FORFARANDE FOR TORKNING OCH BRENNING AV VATTENHALTIGA FASTA BRENSLEN

A process for the drying and combustion of solid fuels from water- containing organic materials, such as peat, bark and the like, with improved energy utilisation which comprises (a) mechanically dewatering the material in at least one stage, (b) prior to the final dewatering stage, preheating the material by treatment with steam derived from drying step (c), (c) Drying the material in a drying plant by directly heating it with steam at superatmospheric pressure and recycling at least a part of the steam to preheating step (b), (d) combusting the dried material in a power/heating plant and generating high pressure steam therein, the high pressure steam so generated being used to drive one or more energy-producing turbines and at least a part of the steam, which issues from the turbine(s) at a temperature and pressure higher than that of the steam used in drying step (c), being used as an indirect heating medium for the production of the steam used in drying step (c).