Brief description of the project

The project aims at finding out the biological, technical and economic possibilities of growing birch, aspen and alder for energy wood. Forest management regimes maximising energy woods production are compared with management regimes maximising production of pulpwood. The study investigates the possibilities of growing fuel wood as a main crop or as a by-product of timber growing in birch and aspen hardwood stands. Birch, aspen and alder biomass production, growing methods and their profitability are investigated (pulpwood/energy wood production). Also their quality as energy wood (characteristics – heating value, ash and moisture content, alcalic metal contents), harvesting (whole tree harvesting methods), storage (fuel properties affected by storage), and processing (birch and aspen whole tree material as raw material for pellets, biorefinery) are studied.

Results