Raul Fernandez-Lacruz, Fulvio Di Fulvio, Dimitris Athanassiadis, Dan Bergström, Tomas Nordfjell. (2015). Distribution, characteristics and potential of biomass-dense thinning forests in Sweden. Silva Fennica vol. 49 no. 5 article id 1377. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1377

Keywords: bioenergy; GIS; wood fuel; early thinning; small-tree harvesting; biomass potential; biomaterial

Highlights: Biomass-dense thinning forests (BDTF) cover 2.1–9.8 M ha in Sweden, which represents 9–44% of the country’s productive forest land area, depending on the constraints applied; 65% of BDTF area is found in northern Sweden; Analyses revealed a yearly harvesting potential of at least 4.3 M OD t of undelimbed whole trees (3.0 M OD t of delimbed stemwood including tops).

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Understanding the characteristics of unutilized biomass resources, such as small-diameter trees from biomass-dense thinning forests (BDTF) (non-commercially-thinned forests), can provide important information for developing a bio-based economy. The aim of this study was to describe the areal distribution, characteristics (biomass of growing stock, tree height, etc.) and harvesting potential of BDTF in Sweden. A national forest inventory plot dataset was imported into a geographical information system and plots containing BDTF were selected by applying increasingly stringent constraints. Results show that, depending on the constraints applied, BDTF covers 9–44% (2.1–9.8 M ha) of the productive forest land area, and contains 7–34% of the total growing stock (119–564 M OD t), with an average biomass density of 57 OD t ha^–1. Of the total BDTF area, 65% is located in northern Sweden and 2% corresponds to set-aside farmlands. Comparisons with a study from 2008 indicate that BDTF area has increased by at least 4% (about 102 000 ha), in line with general trends for Sweden and Europe. Analyses revealed that the technical harvesting potential of delimbed stemwood (over bark, including tops) from BDTF ranges from 3.0 to 6.1 M OD t yr^–1 (7.5 to 15.1 M m³yr^–1), while the potential of whole-tree harvesting ranges from 4.3 to 8.7 M OD t yr^–1 (10.2 to 20.6 M m³yr^–1) depending on the scenario considered. However, further technological developments of the harvest and supply systems are needed to utilize the full potential of BDTF.

Fernandez-Lacruz, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9284-8911 E-mail: raul.fernandez@slu.se
Di Fulvio, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Ecosystems Services and Management Program (ESM), Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria E-mail: Fulvio.di.Fulvio@slu.se
Athanassiadis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: Dimitris.Athanassiadis@slu.se
Bergström, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: Dan.Bergstrom@slu.se
Nordfjell, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: Tomas.Nordfjell@slu.se

article id 1047, category Research article

Kalle Karttunen, Lauri Lättilä, Olli-Jussi Korpinen, Tapio Ranta. (2013). Cost-efficiency of intermodal container supply chain for forest chips. Silva Fennica vol. 47 no. 4 article id 1047. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1047

Keywords: trucks; railways; wood fuels; transportation systems

Highlights: The combined availability and simulation study method obtains more realistic results for use in practical decision-making in supply chain management; The total costs of forest chips with intermodal composite container supply chains were lower than traditional options in all scenarios; The most advantageous way to expand the procurement area for forest chips is either to use composite container trucks or start using train transportation instead of trucks for procurement from longer distances.

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Cost-efficient solutions of supply chains for energy wood are required as part of endeavors to reach targets for renewable energy utilization. Long-distance railway transportation is an interesting area of research, especially for high-volume sites where the forest-to-site distance is considerable and rail facilities already exist. The aim of the study was to compare the cost-efficiency of an intermodal container supply chain and traditional multi-modal supply chain with corresponding direct truck logistics for long-distance transportation of forest chips. In the study, site-dependent information for forest biomass transport was integrated into a simulation model to calculate the cost-efficiency of logistic operations related to forest chips transportation in central Finland. The model was tested with several truck and railway transportation scenarios for varying demand of forest chips at the case power plant. The total costs of traditional supply chains were found to be 5–19% more expensive than container supply chain scenarios. The total unit costs of forest chips varied between 15.3 and 20.0 €/MWh depending on the scenario. It is concluded on the basis of the scenario study that intermodal light-structure container logistics and railway transportation could be developed as a viable option for large-scale supply of forest chips.

Karttunen, Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT Savo Sustainable Technologies, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli, Finland E-mail: kalle.karttunen@lut.fi
Lättilä, Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT Savo Sustainable Technologies, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli, Finland E-mail: lauri.lattila@lut.fi
Korpinen, Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT Savo Sustainable Technologies, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli, Finland E-mail: olli-jussi.korpinen@lut.fi
Ranta, Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT Savo Sustainable Technologies, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli, Finland E-mail: tapio.ranta@lut.fi

article id 904, category Research article

Raul Fernandez-Lacruz, Fulvio Di Fulvio, Dan Bergström. (2013). Productivity and profitability of harvesting power line corridors for bioenergy. Silva Fennica vol. 47 no. 1 article id 904. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.904

Keywords: accumulating felling head; clearing; maintenance; motor-manual; power grid; wood fuel

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Trees growing under the wires and around the pylons carrying power lines (PL) represent a significant threat to the power supply because they can cause power outages and damage. The vegetation in these PL corridors is cleared motor-manually on a regular basis, which represents about 50% of the PL maintenance costs. In Sweden, PL corridors account for 140 000 ha of productive forest land, with an estimated bioenergy potential of 3 TWh/year. The aim of this study was to measure the productivity of a harvester (with an accumulating felling head) and a forwarder, performing PL corridor clearing (with the collection of whole trees for energy use) and to calculate how the cost and economic profitability is dependent on tree height, biomass removal, harvested area, forwarding distance and wood fuel price. The study also compared the economic profitability of the mechanized harvesting system with motor-manual clearing. Experimental units were inventoried along a PL corridor in central Sweden and a time study of one harvester and one forwarder (with a single operator per machine), working in those units, was carried out. The results showed that if the tree height was greater than about 6 m, the mechanized harvesting system became a more cost-efficient alternative, when compared to motor-manual clearing, but it was also found that mechanized clearing is not always the most cost-effective option. Nevertheless, mechanization of PL clearing has a huge potential for expansion, requiring further research in the combined management of the PL corridors and side areas.

Fernandez-Lacruz, Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: raul.fernandez@slu.se
Di Fulvio, Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: fulvio.di.fulvio@slu.se
Bergström, Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: dan.bergstrom@slu.se

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