Abstract

The objectives of the study were to compare the profitability between pulpwood and energy wood harvesting systems in early thinnings. The availability of merchantable volumes of pulpwood and energy wood was calculated for three different types of first thinning stands of pine, spruce and birch, i.e. nine different stands. The energy wood and pulpwood prices were based on year 2009 market prices for Sweden and a system analysis was carried out including costs for harvesting and forwarding to roadside. The tree volume of removal ranged from 15 to 84 dm3 and was in average 38 dm3. In average the biomass to pulpwood ratio of the gross income in the pine, spruce and birch stands was 2.1, 2.9 and 2.3, respectively. The net income for the pulpwood system was negative (generating costs) in all stands. The net income for the energy wood system was profitable in 67% of the stands; 133 €×ha-1 in pine stands, ranging from 37 to 145 €×ha-1 in spruce stands, and 19 to 76 €×ha-1 in birch stands. If the market price for energy wood increases with 30% (compared to the current level) harvesting for energy wood in early thinnings could generate a considerable income for the forest owner

Keywords

bioenergy; forestry; thinnings; young forests; harvesting; wood chips

Published in

Title: World Bioenergy 2010 : proceedings
ISBN: 978-91-977624-0-3
Publisher: The Swedish Bioenergy Association, Svebio

Conference

World Bioenergy 2010

SLU Authors

• Bergström, Dan

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Di Fulvio, Fulvio

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Renewable Bioenergy Research


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/32039