Perspectives on the Potential Contribution of Swedish Forests to Renewable Energy Targets in Europe (original) (raw)
Related papers
2011
Forest biomass is an important energy source in Sweden and some other European countries. In this paper we estimate the physically available (i.e., total potential) forest biomass for energy from annual forest harvesting (1970-2008) or in the total standing stock (2008) in Sweden. To place Sweden's forest resources into perspective we relate this to an estimated need for renewable energy sources in Europe. As Swedish forests supply a range of goods and ecosystem services, and as forest biomass is often bulky and expensive to procure, we also discuss issues that affect the amount of forest biomass that is actually available for energy production. We conclude that forests will contribute to Sweden's renewable energy potential, but to a limited extent and expectations must be realistic and take techno-economical and environmental issues into consideration. To meet future energy needs in Sweden and Europe, a full suite of renewable energy resources will be needed, along with efficient conversion systems. A long-term sustainable supply of forest resources for energy and other uses can be obtained if future harvest levels are increased until they are equal to the annual growth increment. Delivering more than this would require increasing forest productivity through more intensive management. The new management regimes would have to begin now because it takes a long time to change annual production in temperate and boreal forests.
Swedish Forest Harvest Level Considering Demand of Biomass for Energy Purposes
FORMATH, 2018
This paper presents the development and demonstration of an approach for incorporating decisions concerning forest management within the framework of a TIMES energy system model. The presented model explicitly incorporates a number of long-term applicable forest harvest trajectories, thereby endogenously linking decisions concerning harvest levels with the development of the energy system. The operation of the model is demonstrated by evaluating the optimal long-term harvesting level of Swedish forests for the development of the bioenergy and forest industry sectors. The experimental results suggest that in the short term (between 2010 and 2035), an increased national forest harvest level would be beneficial for the joint development of the two sectors. Such a short-term increase in harvest levels of forest biomass sources would ensure an adequate and reliable supply of biomass sources for the expansion of the two sectors. However, in the long term (between 2070 and 2100), the endogenously computed forest harvest level stabilized at a reference harvest level corresponding to a continuation of the current trend in forest harvest levels. While the emphasis of this paper is on the methodological development of the model, the experimental results highlights the importance of considering cross-sectorial implications when assessing the future developments of the bioenergy and forest industrial sectors.
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 2015
Bioenergy from boreal forests managed for productive purposes (e.g., pulp, timber) is commonly held to offer attractive options for climate change mitigation. However, this view has been challenged in recent years. Carbon balances, cumulative radiative forcing, and average global temperature change have been calculated for a variety of bioenergy management regimes in Swedish forests, and the results support the view that an increased use of forest biomass for energy in Sweden can contribute to climate change mitigation, although methodological (e.g., spatial scales) and parameter value choices influence the results significantly. We show that the climate effect of forest-based bioenergy depends on the forest ecosystems and management, including biomass extraction for bioenergy and other products, and how this management changes in response to anticipated market demands; and on the energy system effects, which determine the fossil carbon displacement and other greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation effects of using forest biomass for bioenergy and other purposes. The public and private sectors are advised to consider information from comprehensive analyses that provide insights about energy and forest systems in the context of evolving forest product markets, alternative policy options, and energy technology pathways in their decision-making processes.
The realisable potential supply of woody biomass from forests in the European Union
Forest Ecology and Management, 2011
Forests are important for providing wood for products and energy and the demand for wood is expected to increase. Our aim was to estimate the potential supply of woody biomass for all uses from the forests in the European Union (EU), while considering multiple environmental, technical and social constraints.
Energy Use in Swedish Forestry in 1972 and 1997
A comparison is made of energy usage and the contribution made to the global warming potential (GWP) by present (1997) and past (1972) forestry operations (including secondary haulage) in Sweden. The results are expressed in units of one cubic metre (solid u.b.) of harvested timber.
Large-scale forest-based biofuels production: Impacts on the Nordic energy sector
Energy Conversion and Management, 2019
The need for fossil-free fuels in transportation will likely cause increased demand for liquid biofuels, which will affect biomass prices and hence alter fuel usage for heat and power generation. Despite obvious connections, the interactions between the forest, bioenergy and energy sectors are only analyzed to a limited extent in previous research. This study analyzes how increased forest-based biofuel production influences fuel use in the Nordic district heating sector, as well as power prices and investments in renewable power production. The novel contribution of the study is the linking of a detailed energy system model and a forest sector model covering forestry and forest industries in the Nordic countries. For the Nordic region, the use of biomass for power and heat is reduced by more than 50% when the biofuel production is assumed to increase from 0 to a 40% share of the transportation fuel market. The results contribute to the understanding of how large-scale biofuel deployment may affect heat and power markets and, in turn, the development of renewable energy systems. Policies targeting the enhancement of specific uses of biomass should take these market effects in the bioenergy and energy markets into account.
Forest Ecology and Management, 2016
Swedish climate policy targets net zero greenhouse gases (GHG) by mid-century, with road transport independent of fossil fuels by 2030, requiring far-reaching changes in the way energy is used. Forest management is expected to support carbon sequestration and provide biomass for various uses, including energy. In this paper, we combine two energy scenarios with four forest scenarios and quantify GHG balances associated with energy-use for heat, electricity, and road transport, and with forest management and production, use, and end-of-life management of various forest products, including products for export. The aggregated GHG balances are evaluated in relation to the 2-degree target and an allocated Swedish CO 2 budget. The production of biofuels in the agriculture sector is considered but not analyzed in detail. The results suggest that Swedish forestry can make an important contribution by supplying forest fuels and other products while maintaining or enhancing carbon storage in vegetation, soils, and forest products. The GHG neutrality goal is not met in any of the scenarios without factoring in carbon sequestration. Measures to enhance forest productivity can increase output of forest products (including biofuels for export) and also enhance carbon sequestration. The Swedish forest sector can let Sweden reach net negative emissions, and avoid ''using up" its allocated CO 2 budget, thereby increasing the associated emissions space for the rest of the world.
Increasing Forest Biomass Supply in Northern Europe Countrywide Estimates and Economic Perspectives
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
Woody biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in Europe and the expected increase in demand for wood was the stimulus for writing this paper. We discuss the economic effects of biophysical capacity limits in forest yield from a partial equilibrium perspective. Opportunities to increase the supply of forest biomass in the short-and long-term are discussed, as well as environmental side effects of intensive forest management. Focusing on northern Europe, national estimates of potential annual fellings and the corresponding potential amounts, simulated by the European Forest Information Scenario model (the EFISCEN model) are then presented, as well as reported fellings. For the region as a whole, there seems to be substantial unused biophysical potential, although recent data from some countries indicate underestimated annual felling rates. There is a need to discuss strategies to ensure that demand for wood resources in northern Europe can be accommodated without large price increases. However, using a larger proportion of the biophysical potential in northern Europe than at present will entail trade-offs with environmental and social values, which means that strategies are needed to protect and account for all the benefits of all forms of ecosystem services.