Production of Wood Pellets from Poplar Trees Managed as Coppices with Different Harvesting Cycles

Vincenzo Civitarese, Andrea Acampora, Giulio Sperandio, Alberto Assirelli and Rodolfo Picchio
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Vincenzo Civitarese: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (Crea), Via Po n° 14, 00198 Rome, Italy
Andrea Acampora: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (Crea), Via Po n° 14, 00198 Rome, Italy
Giulio Sperandio: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (Crea), Via Po n° 14, 00198 Rome, Italy
Alberto Assirelli: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (Crea), Via Po n° 14, 00198 Rome, Italy
Rodolfo Picchio: Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: High-density biomass plantations have played a key role in the national energy landscape in Italy since the 1990s but, to date, an inversion of tendency and a significant reduction of cultivated areas has been noted. Despite this, the existing plantations have seen their coppicing rotation become significantly lengthened, resulting in large quantities of biomass per hectare. This study aimed to identify the best raw material suitable for pellet production using whole trees or stems without branches from poplar plantations at the end of the third, sixth and ninth year of age. All types of pellets made reach the requirements of class A1 for diameter, length, moisture content, ash melting point, lower heating value, as well as nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and heavy metals. None of the theses satisfied the bulk density parameters while for ashes and mechanical durability, a great variability was observed according to the different raw materials used. An improvement in terms of heating value was observed by transforming the poplar wood chips refined into pellets. The pelletizing process using high density poplar plantation as a raw material highlights the possibility of obtaining a product that meets many of the quality standards required on the market. These aspects are closely related to the innovation carried out in the agro-forestry sector for effective energetic sustainability.

Keywords: chipping; pellet; poplar; SRWC; pelletization; biomass quality; energy quality (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: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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