Wood Pellet Moisture Content: Why 10% Is the Ceiling
Why ENplus caps wood pellet moisture at 10%, how it's measured, and what happens to combustion, storage, and freight when moisture drifts higher.
Moisture is the single biggest lever on pellet quality. ENplus and ISO 17225-2 both cap it at 10% for a reason.
Why 10%
Above 10%, calorific value drops linearly, mechanical durability collapses, fines generation rises, and the risk of mould in storage becomes material. Below 8%, dust and combustion instability become the problem.
How it's measured
Oven-dry method: 105°C until constant weight. Laboratories report to one decimal. Portable capacitance meters are useful for spot checks but not for contract compliance.
What happens at 12% moisture
Calorific value drops ~5%, durability may fall from 98% to 95%, and long-haul freight becomes a mould risk. This is why third-party inspection at loading matters more than any factory certificate.
Pellet Industries ships ENplus A1 and industrial biomass pellets worldwide in 15 kg bags, big-bags, and bulk vessel loads.
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