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8/6/2019 Berr Woodfuel Resource in UK
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WOODFUEL RESOURCEIN BRITAIN
NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMME
8/6/2019 Berr Woodfuel Resource in UK
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c
The DTI drives our ambition ofprosperity for all by working tocreate the best environment forbusiness success in the UK. Wehelp people and companies becomemore productive by promoting
enterprise, innovation and creativity.
We champion UK business at homeand abroad. We invest heavily inworld-class science and technology.We protect the rights of workingpeople and consumers. And westand up for fair and open markets inthe UK, Europe and the world.
CONTENTS
Objectives ..............................................................1
Summary ...............................................................2
Background ...........................................................3
Findings .................................................................5
Conclusions ...........................................................9
Potential for Future Development .......................9
8/6/2019 Berr Woodfuel Resource in UK
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1
Objectives
To quantify the present resource from traditional forests, sawmills, urban
areas, roadsides, and short rotation coppice, taking account of technical and
environmental but not economic constraints we describe this as the
potential operationally available resource.
To forecast future availability of the resource from traditional forests.
To summarise information in paper and electronic format, for a range of
geographical areas and timescales.
To provide commentary on potential commercial availability, making clear the
location and general scale of existing competing markets.
To allow the user, via an interactive Web site
(www.woodfuelresource.org.uk), to sift through summarised information to
identify the woodfuel of interest.
To allow the user to submit an electronic request for resource information
within a defined area of interest, resource type, and timescale.
Figure 1. Forests can provide a substantial quantity of biomass for energy markets
(courtesy of the Forestry Commission)
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Summary
The biologically available woodfuel resource from British forests has been
estimated in a sound and consistent way, and from this the operationally
available resource from traditional forests has been estimated for both thepresent forecast period and the future. Current resources from sawmills,
arboricultural arisings and short rotation coppice have also been estimated.
Best available information has been used to indicate how much of the
resource is not marketed at present and is, therefore, potentially available for
energy end uses without taking competing markets into account.
Though not an objective of the study, we have also estimated the resource
that could be made available without disrupting existing wood-using industries,and provided commentary on potential commercial availability, making clear
the location and general scale of existing competing markets.
Data have been summarised in paper and electronic format for a range of
geographical areas and timescales. An interactive Web site
(www.woodfuelresource.org.uk) allows the user to sift through summarised
information. The user can define an area of interest, a type of resource, and a
specific time interval and can then submit, via the Web site, a detailed requestfor more refined information.
Two outputs have been produced in addition to the original objectives. Firstly,
data at English Region level has been summarised, to help regional planning
for renewable energy. Secondly, the project has delivered an extremely
valuable method of estimating the carbon pools in standing woody biomass.
Biomass has been estimated for all tree components (except fine roots) and
can be easily converted to carbon values. Moreover, the data can be easily
summarised over a range of geographical areas and forecast over a range of
time periods. The Geographical Information System (GIS) allows carbon pools
to be estimated for any user-defined area and component through time.
It is considered that the data are the most reliable available and will serve as a
very useful basis for strategic thinking, planning and project development.
Nevertheless, there are limitations to the study. These have been identified
and future actions suggested to remedy them.
2
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There have been numerous studies on the
potential resources available in Britain in the
past decade. These have indicated a wide
band of potential resource in the region of
1.0 to 2.0 million oven dry tonnes per year
(odt y-1). However, they are limited in
various ways, principally because they do
not include all the potential resource of
clean primary product, data are presented in
paper format only, and they pre-date
widespread use of GIS. Therefore,
information is not readily available to
planners and developers.
This study considers material from forests,
sawmills, urban sites and roadsides through
to arboricultural operations, and short
rotation coppice.
3
Figure 2. Woodchips make up 66% of sawmill products that would be available for energy end markets
(courtesy of the Forestry Commission)
Background
There is considerable interest in the use of wood as an energy source.
Worldwide efforts to reduce net carbon emissions, current and impending
environmental legislation, concerns over the sustainability of rural
communities, and the need to create additional markets for woodland owners
are all factors driving this interest. Possible end products include electricity
and heat, either singly or in combined heat and power applications, fuel oils,
transportation fuels and chemical feed stocks. The end use will determine raw
material requirements and wood fuel specifications.
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Traditional forestry. Forests produce a
variety of woodfuel products: harvesting
brash (needles, branches and stems,
usually 7cm
diameter to cover all biomass components,and presenting in summary form up to
2020. In addition to the standard paper
report, this information is made available on
an interactive Web site that allows the user
to interrogate the GIS database. Much more
detailed information can be obtained by
submitting a request to Forest Research via
the Web site.
4
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5
Findings
Present potential resource in the
absence of competing markets
The total potential operationally availablewoodfuel in Britain during the present
forecast period of 2003-06, in the absence
of competing markets, is 3.1 million odt y-1.
The main sources are small roundwood
followed by sawmill product (a potential to
contribute around 1.03 and 0.86 million
odt y-1 respectively), with arboricultural
arisings providing about 14% of the total.
Approximately equal quantities are available
in England and Scotland but the
composition is substantially different.
Arboricultural arisings form the major
element in England though sawmill product,
small roundwood, and branches are allsignificant components. In Scotland and
Wales, small roundwood and sawmill
product are the dominant resources with all
other potential resource streams playing
only a minor part. Unless establishment of
fast growing species, such as short rotation
coppice, increases substantially, it will
remain a minor component of the potential
woodfuel mix.
Product Scotland England Wales Britain
Stemwood 7-14 cm diameter 606 298 128 1032
Poor quality stemwood 113 94 70 277
Stem tips 12 14 5 31
Branches 116 225 68 409
Sawmill product 404 290 166 860
Arboricultural arisings 22 456 14 492
Short rotation coppice 0.6 16 0.2 17
Total 1,274 1,393 451 3,118
Table 1. Current potential operationally available woodfuel resource in the absence of competing markets, by
country (thousand odt y-1)
Product Scotland England Wales Britain
Stemwood 7-14 cm diameter 61 30 13 104Poor quality stemwood 113 94 70 277
Stem tips 12 14 5 31
Branches 116 225 68 409
Sawmill product 40 29 17 86
Arboricultural arisings 18 313 10 341
Short rotation coppice 0.6 13 0.2 14
Total 361 718 183 1,262
Table 2. Current potential operationally available woodfuel resource in the presence of competing markets, by
country (thousand odt y-1)
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Present potential resource taking
account of existing industries
The potential British resource that could be
made available to new woodfuel projects
without serious disruption of existing wood-
using industries is estimated to be
1.26 million odt y-1. Assumptions on marketavailability are:
10% of the small roundwood
100% of poor quality stemwood, stem
tips and branches
10% of sawmill product
On average, 70% of arboricultural
arisings
100% of material from clearance of
utilities and roadside maintenance
80% of short rotation coppice in England,
ie all coppice other than that established
under the Energy Crop Scheme, and
100% short rotation coppice in Scotland
and Wales.
The databases compiled within this project
can be interrogated for smaller geographical
areas, to identify the zones of greatest
development potential, and to evaluate the
risks of regional or local imbalances in
supply and demand created by new energy
end use markets.
Future potential resource in theabsence of competing markets
Operationally available woodfuel in the form
of small roundwood, poor quality stems,
branches, tips and foliage from traditional
forestry is expected to remain relatively
stable at just under 2 million odt y-1 up to
2020.
Even though the availability of smaller and
poor quality fractions is expected to remain
relatively stable to 2020, the availability of
larger dimension material is expected to
increase substantially. Assuming the
sawmilling sector expands to use this
resource, product will increase
proportionally. Thus expansion in future
resource is likely to be in sawmill product
rather than biomass direct from the forest.
Operationally available arboricultural arisings
cannot be forecast with any certainty, but
seem unlikely to change dramatically.
Future availability of short rotation coppice
will depend on many factors of which
Renewables Obligation co-firing conditions,
CAP reform, support schemes, proof ofenergy end-markets and profitability of
coppice relative to alternative crops are
likely to be the most influential.
Significance of estimated resource
The total operationally available resource
(3.1 million odt y-1), if used for electricity
generation, would equate to 3.6TWHe
y-1
(assumes calorific value of 20 GJ odt-1 and
25% conversion efficiency) or 0.44GW
6
Figure 3. Chips and logs from arboricultural
operations in urban areas and roadsides are an
important source of supply, especially in England
(courtesy of the Forestry Commission)
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(assumes a generating time of 8000h per
annum). The 10% UK electricity target for
renewable generation is equivalent at
present to 3GW, of which about 1GW it is
hoped will come from biomass. If all the
operationally available woodfuel is used to
generate electricity it could, therefore
provide just under half of the notional target
for biomass.
If woodfuel were used to generate heat,
the operationally available resource of3.1 million odt y-1 would generate about
12.1TWHth y-1 (assuming 85% conversion
efficiency).
In the future, biomass could be used to
produce transport fuels. The current annual
demand is 1600PJ. The conversion efficiency
of woody biomass to ethanol or methanol is
about 65%. If all the operationally availablewoodfuel were used to produce transport
fuels, this would give about 40PJ y-1, ie
2.5% of current demand. EU Directive
2003/30/EC states that 5.75% of all petrol
and diesel must be replaced by biofuels by
2010.
Woodfuel would not be delivered for use in
an oven-dried condition. The above
estimates do not account for the energy
required to evaporate the moisture
contained in woodfuel, because it can vary
widely from one form of material to
another, and from one season to another.Ideally, woodfuel will be dried using passive
drying or waste heat to maximise efficiency
of the overall process.
Limitations and uncertainties
The base data for this study is sound,
though there are uncertainties and
limitations. For example, the estimate of
constraints on brash harvesting in the
private sector should be verified. Dead
7
Figure 4. Chips made from short rotation willow (courtesy of the Forestry Commission)
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wood has not been included but could be a
significant additional resource in areas
where it is too windy to thin the stands
regularly. In view of the large resource
identified in the branchwood of broadleaved
woodlands, this estimate should be further
validated and refined.
Forecasts of the biologically availableresource are subject to changes in a
silvicultural system which is generally
expected to reduce woodfuel yields, and to
a lesser extent to climate change, which is
expected to increase overall tree growth.
Forecasts of the operationally available
resource are subject to technological
developments; some are likely to have
positive effects on woodfuel availability,
while others are likely to reduce availability.
A particular uncertainty is the response of
the forestry sector, both the growing and
the processing sectors, to the opportunities
presented by a developing woodfuel market.
This study did not include an estimate for
dead wood, ie trees that have died because
of excessive shading by neighbouring trees,
drought, or disease. A few standing dead
trees may be left to provide wildlife habitats
but most are normally felled along with
living trees. Although they are currently not
extracted, since the timber is not suitable
for present markets, standing dead wood
does represent a potential woodfuelresource especially as the moisture content
is lower than that of living trees. Although
the number and volume of trees that have
died in any previous five-year period can be
estimated, it was not possible in the time
available for the project to estimate this at
any particular harvesting time.
Though predictions of the commercially
available resource are not part of this study,
an attempt has been made to estimate the
quantity of woodfuel that could be made
available without significantly affecting
existing industries. However, the
assumptions behind these estimates are
open to question.
If the data presented in this study are
extended to estimate commercial availabilityof woodfuel to energy markets, a further
layer of uncertainty must be taken into
consideration. The effects of competing and
inter-related markets are difficult to predict,
especially as most wood products are
traded internationally. The commercially
available woodfuel resource will also be
highly influenced by regulation, incentives
and support mechanisms affecting not onlyenergy markets but also waste recovery and
recycling.
8
Figure 5. Worcestershire County Hall boiler house
(courtesy of Econergy Ltd)
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Conclusions
The current total potential operationally available resource is
estimated to be 3.1 million odt y-1, with unmarketed material
estimated at 1.3 million odt y-1.
Across Britain as a whole, the greatest uncommitted resource
lies in branches and poor quality stems, while arboricultural
arisings are the single biggest uncommitted resource in
England from present data, arboricultural arisings are of minor
importance in Wales and Scotland. In the absence of
competing markets the main potential source of woodfuel is
small roundwood followed by sawmill product (a potential to
contribute around 1.03 and 0.86 million odt y-1 respectively).
Assuming that 10% of both could be made available to new
woodfuel projects without disruption to existing wood-usingindustries, a realistic but conservative figure for current
availability from each is approximately 100,000 odt y-1. Thus
sawmill product and small roundwood direct from growers
represent major potential sources of woodfuel in all three
countries.
Operationally available woodfuel in the form of small
roundwood, poor quality stems, branches, tips and foliage from
traditional forestry is expected to remain relatively stable at just
under 2 million odt y-1 up to 2020. Future expansion in theresource is likely to be in sawmill product rather than biomass
direct from the forest. Future availability of arboricultural
arisings and short rotation coppice has not been estimated.
If all the operationally available woodfuel (3.1 million odt y -1)
were used to generate electricity, this would provide
3.6 TWHe y-1 - just under half of the notional target for the
contribution of biomass to the UK Governments target of
10% electricity to be supplied from renewable sources by
2010. This emphasises the need to consider other sources ofbiomass, such as recovered wood, and to increase
establishment of biomass crops with rapid early growth
rates, such as short rotation coppice or energy grasses. If
woodfuel were used to generate heat instead of electricity,
the operationally available resource of 3.1 million odt y-1
would generate about 12.1 TWHth y-1; 40-50% of electricity
is used to provide space heating. If all the operationally
available woodfuel were used to produce transport fuels this
could provide about 40 PJ y-1, ie 2.5% of current demand.
These estimates do not account for the energy required to
evaporate the moisture contained in woodfuel, and should
be reduced by a factor of three if existing markets are taken
into consideration.
9
Potentialfor FutureDevelopment
The ideal tool forplanners and
developers
considering biomass
projects is a GIS that
contains all potential
biomass sources. In
addition to the clean
sources quantified in
this study (traditional
forestry, sawmill
product, arboricultural
arisings and short
rotation coppice),
planning and
realisation of biomass
projects would be
facilitated if the
database were to be
expanded to include
clean post-consumer
wood (for example
packaging and joinery
waste), straw, and
energy grasses.
Information on the
potential contribution
of wood that has been
chemically treatedshould also be made
available on the
database since there
will be situations
where its use gives
economic benefits
with no environmental
or social disbenefits.
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Further renewable energy information from the
New & Renewable Energy Programme, and copies
of publications, can be obtained from:
Renewable Energy Helpline
Tel: +44 (0)870 190 6349
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.dti.gov.uk/renewable/index.html
Crown copyright. First printed February 2004.
Printed on paper containing a minimum of 75% post-consumer waste. DTI/Pub URN 04/604
CONTRACTOR
Forestry Contracting Association
Dalfling
Blairdaff
Inverurie
Aberdeenshire
AB51 5LA
Tel: +44 (0)1467 651368
Fax: +44 (0)1467 651595
Contact: Ben Hudson
(Contract Number
B/W3/00787/00/00)
COLLABORATORS
Forestry Group
231 Corstorphine Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7AT
Tel: +44 (0)131 334 0303
Fax: +44 (0)131 316 4344
Contact: Helen McKay
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian
EH25 9SYTel: +44 (0)131 445 2176
Fax: +44 (0)131 445 5124
Contact: Steve Smith
Forest Enterprise
231 Corstorphine Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7AT
Tel: +44 (0)131 334 0303
Fax: +44 (0)131 316 4344
Contact: Lesley Halsall
FURTHERINFORMATION
For further information about this
project see FES project report
Woodfuel Resource in Britain
(B/W3/00787/REP,
URN 03/1436) available from the
Helpline or via the Web site
www.woodfuelresource.org.uk.
COST
The total cost of this project
(263,550) was funded by the
Department of Trade and Industry,
Scottish Enterprise, and the Welsh
Development Agency, with in-kind
contributions from the Forestry
Commission and the forestry
industry.
DURATION
12 months April 2002 to April
2003.