Study on the Potential of Forest Biomass Residues for Bio-Energy

Abstract

The Kyoto protocol officially recognised the role of forests as carbon sinks in the mitigation of global climate change factors, basically by reducing the atmospheric concentrations of CO2. The utilization of forest biomass residues for bio-energy can help meet the need for renewable energy production. The aim of this research work is the development of a methodology to quantify and yield cartography of the prospective energy production of residual biomass from the most representative forest species of Biscay, province of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (ACBC, Spain), using a Geographic Information System (GIS) computer tool. A model of indirect estimation has been used in order to estimate the evolution of forest masses throughout in any area of Biscay. In the study area, residues from forest represent a large biomass potential. The stock of total forest biomass (aboveground and underground) (TB) existing in the forests of the province of Biscay in the year 2016 amounted to 16.380 Tg of dry material, which implies a sequestration of 29.874 Tg of CO2. The results obtained after the statistical analyses of the data showed that the amount of mean forest biomass residue achieved with a 95% confidence interval was 73,216.7 Mg year−1. The estimation of biomass quantities that may generate forest activity will allow us to accomplish its planned exploitation, taking into account both economic and environmental aspects, with the aim of determining which the optimum location for setting up an energy production plant is.

Cost Analysis of Chaff Harvesting Concepts in Germany

“…Despite the need to access renewable energy sources, the utilization of biomass for energetic purposes is in critique due to the competition with food cultivation. The energetic application of residues is one approach to tackle this dilemma [1][2][3][4]. The utilization of agricultural residues is promoted at EU level by the "double counting mechanism".…”