For many woodworking factories and industrial sites, the goal of a biomass boiler system is clear: turn wood waste into useful heat—or, even better, electricity. But when it comes to generating power from waste heat using an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) module, there’s a key technical and regulatory tipping point that every project planner should know: 110°C.
Above this temperature, everything changes.
In the UK and the EU, water heated above 110°C is classified as superheated water. This pushes your boiler and heat system into a new category governed by the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), which brings with it stricter engineering, testing, insurance, and operation requirements.
At Ranheat, we offer both standard and high-pressure biomass boiler solutions—but for the vast majority of applications, staying below 110°C delivers the best balance of cost, efficiency, and flexibility—especially when integrated with an ORC system from our partner Enogia.
Any biomass boiler producing water above 110°C enters the PED compliance zone (in the EU and under UKCA equivalents in the UK). While Ranheat has deep experience designing pressure vessels that meet these standards, it’s important to understand what that involves:
Higher-cost components: Materials, welds, and joints must meet stricter specifications.
Increased inspections and certifications: Including third-party verification and pressure testing.
Specialist operational requirements: Trained operators may be needed, depending on your country and setup.
Stricter insurance: Elevated pressure and temperature systems often require additional insurance coverage and compliance with workplace safety standards.
Cost uplift: Expect higher capital and ongoing costs for the life of the system.
These systems have their place—for example, in steam turbine installations or high-temperature process heating—but for most joinery, furniture, and woodworking manufacturers, it’s more than what’s needed.
Operating below the 110°C threshold allows you to use Low Temperature Hot Water (LTHW) systems. These systems:
Are easier to install and maintain.
Avoid complex regulation under PED/UKCA.
Use simpler, more affordable pressure vessels.
Still deliver enough heat for space heating, spray booth drying, kilns, and most ORC modules.
They also don’t require you to hire specialist staff or undergo periodic shutdowns for PED-related inspections.
A common misconception is that you need steam or superheated water to generate power. That may be true for steam turbines, but not for ORC modules—particularly the ones from Enogia.
Enogia’s Organic Rankine Cycle systems are specifically engineered to produce clean electricity from hot water in the 90°C to 110°C range, making them a perfect match for Ranheat’s MSU and Danstoker M Series biomass boilers.
Custom turbine blading for efficient operation at sub-110°C water temperatures.
High turndown ratios to handle variable loads and disposal profiles.
Compact, hermetically sealed skid-mounted systems for easy installation.
No oil, no downtime, and no operators required.
Financing options via Greenshield Power Solutions with zero upfront CAPEX.
Our partnership with Enogia allows us to deliver turnkey waste-to-energy solutions—without crossing the 110°C threshold.
This is where Ranheat’s design choices matter. Our MSU and Danstoker M Series systems deliver:
High internal water volumes that smooth out combustion and avoid overshoot.
Consistent flow temperatures—a key requirement for any ORC system.
Robust pressure vessels and combustion systems for continuous operation with challenging fuels like MDF and fire-retardant waste.
External buffer tanks cannot replicate this performance. To deliver steady electricity generation, the hot water must be stable and consistent at the boiler outlet—and that means internal volume matters.
If you’re:
Planning a biomass heating upgrade
Replacing an older RHI biomass boiler
Exploring MDF or laminate dust disposal
Looking to generate electricity from waste heat
Trying to avoid the costs and complexity of steam systems…
Then staying below 110°C is your best option—and Ranheat + Enogia is the team to make it happen.
There are legitimate reasons to go above 110°C:
You require steam for an industrial process.
Your site already has high-pressure systems and operators.
You’re targeting very large-scale electrical generation (typically 4MW+ of thermal input).
In these cases, Ranheat can provide PED-compliant biomass systems, and our long-standing partnership with Danstoker ensures we can deliver pressure vessels up to 43 bar and 20MW.
But if you don’t need that—don’t pay for it.
Choosing a biomass boiler system means balancing performance, reliability, cost, and compliance. For most woodworking and industrial sites, the sweet spot is right below 110°C.
You get heat. You get power. You avoid complexity.
And with Ranheat and Enogia, you get a system designed to last decades.
If you’re evaluating ORC feasibility or looking to design a new biomass system:
