Process and reactor for continuous charcoal production

A method for recovering energy from carbonization gases for the continuous production of charcoal in a reactor with a vertical structure comprising in sequence:

• a top charging zone, a drying zone, a carbonization zone, a cooling zone and a discharge zone, comprising:
• extracting carbonization gas from a top of the drying zone of the reactor and subdividing it into fractions that comprise at least a heating gas conveyed in a first pipe to a hot gas generator and a recirculating gas conveyed in a second pipe to a heat recovery unit;
• conducting the combustion of the heating gas in the hot gas generator;
• injecting the recirculating gas into the heat recovery unit;
• injecting the heating gas after combustion onto the heat recovery unit, for indirect heating of the recirculating gas;
• and
• reinjecting the recirculating gas heated by the heat recovery unit into the carbonization zone base of the reactor.