
• paper industry, etc.

Suppliers may be:

• woodworking industries;
• furniture factories;
• sawmills;
• organizations that cut trees.

Can be installed business contacts with workers of nearby forestry enterprises engaged in logging.

Peat can also be used in this production.

Even your dacha neighbors can become your suppliers, because many of them trim trees every year.

The consumption of raw materials per ton of charcoal approximately looks like this: about 8 m3 - birch wood, about 12 m3 - soft varieties.

Equipment

Charcoal production requires the purchase of the following equipment:

• charcoal kiln. Price from 100 thousand rubles;
• scales. Cost – approximately 5 thousand rubles;
• electricity generator. Costs are approximately 20 thousand rubles;
• chainsaw. Cost – from 5 thousand rubles;
• hydraulic device, used for chopping wood. Average prices are around 55 thousand rubles.

Personnel

As for workers, no more than 2-3 people are needed; no professionalism is required from them. Workers are needed to:

• load the production line;
• unload raw materials;
• load finished products.

In addition to workers, you will need to hire:

• watchman;
• sales and purchasing manager (if you do not plan to engage in sales yourself);
• perhaps an accountant.

Permitting documentation

Any commercial activity requires the creation of an LLC or individual entrepreneur.

In the case of charcoal production, it is better to give preference to the individual entrepreneur form, since in this case tax rates are much more preferential.

In addition, you will not have to waste time on complex paperwork.

Unlike many other types of commercial activities, no special permits or licenses not required.

Registration ends with the usual entry of data into the general state database.

Total costs and payback

When talking about overall business costs, in addition to the cost of equipment, you should consider the following:

• rent (if you do not have your own premises, you will have to pay about 200 thousand rubles per year);
• salaries to employees (about 200 thousand rubles annually);
• advertising, marketing, transport (approximately 50 thousand rubles).

Thus, the cost of starting a business will be about 635 thousand rubles. (or less if using your own site).

With the cost of charcoal ranging from 18 to 25 rubles. for 1 kg, monthly income from product sales will be from 80 to 100 thousand rubles. This will allow you to recoup your investment in at least six months, and if you don’t need to pay rent for the premises, then even less. Cafes and restaurants alone burn, on average, about 4-5 tons of charcoal every month.

With proper commercial sales, the circle of buyers will grow, which, accordingly, will entail increase in turnover and profit.

The workshop premises may be located outside the city. An excellent solution to the problem of premises can be the use of a summer house. The main thing is that suppliers of raw materials are as close as possible.

Sales of charcoal

As for the sale of charcoal on the domestic market, this type of commerce can become cost-effective and very profitable.

The main consumers of charcoal are catering facilities (restaurants, cafes), which use about 5 million tons of this product in one season.

This should include other enterprises and vital infrastructure such as:

• kindergartens;
• schools;
• higher educational establishments and etc.

Private consumers also purchase coal when traveling to:

• fishing;
• dacha;
• hunting.

Production shops that produce varnishes and paints are constantly in need of coal.

With an abundance of opportunities for selling products, this business does not require costly and high-tech forms of production.

conclusions

Speaking about a business based on the production of charcoal from wood waste, it is worth noting a number of points that encourage the choice of this particular type of commercial activity. Throughout the world, in recent decades there have been trends in preserving and maintaining the ecological balance of nature.

This is about:

• preservation of green areas and ecosystems untouched by human activity;
• maintaining a clean environment by creating production facilities that do not produce harmful emissions.

The active work of environmental organizations has led to the fact that the governments of many Western countries, setting an example for the whole world, are providing significant government subsidies business based on processing wood (and other) waste.

Russia does not remain aloof from new trends in the field of resource conservation and the environment. Under development Russian state small and medium business support programs in this area should be regarded as a favorable factor for opening a wood waste processing enterprise.

You may also be interested in: an article about, a short article about the prospects for waste recycling in Russia, or material about the transformation plastic bottles for recycling

Note that modern technologies don't stand still. If just a few years ago it took about 5 tons of wood to create 1 ton of charcoal, now, with the use of new technical means, 1.5 tons less wood waste is required.

The most important positive points when assessing prospects of this business perform free or almost free raw materials, low cost of equipment, no need to search for highly professional personnel, ample opportunities for marketing manufactured products.

The process of charcoal production is clearly presented in the video:

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Beginning entrepreneurs are always primarily interested in a business that does not require special knowledge and significant capital investments. One of these areas is the production of charcoal. Statistics speak about the attractiveness of the business: during the season, one average cafe burns up to 4 tons of this fuel.

What is charcoal

Before starting a business, it is worth clarifying what you will have to deal with. Charcoal is an environmentally friendly fuel that produces a lot of heat. It is readily used for cooking shish kebab on an open fire, for barbecues and barbecues, as well as in rural ovens and fireplaces.

In addition, coal is widely used in metallurgical and chemical industry for lighting an industrial furnace. In the construction industry, coal is used as an insulating material and is also used to make paints and varnishes. In addition, coal is used as a feed additive for various domestic animals.

Due to such a variety of uses, coal has several varieties:

• Red, which is made from softwood using the soft charcoal method.
• White is made from elm, hornbeam, oak, birch and other hardwoods.
• Black is made from poplar, alder, willow, linden, aspen and other soft woods.

Based on product quality requirements (GOST), coal is divided into three types: A - highest grade, B - first, C - second.

Business registration

To start a business producing this material, you need to draw up a business plan. First of all, it includes mandatory registration of production. There are several options for business organization forms. Which one to choose depends on the scale of your production and plans for its development. If you have a relatively modest production plan, you can choose a simple organizational form - individual entrepreneur. To register it, 800 rubles are enough. to pay the state fee and five working days to review your documents.

If you have an ambitious plan to conquer the market or the company will have several founders, it makes sense to register an LLC.

Production room

While your business is undergoing the official registration procedure, you can begin your search suitable premises. To save on buying or renting it, you can rent a room outside the city or in the suburbs. Business will require a small space. Installation of one furnace takes 20 square meters. m of open area. In addition, you will need warehouse space and utility room for staff and equipment storage. In total, approximately 200 square meters should be included in the business plan. m. total area.

Staff

Operating a furnace is not difficult, so there is no point in spending money on highly qualified personnel. To service the oven, no more than three workers will be required, including loaders. In addition to them, it is necessary to hire a manager who will deal with the supply of raw materials and the sale of finished products. You will also need the services of an accountant. At first, they can be outsourced. But the wider your production, the more complex the accounting will be. Then it is more cost-effective to hire a specialist on staff. Another important employee at the enterprise is the warehouse guard.

Equipment

The material is made in a special retort furnace or, as it is also called, a charcoal kiln. The burning process itself takes place in a separate chamber. This is where the material is dried. The advantage of such a furnace is that the vapors of various gases that are released during combustion are used to further heat the furnace.

On initial stages production can be done with one oven. If you take low-power charcoal production equipment, you can produce up to 100 tons of coal per year. Over time, production can be expanded and equipment with a capacity of 150-200 tons of products per year can be installed.

Such a stove costs approximately 350 thousand rubles. very simple configuration and inexpensive manufacturer. But you can find equipment for 750 thousand rubles.

Please note that retort ovens operate on solid wood. If you want to work with waste from the wood processing industry, you need to use a slightly different technology.

The coal produced in this case is valued even higher than that produced by pyrolysis.

Raw materials

Charcoal is made from waste wood production, namely:

• wood fragments;
• stumps;
• pieces of wood with branches;
• wood chips;
• peat;
• furniture production waste;
• sawdust

You can organize supplies of raw materials from furniture production, logging, and wood processing enterprises. The raw material consumption plan per ton of coal depends on the nature of the wood species. So, soft rocks are taken in the size of 11-12 cubic meters. 7-8 cubic meters of birch is enough.

Production technology

The technology for producing charcoal is distinguished by its simplicity. First, sawdust, wood chips, hemp and other raw materials are sent to the oven. There it is heated to 550 o C by pyrolysis, that is, without access to oxygen. When the coal has cooled, it goes through the briquetting stage. The finished material is allowed to cool, after which it is packaged in paper bags. That is, all the work of manufacturing the product is done by the oven. Therefore, anyone without special qualifications can control production.

In addition to the furnace, the production will need the following equipment:

• hydraulic device for splitting firewood – 55 RUR/piece;
• chainsaw – 5 thousand rubles;
• electric generator – 20 thousand rubles;
• electronic scales – 5 thousand rubles.

Calculation part

To determine the feasibility of a business, you need to draw up a plan for income and expenses. So, the expenditure part will consist of the following items:

• marketing, advertising, transport - from 50 thousand rubles;
• raw materials – 1200 rub./m3;
• staff salary – 120 thousand rubles. in year;
• purchase of equipment – ​​400 thousand rubles;
• rental of production and warehouse premises – 200 thousand rubles. in year.

In total, you will need about 770 thousand rubles to start. Finished products can be sold for 17-10 rubles/kg. You can earn 80 thousand rubles per month from sales. The project will pay for itself in about a year.

Charcoal is a natural biofuel that you can make yourself.

Making charcoal in a pit

You can make it yourself in a pit. Used this method a long time ago. This way you can make coal quite simply. To do this, it will be necessary to prepare a small pit, which should have the shape of a cylinder, while the walls should remain vertical. Its diameter should be 80 cm, while the depth should be 50 cm. Using this technology, you can get two bags of biofuel.

Features of making a pit for producing coal

If you decide to make it yourself, you first need to prepare a hole. After its bottom is thoroughly compacted, you can use the method of pressing with your feet. This is necessary in order to prevent mixing of the finished product with the soil. After this, you need to make a fire using birch bark and small branches. Gradually you need to start adding wood and thin branches to the fire. You need to ensure that everything is covered with burning wood. Once the fire is lit, you can begin making charcoal. To do this, you will need to prepare firewood.

Requirements for raw materials for the production of coal

Do-it-yourself charcoal will turn out to be of high quality if you throw firewood that does not have bark into the pit. This is due to the fact that it smokes a lot. Whereas coal using such firewood is of very low quality. In order to use fuel more comfortably, the raw materials must first be cut into individual elements.

You can choose the dimensions of the workpieces yourself, but the size of one element should not exceed 30 cm. New firewood must be laid on top, and the mass must be moved with the help of a long pole. The beams should be laid in layers as densely as possible. Thus, the hole should be filled to the top. The duration of burning will also depend on air humidity.

When you make charcoal with your own hands, it will be possible to fill a pit of the size mentioned in about 3 hours.

Final works

After the hole is filled, it needs to be covered with grass and also leaves. Everything is sprinkled with a layer of soil on top and compacted. In such conditions, charcoal should remain for two days, after which it can be sifted and then packaged. As soon as this work can be completed, it can be considered ready for use.

Making charcoal in a barrel

You can use equipment for the production of charcoal according to the type of container. To do this, it will be necessary to prepare a thick-walled steel barrel. Its dimensions should be selected depending on the amount of coal expected to be received.

If the barrel is large, it will take much longer to fill it. If the container has ever been filled with chemicals, such containers cannot be used. If petroleum products were stored in a barrel, it must first be prepared by burning, and then used, but only in its pure form.

Options for making coal in a barrel

Pyrolysis of wood will make it possible to obtain coal using one of the technologies, each of which involves the use of a barrel. The first method involves lighting a fire inside the container. In this case, the process will not differ from the production of coal in a pit. The container should have a large capacity (about 200 liters) - this is necessary so that the wood does not clog the fire.

It is also necessary to install 6 bricks; it is advisable to use fire-resistant products. A fire will have to be lit between them. If you use such equipment for the production of charcoal, then the firewood must be immersed carefully until it covers the bricks. Afterwards, a grate must be installed on the product so that the next batch of firewood can be placed on it.

The wood should be laid in rows fairly tightly. After the barrel is filled to the top, you need to wait until the flame appears from above. Afterwards, you need to cover everything with a steel sheet and leave a small gap. In order to speed up this process, in the lower part of the container you need to make a hole through which air will flow. While the wood is burning, you will need to monitor the color of the smoke. As soon as it acquires a bluish tint, the barrel will need to be closed as tightly as possible and left until it cools completely. Afterwards, the lid is removed from the container, and the finished coals are removed from the inside.

An alternative option for making coals in a barrel

Pyrolysis of wood can make it possible to obtain coal using a slightly different technology. To do this, it will be necessary to fill the container to the top with wood. Afterwards everything should be covered with a non-flammable lid. The barrel must be closed almost hermetically. It is necessary to leave a hole for the gases to escape (it must be large), the temperature inside will need to be brought to 350 degrees.

In order for the production of charcoal to become possible, the container must be installed on a platform. This way it will be possible to isolate it from the soil. The easiest way to implement this is with the help of bricks, which must be laid on a sheet of steel. A fire should be lit between them, which will warm the barrel.

After a certain time, the process of oxidation of the wood will begin and gas will begin to escape. As soon as the gas output stops, the barrel will need to be left on the fire for some time. Thus, it will take about 2.5 hours to burn a 200-liter container. After this, the barrel must be removed from the heat and the remaining holes in the lid must be sealed. In this condition, the container must be stopped until it cools down. Charcoal at home will be ready after the barrel is opened. The coal can be used immediately.

Making charcoal using a stove

If you're wondering how charcoal is made, another method you can consider is using a stove. After the firewood burns out, you will need to select the burned, but not yet collapsed, coals. They should be red. They will need to be placed in a container with a well-sealed lid. It is preferable to use a ceramic container, but you can also use a small bucket or barrel. It is worth remembering that the use of steel containers must imply compliance fire safety. The lid must be kept closed until the coal cools completely. Once it is cold, it can be considered ready for use.