Medium Rotation Eucalyptus Plant: A Comparison of Storage Systems

Luigi Pari, Negar Rezaie, Alessandro Suardi, Paola Cetera, Antonio Scarfone and Simone Bergonzoli
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Luigi Pari: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro per l’Ingegneria e le Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (CREA-IT), Via della Pascolare, 16, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
Negar Rezaie: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro per l’Ingegneria e le Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (CREA-IT), Via della Pascolare, 16, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Suardi: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro per l’Ingegneria e le Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (CREA-IT), Via della Pascolare, 16, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
Paola Cetera: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro per l’Ingegneria e le Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (CREA-IT), Via della Pascolare, 16, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
Antonio Scarfone: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro per l’Ingegneria e le Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (CREA-IT), Via della Pascolare, 16, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
Simone Bergonzoli: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro per l’Ingegneria e le Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (CREA-IT), Via Milano, 43, Treviglio, 24047 Bergamo, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-10

Abstract: Eucalyptus spp. are among the most suitable species for biomass production, even for the firewood derived from medium-rotation coppice (MRC). The general problem of wood is that it cannot be utilized immediately because of the high moisture content, which in the combustion process would reduce remarkably the yield of energy. In this context, outdoor storage of whole stems without branches (WS), outdoor storage of whole stems with branches (WSB), open shed storage of firewood logs in mesh bags (OSF), and outdoor firewood logs in mesh bags (ODF) of Eucalyptus spp woody biomass were compared in term of moisture and dry matter loss to evaluate the most convenient form of storing biomass deriving from a medium-rotation coppice. During the storage period, ODF showed higher moisture values than OSF, WSB, and WS, underlining that moisture reduction is related to local climatic conditions, pile size and permeability (compaction). However, at the end of the storage period, the four options reached a similar moisture to the commercial one of fuel wood (around 15%). WSB showed the highest loss of dry matter (18%), which can be ascribed to the drying and falling process of the leaves. In conclusion, the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the biomass were similar after the different storage systems, producing firewood suitable for new market opportunities.

Keywords: Eucalyptus; tree whole stem; firewood logs; storage system; moisture content; dry matter loss (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: 2020
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