CO2 emissions and economic impacts of using logging residues and mill residues in Maniwa Japan

Abstract

✜ Abstract:In the face of increasing demand for woody biomass, mill residues continue being used more frequently than logging residues in Japan because of their relative ease of use.The Japanese government set a target ratio of logging residue use to 30 percent by 2030 compared with less than 1 percent in 2009. This study examined GHG emissions and the economic effects of logging and mill residues, which are employed as raw materials for various purposes in Maniwa, Japan.In 2012, 23,710 tonnes of woody biomass resources were collected and used in Maniwa, of which roughly 79 percent were logging residues. These resources are manufactured into several types of wood products, such as chips, bark, and chip dust. The manufactured products are then transported and consumed for paper, poultry litter, and fuel. Based on this, three scenarios were organized by changing the type of woody biomass resource use as follows: the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, the logging-residues-only utilization (LRU) scenario, and the mill-residues-only utilization (MRU) scenario. Under the LRU scenario, the expected regional effect is almost 188 million JPY, whereas the MRU scenario achieves almost 20 times more financial benefits than the LRU scenario with the integrated woody biomass station. However, approximately 13 full-time jobs can be created under the LRU scenario, which is 1.6 times higher than the 6 jobs created under the MRU scenario. In terms of GHG emissions, the LRU scenario can reduce GHG emissions by up to roughly 211t CO2eq/t compared to the MRU scenario.Overall, the promotion of logging residue use for manufacturing wood products has significant advantages over mill residues in both the reduction of GHG emissions and the growth of regional economies.

Environmental and economic impact of using logging residues as bioenergy: The case of Malaysia

“…The production of bioenergy from logging residues could lead to a variety of cobenefits. Several studies have reported that the largest impact of using logging residues for bioenergy production is the observed improvement in environmental emissions (Gan and Smith 2006;Sathre and Gustavsson 2011;Kukrety et al 2015;Moon et al 2015;Repo et al 2015). Another important aspect is the reduction in fossil fuel dependency for overall energy production (Kukrety et al 2015;Moon et al 2015;Rothe et al 2015).…”

“…Several studies have reported that the largest impact of using logging residues for bioenergy production is the observed improvement in environmental emissions (Gan and Smith 2006;Sathre and Gustavsson 2011;Kukrety et al 2015;Moon et al 2015;Repo et al 2015). Another important aspect is the reduction in fossil fuel dependency for overall energy production (Kukrety et al 2015;Moon et al 2015;Rothe et al 2015). Apart from lessening the overall environmental impact of electrical energy generation and promoting energy security, the utilization of logging residue for bioenergy production will create job opportunities (Kukrety et al 2015).…”

Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation

“…Harvesting residues are the biomass left on fields after wood harvesting (tops, branches, and little non-marketable trunks) [1]. On average, 10% to 15% of this biomass is left on site as forest residues following harvesting operations [2] because it is expensive to harvest and transport and there are few markets for this wood material.…”