Reviewing wood biomass potentials for energy in Europe: the role of forests and fast growing plantations

ABSTRACT Wood biomass for energy is largely produced in Europe from forest land resulting from silvicultural and management practices or from agricultural land in the form of fast growing plantations. The present paper reviews and compares the estimated current potentials for wood biomass production in 25 countries in Europe. The potentials are divided attending to these sources to identify the most suitable method of wood biomass production on a country level, based on its current forest and agriculture levels of production. Data has been collected and compiled from previous models and estimations. The total aggregated available potential in Europe is 76 Mm3 of wood biomass from the forests, with an additional 90 Mm3 from increasing the utilization of forest lands, and 98 Mm3 from fast growing plantations (dedicating 5% of current agricultural land). Germany and France showed high potentials both from agriculture and forest; Finland and Sweden had most of its potential from forest sources; and Spain, Poland, and UK from fast-growing plantations. When considered together, Europe presents a large potential for wood biomass production for energy, and each country should develop different policy strategies of promotion attending to the most available source to realize this potential efficiently.

[1]  Neven Duić,et al.  Economic feasibility of CHP facilities fueled by biomass from unused agriculture land: Case of Croatia , 2016 .

[2]  R. H. Williams,et al.  The contribution of biomass in the future global energy supply : a review of 17 studies , 2003 .

[3]  Dominik Röser,et al.  Estimation of energy wood potential in Europe , 2004 .

[4]  Douglas L. Godbold,et al.  Stump Harvesting for Bioenergy - A Review of the Environmental Impacts , 2010 .

[5]  H. Ngo,et al.  A mini review on renewable sources for biofuel. , 2014, Bioresource technology.

[6]  N. Grassly,et al.  United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs/population Division , 2022 .

[7]  T Wiesenthal,et al.  How much bioenergy can Europe produce without harming the environment , 2006 .

[8]  C. Felby,et al.  Biomass for energy in the European Union - a review of bioenergy resource assessments , 2012, Biotechnology for Biofuels.

[9]  André Faaij,et al.  Bioenergy potentials from forestry in 2050 , 2007 .

[10]  Ioannis Dimitriou,et al.  Poplar and willow plantations on agricultural land in Sweden: Area, yield, groundwater quality and soil organic carbon ☆ , 2017 .

[11]  M. Weih,et al.  Short-rotation forestry with hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L.×P. tremuloides Michx.) in Northern Europe , 2012 .

[12]  A. Faaij,et al.  Legal Harvesting, Sustainable Sourcing and Cascaded Use of Wood for Bioenergy: Their Coverage through Existing Certification Frameworks for Sustainable Forest Management , 2014 .

[13]  F. López-Rodríguez,et al.  Spatial assessment of the bioenergy potential of forest residues in the western province of Spain, Caceres , 2009 .

[14]  R. Astrup,et al.  Spatial yield estimates of fast‐growing willow plantations for energy based on climatic variables in northern Europe , 2016 .

[15]  Aie,et al.  World Energy Outlook 2013 , 2013 .

[16]  Wilhelm Claupein,et al.  Biomass production potential from Populus short rotation systems in Romania , 2012 .

[17]  K. Takeuchi,et al.  Sustainability impacts of first-generation biofuels , 2013 .

[18]  Göran Berndes,et al.  Assessing Environmental Impacts of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) Expansion: Model Definition and Preliminary Results , 2012, BioEnergy Research.

[19]  P. Anttila,et al.  The realisable potential supply of woody biomass from forests in the European Union. , 2011 .

[20]  Blas Mola-Yudego,et al.  Trends and productivity improvements from commercial willow plantations in Sweden during the period 1986–2000 , 2011 .

[21]  Hortensia Sixto,et al.  Biomass production assessment from Populus spp. short‐rotation irrigated crops in Spain , 2014 .

[22]  Maize,et al.  EUROPEAN ENERGY CROPS : A SYNTHESIS , 2002 .

[23]  G. Becker,et al.  Land availability and potential biomass production with poplar and willow short rotation coppices in Germany , 2014 .

[24]  Panos Panagos,et al.  Assessment of the impacts of clear-cutting on soil loss by water erosion in Italian forests: First comprehensive monitoring and modelling approach , 2017 .

[25]  Dominik Röser,et al.  Forest chips for energy in Europe: Current procurement methods and potentials , 2013 .

[26]  Michael Obersteiner,et al.  Woody biomass energy potential in 2050 , 2014 .

[27]  André Faaij,et al.  Biomass production potentials in Central and Eastern Europe under different scenarios , 2007 .

[28]  Blas Mola-Yudego,et al.  Regional potential yields of short rotation willow plantations on agricultural land in Northern Europe. , 2010 .

[29]  T. Koljonen,et al.  Sustainability of forest energy in Northern Europe , 2015 .

[30]  A. Karczmarczyk,et al.  17. Biomass Production in Energy Forests : Short Rotation Plantations , 2012 .

[31]  N. Krajnc.  Wood fuels handbook , 2015 .

[32]  A. Lindroth,et al.  Assessment of regional willow coppice yield in Sweden on basis of water availability , 1999 .

[33]  Lars J Nilsson,et al.  Bioenergy policy and market development in Finland and Sweden , 2004 .

[34]  Juha Laitila,et al.  Forest energy potential in Europe (EU 27) , 2008 .

[35]  Lars J Nilsson,et al.  Assessment of the potential biomass supply in Europe using a resource-focused approach , 2004 .

[36]  B. Mola‐Yudego,et al.  How Much Yield Should We Expect from Fast-Growing Plantations for Energy? Divergences Between Experiments and Commercial Willow Plantations , 2015, BioEnergy Research.

[37]  O. Olsson.  European Bioenergy Markets: Integration and Price Convergence , 2009 .

[38]  Sara González-García,et al.  A conceptual framework for the introduction of energy crops. , 2014 .

[39]  Birka Wicke,et al.  Projections of the availability and cost of residues from agriculture and forestry , 2016 .

[40]  Gail Taylor,et al.  Yield and spatial supply of bioenergy poplar and willow short-rotation coppice in the UK. , 2008, The New phytologist.

[41]  Perttu Anttila,et al.  Global potential of modern fuelwood , 2009 .

[42]  André Faaij,et al.  The potential biomass for energy production in the Czech Republic , 2006 .

[43]  S. Hafner.  Trends in maize, rice, and wheat yields for 188 nations over the past 40 years: a prevalence of linear growth , 2003 .

[44]  H. Peltola,et al.  Sensitivity of growth of Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch to climate change and forest management in boreal conditions , 2006 .

[45]  Blas Mola-Yudego,et al.  Mapping the expansion and distribution of willow plantations for bioenergy in Sweden: Lessons to be learned about the spread of energy crops , 2010 .

[46]  J. Hytönen,et al.  Pajunviljelyn pinta-ala Suomessa vuonna 2015 , 2016 .

[47]  Sarah J. Gerssen-Gondelach,et al.  Assessment of driving factors for yield and productivity developments in crop and cattle production as key to increasing sustainable biomass potentials , 2015 .