Industrial biomass boilers have long delivered reliable, cost-effective heating for woodworking factories, joinery workshops, and manufacturing sites across the UK and the World. But with changing energy economics and rising disposal costs, businesses are now asking: can we do more with the heat we’re already generating?
Enter the Organic Rankine Cycle—or ORC. A deceptively simple, low-risk technology that converts low-temperature heat into electricity. It’s based on physics that powered the Industrial Revolution, reimagined for modern sustainability goals.
The Organic Rankine Cycle is a specialised version of the Rankine cycle, the 19th-century thermodynamic workhorse behind steam engines and coal-fired power stations. The only twist? ORCs use an organic working fluid, which boils at much lower temperatures.
This means they can:
Extract useful energy from low-grade waste heat (as low as 90°C),
Operate at low pressure and low risk,
Run quietly and efficiently with very few moving parts.
A typical system includes:
A plate heat exchanger transferring heat from the biomass boiler’s hot water circuit,
A turbine or scroll expander to extract power,
A dry cooler to recondense the fluid,
And a closed-loop solvent pump.
We’ll be adding a diagram of a typical Ranheat-compatible ORC setup for clarity. You can also read our companion guide: “Is an ORC Right for You?”
You might ask, if the physics is so old and so well understood, why are we only hearing about it now? Good question. Here’s why:
Industrial power in the UK used to hover around 15p/kWh. Now it’s 25p or more. That changes everything. If you’re burning 10+ tonnes of wood waste per week, the electricity savings from an ORC can pay for your entire biomass system—including the boiler.
In the past, ORC turbines were expensive lab equipment. But modern precision machining, low-volume production runs, and cheap inverters have brought prices down dramatically. We now supply systems from 20kWe to 180kWe with payback times under two years.
Even if your site’s net-zero target is 2035 or 2050, the boiler you’re buying now will probably still be in place then. With ORCs, you don’t just cut your heating fuel bill—you generate on-site power, shrink your Scope 2 emissions, and future-proof your factory.
Ranheat has worked with financial institutions and green lenders to offer funding support for ORC-equipped systems. The predictable savings and long life (15+ years) make them low risk and highly attractive.
Not all biomass systems can integrate effectively with ORCs. Ours can.
Ranheat boilers—particularly the M Series and WA 150/WA 300—are built with:
High water content and stable operating temperatures,
Continuous-duty performance, even with variable fuels,
Proven compatibility with Enogia ORC modules, as shown in this project overview,
Decades of experience burning chipboard, MDF, SRM, and fine dust.
In short, Ranheat boilers deliver the steady, reliable thermal input an ORC system needs.
More detail: What Makes Ranheat Biomass Boilers Industrial-Grade
A good rule of thumb:
If you’re burning 5 tonnes of wood waste per week: the maths is worth exploring.
If you’re above 10 tonnes/week: you’re likely looking at a 3–5 year ROI or less.
That’s even without factoring in the rising cost of wood waste disposal, especially since MDF and Chipboard has been largely removed from the animal bedding market. ORCs offer a powerful offset to this growing financial pressure.
Not all small-scale energy projects are created equal. ORCs are often lumped in with pyrolysis or gasification technologies that never gained traction due to fuel inconsistency or maintenance complexity.
But ORCs are different:
There’s no fuel processing—just hot water.
They’re closed-loop, with minimal maintenance.
They’re based on boring, dependable physics, not experimental combustion.
If you can run a biomass boiler, you can run an ORC.
The UK has some of the highest industrial electricity costs in the OECD, and our planning and regulatory environment actively encourages on-site renewable generation. For factories already operating an RHI-eligible biomass boiler, ORCs offer a next logical step.
This is particularly compelling for:
Woodworking businesses,
Furniture manufacturers,
Panel processors,
And any site with reliable wood waste and consistent heating demand.
Further reading: Why Staying Below 110°C Keeps Your Biomass Boiler Project Efficient and Affordable
Ranheat is a family-run manufacturer with over 30 years’ experience in wood waste combustion. We build industrial-grade biomass systems that last for decades—and we’re now integrating ORC technology with our turnkey boiler plantrooms.
If you’re looking to:
Offset rising electricity bills,
Meet carbon reduction targets,
Gain independence from grid pricing,
Or simply get more out of your biomass investment—
Then talk to us about ORC integration.
