Case study
Historical Russia → EU — continuous lignin-pellet coasters
A pre-2022 lignin-pellet supply chain moving industrial lignin from north-west Russia through production, rail and port handling into regular coaster shipments to European buyers.
Historical context
This case reflects pre-2022 operational experience in Russia–EU biomass logistics. It is included as evidence of practical supply-chain execution: feedstock handling, pellet production, rail and port coordination, documentation, quality control and regular coaster movements.
Challenge
Move a technically unusual biomass fuel through a repeatable export chain: from raw lignin recovery and pellet production in north-west Russia through inland logistics, port handling, coaster shipment and buyer acceptance in Europe. The chain had to manage winter operations, long transport routes, customs documentation and consistent product quality.
What we did
- Supported the chain from raw lignin recovery through pellet production and export handling.
- Built rail and port route cards covering movement, storage, loading and turnaround requirements.
- Developed moisture, temperature, sampling and acceptance protocols for a non-standard biomass fuel.
- Managed documentation workflows across customs, port clearance and buyer requirements.
- Coordinated regular coaster parcels, typically around 5,000-7,000 tonnes per cargo.
Key results
- Established a repeatable pathway for lignin pellets from production site to European receiving port.
- Maintained buyer confidence through consistent documentation, quality control and shipment planning.
- Demonstrated that water-resistant lignin pellets could be handled and stored outside at destination.
- Turned a difficult industrial residue into a regular coaster-scale biomass supply chain.
Outcome
A practical pre-2022 logistics model for moving lignin pellets from north-west Russia to European buyers in regular coaster parcels. The work combined feedstock handling, factory interface, rail and port planning, customs documentation, quality control and receiving-port storage into a repeatable operating chain.