Fuelwood Calorific Values in South Africa

SYNOPSIS The demand for fuelwood from natural woodland and forests is fast outstripping supply and the need for developing woodlots for increased fuelwood production is more urgent than ever. While some work is being done on the silvicultural aspects of promising fuelwood species, little information exists on the relative combustion characteristics of these species. The most commonly used parameter for comparing alternative fuels is calorific or heat value. This paper describes the methodology used to determine calorific values of solid fuels, and documents these for a wide variety of indigenous and exotic species. Other, possibly more useful, comparative measures of the combustibility of fuelwoods are also discussed.