Burning wet wood: varieties of non-recognition in energy transitions

Abstract

One of the most widely accepted rule of thumb of bioenergy production has been that burning wet wood should be avoided. This advice has guided the development of harvesting, logistics and combustion of wood chips. However, experimentations in Finland have challenged this approach by showing that it may be possible to considerably improve the energy efficiency of heat and power plants by burning the wood chips as soon as possible after harvesting them from boreal forests. The high energy content of fresh wood has been known for a long time, but this knowledge has not been widely acknowledged as the guiding principle in the development of the energy use of wood chips. This study analyses public (non)debate of wood chip burning in Finland based on conceptualisations of non-recognition and discusses the implications of knowledge use and non-use for sustainable energy transitions. It is concluded that various forms of non-recognition can significantly hinder the development and implementation of more sustainable energy solutions. The importance of the varieties of ignorance and their societal consequences should not be forgotten from the sustainability transition studies.