Which Hard Shells We Supply, and What Governs Continuity
The hard shell items Akyel works with, which processing chain each one is a by-product of, and why storage and moisture matter to a buyer.
Buyers of hard shell ask two questions, almost always in the same order: which types do you supply, and can you keep supplying them through the season. The second one deserves to come first. Shell is not a primary product but a by-product, and its appearance is tied to someone else’s production calendar rather than to a decision anyone makes about it.
This guide answers both questions plainly: what the items are, which chain each falls out of, and what actually determines continuity.
The Items and Where They Come From
Apricot kernel shell comes from cracking apricot kernels. It is among the densest of the hard shells: slow to catch, long-lasting embers, comparatively little ash. It sits directly inside our own supply network, which makes it the most regular item we carry.
Peach kernel shell behaves very similarly in physical terms. The processed peach volume behind it is lower than apricot, so availability is more variable, and it is usually planned as a complementary item rather than a base one.
Almond shell is light and bulky. It takes flame quickly and gives heat quickly, and it tends to give a more balanced result when used alongside a denser shell.
Walnut shell is hard and coarse-grained, and works comfortably in stoves with strong draught.
Hazelnut shell has an even particle size and flows well, which makes it the easiest item to use in fed systems and domestic stoves.
Pistachio shell is thin and light, and is chosen where fast heat is wanted.
How these items compare in burning behaviour is covered in our hard shell biomass fuel guide.
What Determines Continuity
Shell emerges at the end of fruit processing. That single fact explains most of the supply picture.
The first factor is processing volume. Where kernel cracking is concentrated, shell stops being incidental waste and becomes a dependable source. In this region the apricot chain is dense, which is why kernel shell is continuous here rather than occasional.
The second is the calendar. During the intense cracking period shell comes out plentifully; outside it, the work is done with what is left in store. For that reason no fixed year-round stock commitment is given — a promise of that kind could not be kept.
The third is storage capacity. Shell is bulky, and bulk needs space. A plan agreed during the season and drawn down in batches relieves both the buyer’s warehouse and the seller’s stock at the same time.
What regular buyers are really looking for is not a favourable number but the certainty of not being empty-handed halfway through the season. Fixing tonnage early and splitting the offtake usually costs less than trying to fill a gap afterwards. The dispatch side is described on our supply and logistics page.
Moisture and Storage: Settled Before Price
The variable that causes the most trouble on the shell side is not the type. It is moisture.
Damp shell moulds in store and cakes inside the sack. Burned, it spends part of its heat evaporating water. Sent to carbonisation, it consumes extra energy and time in the opening stage of the process. And a batch that leaves dry produces exactly the same problem if it takes rain during loading.
So three things need to be agreed rather than assumed: that the shell is kept dry and ventilated, raised off the floor; that the load is properly sheeted during transport; and that it goes under cover promptly on arrival. A price quoted without those three settled is an incomplete price.
The second variable is cleanliness. Kernel fragments, soil and dust each cause a different problem depending on the use — ash in a stove, smell and binding failures in carbonisation. How shell is collected as a by-product and prepared for sale is set out in our apricot kernel shell uses guide.
Ordering Several Types: One Item Per Vehicle
It saves both sides time to know this at the outset: mixed loading is not done — each vehicle carries a single type of shell. Shell is bulky rather than heavy, so a vehicle fills with one item before it reaches its weight capacity. If types are mixed in the same body, weighing runs as a single line, the buyer cannot tell how many tonnes of each they received, and separating them on arrival is not realistic in practice.
Buyers wanting several items plan them as consecutive vehicles: each type loaded separately with its own weighing and its own paperwork, moving in sequence through the same counterpart. That way the buyer does not have to find a different company for each item. Which items can be supplied in sequence depends on stock at the time, so it is confirmed when the enquiry arrives. The full range is listed on the products page.
Making an Enquiry
Send the item, the approximate tonnage, the intended use, your packaging preference and the delivery point, and the request can be assessed. Write through the contact page or reach us directly by telephone; correspondence in Arabic is also possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which shell items do you work with?
Apricot kernel shell and peach kernel shell are the main items, alongside almond, walnut, hazelnut and pistachio shell. For apricot and peach kernel shell the source sits directly at the centre of our own supply network, so continuity is stronger there; the remaining items are gathered through a wider network.
Is shell available continuously through the year?
Shell is a by-product, and it appears on the fruit's processing calendar rather than its own. While kernel cracking is intense it comes out plentifully and regularly; outside that window the work is done with what remains in store. This is why regular buyers tend to fix their tonnage during the season and draw it in batches, and why no fixed year-round stock is undertaken.
Why is moisture discussed so much in shell?
Damp shell moulds in store and cakes inside the sack; when burned, part of the heat goes into evaporating the water; if it goes to carbonisation it consumes extra energy and time in the first stage of the process. Even a dry batch produces the same problem if it gets wet during loading. That is why storage and loading conditions are settled before price.
Can more than one type of shell be ordered at once?
It can, but **each vehicle is loaded with a single type.** Shell is bulky enough that one vehicle fills with one item anyway, and mixing types in the same body causes trouble at weighing and makes separation on arrival impractical. Buyers wanting several items plan them as consecutive vehicles. Which items can be supplied in sequence in a given period is confirmed when the enquiry is received.
Let's Settle Your Wholesale Or Export Request
Tell us the product and calibre size you need, and we will come back with a firm ex-warehouse quote as soon as possible.