34 | Focus on Energy Systems: Turboden
TURNING WOOD RESIDUES INTO RELIABLE POWER
Alessandro Guercio, Turboden’s biomass sales and business development manager, discusses why ORC cogeneration fits the energy profile of PB, OSB and MDF production
T
he production of wood-based panels (such as particleboard, MDF or OSB) is a highly energy-intensive process, as it requires high energy inputs in several phases of the supply chain. In particular, the drying of wood particles or fibers, hot pressing, and steam generation for the refiner in the case of MDF, represents the most significant consumption items, making thermal energy a key factor for production continuity and efficiency. Within this sector, waste and processing residues (wood dust, offcuts, scraps, bark) are typically used for thermal energy production, covering a significant portion of the plants’ heat demand. This practice is now well established and makes it possible to reduce disposal costs and dependence on fossil fuels, while at the same time improving the environmental profile of the production process.
In this already efficient context, the introduction of cogeneration represents an additional added value. In addition to heat, cogeneration in fact also allows the production of electrical energy from the same wood residues, significantly increasing the overall energy efficiency of the plant. The self-produced electrical energy can be self- consumed within the plant, reducing exposure to costs and volatility in the electricity market. Cogeneration, therefore, does not replace the traditional use of waste for thermal-only production, but constitutes a technological evolution that enables better valorization of the available biomass. The benefits translate not only into an economic advantage, but also into greater environmental sustainability and greater energy resilience of the production site, strengthening a circular economy model already rooted in the wood panel sector.
ORC TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS In the wood panel sector, biomass cogeneration by means of an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycles) today represents a noticeably simpler and more effective solution to
implement compared to the traditional steam cycle. This greater simplicity is not only plant- related, but also operational, managerial and permitting-related, and is the result of a better fit of ORC to the typical needs of this industrial segment. Unlike the conventional steam Rankine
cycle, ORC makes it possible to operate with boilers that use thermal oil as the heat transfer fluid, avoiding the production and management of high-pressure steam. This eliminates the need for critical
components such as high-pressure boilers, complex water-steam circuits, chemical water treatment systems and stringent inspection practices linked to regulations on steam generators. The result is a more compact, safer plant that is more easily integrable into existing facilities. It should also be noted that thermal oil is the heat transfer fluid widely used in wood based panel production. In the wood panel context, where the priority is often continuity of operation and reliable availability of process heat, ORC also offers superior flexibility: it better tolerates load variations, frequent start-ups and shutdowns, and enables stable cogeneration even at medium-small sizes, typical of biomass plants supporting production. A further advantage is the simplicity of valorizing the cogenerated heat in the form of hot water up to 130°C, which can be directly used for drying or preheating, without having to resort to complex intermediate solutions. This makes ORC particularly suitable for plants where heat and power are both strategic but with well- defined temperature levels, as in the case of dryers in the wood panel sector. In summary, biomass cogeneration with
ORC is configured as a more accessible, robust and consistent technology with the industrial requirements of the wood panel sector, reducing the technical and operational barriers typical of the steam cycle and promoting a faster spread of distributed generation from renewable sources.
WBPI | Summer 2026 |
www.wbpionline.com
SELECTION OF WORKING FLUIDS FOR ORC CYCLES
One of the key elements of Turboden’s technological success in the ORC field is the careful selection of working fluids, considered not as a standardized choice but as a strategic design variable. The primary objective is to maximize the thermodynamic performance of the plant, ensuring high conversion efficiency even in the presence of non-conventional thermal sources or with variable temperature profiles. To this end, Turboden uses organic fluids characterized by: Saturation curves suitable to reduce or eliminate the risk of condensation in the turbine;
High thermal stability in the range of expected operating temperatures;
Good heat transfer properties, enabling more compact and efficient heat exchangers.
Alongside performance, a central role is
played by the reduction of environmental impacts. Turboden has progressively oriented its choices toward fluids with: low ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential); contained GWP (Global Warming Potential);
compatibility with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, both European and international. This approach makes it possible to
minimize the environmental footprint of the plant throughout the entire life cycle, in line with the typical applications of ORC (biomass, heat recovery, geothermal, renewable sources). A further selection criterion is safety, both for personnel and for the plant. The adopted fluids are chosen by carefully evaluating: flammability and toxicity; behaviour in the event of accidental leaks; compatibility with materials and with the system’s operating conditions. Turboden’s approach is therefore strongly engineered and customized: each project
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