- Forest biomass is an interesting alternative to fossil fuels because of its historical use as an energy source, relative abundance and availability worldwide, and carbon-neutrality.
- Industrial forest by-products provide yet another source of biomass for bioenergy use.
- When compared to a scenario with less biomass use, increased biomass use for energy may result in lower carbon stock and sequestration rate in the forest.
Forest biomass is an interesting alternative to fossil fuels because of its historical use as an energy source, relative abundance and availability worldwide, and carbon-neutrality. Forests can provide significant amounts of biomass that can be used to generate energy. However, because resources are limited, rising demand for biomass poses management challenges.
Industrial forest by-products provide yet another source of biomass for bioenergy use. Wood residues (such as sawdust, bark, and chips) from harvesting and milling operations, as well as pulp residues (such as the lignin-rich “black liquors”) left over from the pulping process, are examples of by-products.
Forest biomass used to produce bioenergy comes from a variety of sources, including trees of harvestable age but unsuitable for lumber, material from stand thinning, harvest residues, trees killed by disturbances such as fire, diseases, or insects, and trees grown specifically to provide biomass for conversion to bioenergy.
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The versatility and range of applications for wood presents numerous opportunities for forest biomass. A wide range of products can be made using the four main components of wood (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractives) to meet the demands of numerous established and emerging industries. In addition to more familiar forest products such as lumber, pulp and paper, or particleboard, the examples below show current and emerging products derived from wood, such as forest biomass.
For biomass to be effectively directed into energy production, it must be supplied at a competitive price and its use for this purpose must have a low environmental impact. The biomass’s quality must also be optimal for energy conversion and end use.
Plantations that are specifically designed to “grow biomass” for bioenergy production have several advantages over natural forest stands as biomass sources for the same purpose. The advantages of a biomass forest are as follows, Trees grown in natural forests take 40 to 100 years to mature, whereas those grown in use-specific plantations—that is, to produce biomass suitable for converting to bioenergy—take 3 to 15 years. Forest Biomass also has the flexibility to grow biomass in plantations close to where the bioenergy will be used, which offers significant cost savings. Furthermore, surplus or marginal land that is not economically or biologically productive for agriculture may be ideal for forest biomass crops, providing landowners and farmers with an additional cash crop.
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Improvements to cultivation systems are increasing the biomass productivity of these “dedicated energy crops” plantations. Today, improved fertilization, irrigation, and pest control, for example, allow Canadian plantations to produce 10–15 oven-dry tonnes of biomass per hectare per year.
When compared to a scenario with less biomass use, increased biomass use for energy may result in lower carbon stock and sequestration rate in the forest. An increase in demand for bioenergy and other forest products, on the other hand, can incentivize reforestation and improved forest management to increase growth, potentially increasing forest carbon stock in comparison to a non-bioenergy scenario. Forest management reduces the risk of carbon stock losses due to wildfires and disease/insect outbreaks, both of which are becoming more common in warming climates.
Editor: Riana Nurhasanah
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[3]The use of forest biomass for climate change mitigation: dispelling some misconceptions
