Using Timber as a Renewable Resource for Energy Production in Sustainable Forest Management

Jan Banaś and Katarzyna Utnik-Banaś
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Jan Banaś: Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Agriculture in Kraków, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
Katarzyna Utnik-Banaś: Department of Management and Economics of Enterprises, University of Agriculture in Kraków, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-8

Abstract: Using timber from multifunctional forests for energy production can be economically viable and environmentally friendly when it is consistent with the principles of sustainable management; otherwise, it could be harmful from both an ecological and commercial point of view. The objective of this paper was to present the overall balance of timber biomass from felled trees in multifunctional forests and assess what kind and how much of this biomass can be used for energy purposes. The research material consisted of data on forest resources and the volume of timber removal in Polish State Forests in 2016–2020. The biomass of branches and stumps of felled trees was determined using biomass expansion factors (BEFs). The results obtained in this study indicated that industrial timber, energy wood, and biomass left in the forest as a source of deadwood are 67%, 20%, and 13% of the total woody biomass, respectively. The Polish State Forest’s potential for energy wood is estimated at 6.18 million tonnes of biomass annually. Total available energy produced from woody biomass amounted to 104.8 PJ y −1 .

Keywords: energy wood; renewable energy; woody biomass; logging residues; retention trees (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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