Measuring the Regional Availability of Forest Biomass for Biofuels and the Potential of GHG Reduction

Fengli Zhang, Dana M. Johnson, Jinjiang Wang, Shuhai Liu and Shimin Zhang
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Fengli Zhang: College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Dana M. Johnson: School of Business and Economics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
Jinjiang Wang: College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Shuhai Liu: College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Shimin Zhang: College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Forest biomass is an important resource for producing bioenergy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The State of Michigan in the United States (U.S.) is one region recognized for its high potential of supplying forest biomass; however, the long-term availability of timber harvests and the associated harvest residues from this area has not been fully explored. In this study time trend analyses was employed for long term timber assessment and developed mathematical models for harvest residue estimation, as well as the implications of use for ethanol. The GHG savings potential of ethanol over gasoline was also modeled. The methods were applied in Michigan under scenarios of different harvest solutions, harvest types, transportation distances, conversion technologies, and higher heating values over a 50-year period. Our results indicate that the study region has the potential to supply 0.75–1.4 Megatonnes (Mt) dry timber annually and less than 0.05 Mt of dry residue produced from these harvests. This amount of forest biomass could generate 0.15–1.01 Mt of ethanol, which contains 0.68–17.32 GJ of energy. The substitution of ethanol for gasoline as transportation fuel has potential to reduce emissions by 0.043–1.09 Mt CO 2eq annually. The developed method is generalizable in other similar regions of different countries for bioenergy related analyses.

Keywords: timber; harvest residues; ethanol; GHG savings; Michigan (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: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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