Wood Energy for Local Use

ABSTRACT The use of wood as an energy source for local use in rural communities is examined. The most likely conversion route will be direct combustion. The sources of wood for fuel at present are scrub woodland, logging residues, early forest thinnings, sawmill and processing residues and in the future, energy plantations. Short rotation forest energy plantations can either use coppice or single-stemmed trees. For coppice, yields of 10 to 20 dry tonnes/ha/yr on 5 year rotations can be expected and for single-stemmed trees 6 to 12 dry tonnes/ha/yr on rotations of 12 to 20 years. Systems of growing trees for energy are discussed.