Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesDepartment of Short Rotation Forestry

Uppsala, Sweden

Introduction • Species • SRWC in Sweden • R & D team • WP 23

WP23: Short Rotation Woody Crops

(SRWC)

Martin Weih

Short Rotation Forestry

• Silvicultural practice

• Plantations with fast-growing tree species

• On fertile agricultural or forest land

• High plantation density

• Single stem or coppice systems

• Woody biomass production

• Rotation period <30 years

Common Species used in SRF:

Salix spp.

Populus spp.

>350 species (c. 30 tree-forming)

c. 30 species(all tree-forming)

SRWC vs. traditional forestry

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

2

4

6

8

10

Stand age (yr)

MA

I (M

g ha

-1 y

r-1)

Picea

Populus

D:\Mina dokument\VORTRÄGE\canada2003a.XLS D:\Mina dokument\VORTRÄGE\canada2003a.FIG 2003-06-03, 11:05

Source: Weih (2004) Cand. J. For. Res.)

0

100

200

300

400

500

Bio

mas

s (M

g ha

-1)

Picea Populus Salix

After 27 yrAfter 54 yr

1 1 3 6 9 18 rotations

D:\MINA DOKUMENT\VORTRÄGE\CANADA2003B.XLS D:\MINA DOKUMENT\VORTRÄGE\CANADA2003B.FIG 2003-06-03, 16:19

SRWC vs. traditional forestry

Willow SRWC in Sweden

0

6

12

18

24

Sta

ndin

g bi

omas

s (t

ha-1

)

W0F0 W0F+ W+F0 W+F+

200120022003

(A)

Cutting cycle 3-5 years

Biomass production6 to >12 t/ha/yr(commercial)

SRWC Infrastructure in Sweden

Växtförädling Stickling Plantering Skötsel TransportSkörd Förbränning Värme

Agrobränsle AB

Entreprenörer

Naturbränsle AB

Värmeverk:Enköping, Örebro,

Malmö, m.fl.

LRF (9%)Lantmännen (91%)

Jordbrukare

Jo-dep, EUSTEM, SLF, EU

SLU, LTH, m.fl.

STEM, m.fl.

TPS, Värmeforsk, SLU, m.fl.

Kommuner(och Energiftg.)

VA-verk

STEM, SJV, NV, LivsmV,VV, Kemikalieinsp.

N-dep, Jo-dep, M-dep,Fi-dep

Biobränsleprod.Konkurrenter

Utrustningstillv.Boende, Jägare

Multifunktioner

Mellanskog (50%)Centrala (50%)

Sågverksföreningen

Växtförädling Stickling Plantering Skötsel TransportSkörd Förbränning Värme

Agrobränsle AB

Entreprenörer

Naturbränsle AB

Värmeverk:Enköping, Örebro,

Malmö, m.fl.

LRF (9%)Lantmännen (91%)

Jordbrukare

Jo-dep, EUSTEM, SLF, EU

SLU, LTH, m.fl.

STEM, m.fl.

TPS, Värmeforsk, SLU, m.fl.

Kommuner(och Energiftg.)

VA-verk

STEM, SJV, NV, LivsmV,VV, Kemikalieinsp.

N-dep, Jo-dep, M-dep,Fi-dep

Biobränsleprod.Konkurrenter

Utrustningstillv.Boende, Jägare

Multifunktioner

Mellanskog (50%)Centrala (50%)

Sågverksföreningen

Salix plantation (76 ha)

Sewage plant

Wastewater storage pond

Biomass to Power Plant

Phytoremediation can generate added value to SRWC

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden

R&D team at the Department of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala:

Prof. T. Verwijst (Population dynamics; IPC, IEA activities)

Assoc. Prof. P. Aronsson (Vegetation filter applications)

Assoc. Prof. M. Weih (Ecophysiology, biodiversity, NPC)

PhD students: N.-E. Nordh, A. Karacic, J. Dimitriou, A. Adler, A. Mehari, Y. Lennhed

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden

WP 23: Objectives•• To describe and evaluate the production chain for willow biomass (energy purpose) from field plantation to upgraded product;§  • To provide data on the technological, economic and environmental performance of the willow short rotation production system for energy purpose;§  • To provide data on the energy input and output of the willow production system;§  • To provide employment, land use, and socio-economic data for the willow energy production chain.

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden

WP 23: Description of work • Compilation of biomass production data from willow short rotation plantations in Sweden and other European countries; • Analysis of climate and market effects on the economy of willow biomass production for energy; • Analysis of technical, socio-economic and environmental constraints for the utilisation of willow biomass for energy. • The data will be produced in close co-operation with some important actors on the Swedish SRWC market, e.g. the company "Agrobränsle AB" and a municipal energy supplier. The contacts to these organisations are well established.

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden

WP 23: Milestones & expected result • Technical information on the willow production system (month 2);  • Information on economic and environmental performance of the willow production chain (month 4);  • Information on the practical experiences of willow biomass use for energy on a commercial basis with respect to economic, legislative and environmental constraints (month 6);  • Final evaluation of the economic, legislative and environmental conditions for the use of willow biomass for energy in different European countries, with particular focus on the comparison between Sweden and Germany (month 8).