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home > radio > maine news > news story Maine NewsBioBricks Gaining Attention as Efficient Fuel There's a new home heating fuel on the market that seems to combine the best qualities of regular wood and wood pellets. They're called BioBricks. They're made from compressed sawdust and wood waste and they're gaining a large following in Maine. BioBricks can be burned in fireplaces and in many wood stoves. Stores around the state are having difficulty keeping BioBricks in stock, and the manufacturer in Connecticut is hoping to open production facilities in Maine. Rob Gardiner, owner of Damariscotta Hardware, says he can understand why so many of his customers who normally purchase firewood to heat their homes are switching to BioBricks. "They store in a small area and there's very little ash, low moisture content, easier to handle, less mess." The list goes on, Gardiner says, which is why he's having trouble keeping BioBricks in stock at his store. "They didn't really start taking off for us 'til last September. That's when they really just caught fire, so to speak, and took off. You know, we sold eight or ten pallets in July of last year. This year in July we sold over 20. And we could have sold more but the demand is so high that he's struggling to keep up production." The "he" Gardiner refers to is the manufacturer of BioBricks, Tom Engel, an engineer in Connecticut and founder of BioPellet, LLC. "I get calls every day from someone else in Maine wanting to carry the product. Right now we're making 15 thousand tons a year and I could sell it all in Maine. And I have the rest of New England to service as well." Engel says he's been talking seriously with at least four businesses in Maine interested in purchasing equipment from him that would allow them to create their own BioBricks, and sell them independently or in partnership with Engel. But the production equipment costs upwards of $150 thousand, and Engel hasn't had a buyer yet. With sawdust and waste wood supplies on the decline, Engel says he isn't ready to invest in a production facility in Maine. "We initially were very serious about opening a plant in Maine but now we've put that on hold because of the cost of biomass in Maine and the scarcity of it, believe it or not." Engel says he hopes he can boost production this winter, which in turn could keep BioBrick prices from rising sharply. "Production is increasing at my plant and I have plants that I'm working with online in New Brunswick and also in Maine, so the fuel will become more and more available as we go forward." Like wood pellets, the price of BioBricks is on the rise, especially as demand increases. At Damariscotta Hardware, BioBricks sold for $280 a pallet in May, and are now selling for $319 a pallet. A pallet is about a thousand pounds of bricks and provides as much heat as at least one cord of wood. And there are businesses selling similar alternatives to BioBricks, such as the Quebec-based company BioFlamme. BioFlamme calls its product a densified wood log, which is also made from 100 percent natural wood without petroleum products such as wax, glue and paraffin. Both products can be found at stores around the state. A complete list of BioBrick vendors can be found at www.biopellet.net.
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