Biomass Pellets vs Briquettes: Which Fuel Should You Make or Buy?

Last updated: 1 November 2026 · By KSR Green Bharat Team

Key takeaways

• Pellets: 6–25 mm cylinders, suited to co-firing and automated feeding.
• Briquettes: larger blocks or logs, suited to grate boilers and furnaces.
• Pellet plants need finer grinding and tighter moisture control; briquette plants are simpler.
• Many residues can make either fuel – test your feedstock before deciding.

What are biomass pellets and briquettes?

Both are densified biomass fuels: loose crop or wood residue is ground, dried and compressed so it carries more energy per cubic metre, burns more consistently and is economical to transport. Under high pressure, the natural lignin in biomass softens and binds the material, so most mechanical processes need no added binder.

Pellets vs briquettes: side-by-side comparison

When are pellets the better choice?

• You want to sell to thermal power plants. India’s co-firing mandate and SAMARTH specifications are framed around pellets that can be milled with coal. See our co-firing specifications guide.
• Your buyer uses automatic feeding – pellet burners, silos and screw feeders need free-flowing fuel.
• You are moving fuel longer distances and want maximum handling efficiency.

When are briquettes the better choice?

• Your buyers are nearby industrial boilers with grate firing, such as textile, dairy or food-processing units.
• You want a simpler first plant with lower capital and fewer process stages.
• Your feedstock is coarse or variable and would need heavy processing to pelletise well.

For the briquette route, see our briquette plant setup guide.

Can one plant make both?

Yes, some plants run a briquette line and a pellet line from a common receiving, grinding and drying section. This spreads risk across two buyer groups. The trade-off is higher capital and more complex operations, so it tends to suit developers who already have a dependable feedstock base and at least one confirmed buyer for each product.

Which raw materials work for each?

Mustard stalks and husk, soybean residue, groundnut shells, cotton stalks, sawdust, rice husk and paddy straw can generally be densified into either form. What changes is preparation: pellets need finer, more uniform particles and tighter moisture, while briquettes tolerate coarser material. High-silica residues such as rice husk and straw are more abrasive and wear dies faster in both cases.

How do buyers compare the two?

Serious buyers compare cost per unit of delivered heat, not cost per tonne. They divide the landed price by the tested gross calorific value and then consider moisture, ash and how the fuel behaves in their boiler. Our guide to biomass fuel supply for industrial boilers explains how to set up a fair comparison.

Need help choosing?

KSR Green Bharat discusses pellet and briquette requirements with developers and industrial fuel users, starting with the material, the intended application and the feeding system. Share your feedstock and end-use details with our team for a practical recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main difference between biomass pellets and briquettes?

Pellets are small cylinders, usually 6 to 25 mm in diameter, that flow like grain and suit automatic feeding and pulverised-coal boilers. Briquettes are larger blocks or logs, typically 40 to 90 mm across, that suit grate-fired boilers, furnaces and kilns with manual or simpler feeding.

Which is better for a thermal power plant?

Pellets. India’s co-firing specifications are written for pellets, which can be milled along with coal. Briquettes are generally not suited to pulverised-coal firing.

Is a briquette plant cheaper than a pellet plant?

Generally yes. Briquetting presses and the related preparation line are simpler, and MNRE’s own CFA rate was lower for briquette plants at Rs 9 lakh per MTPH. Actual cost still depends on drying, storage and capacity.

Can the same raw material make both pellets and briquettes?

Often yes. Mustard residue, groundnut shells, sawdust, cotton stalks and many crop residues can be densified into either form, but grinding size, moisture and binding behaviour differ, so trials on your own feedstock are essential.

Which fuel form is easier to store?

Both must be kept dry under cover. Pellets are more sensitive to moisture and can break into fines if they absorb water, while briquettes are bulkier but somewhat more forgiving in handling.

Sources

• SAMARTH – Recommended pellet specifications (PDF)
• MNRE BioURJA – Scheme highlights