fostering bioenergy from forests in catalonia

www.ctfc.cat

Pere Navarro, Judit Rodríguez, Ignacio LópezDepartment of Wood Mobilization and Biomass

Forest Technology Center of Catalonia

Fostering bioenergy from forests in Catalonia

www.ctfc.cat

Who we are?

Government of Catalonia

Lerida University (UdL)

Solsona County Council

Lerida Province Council

Center for the Integral Rural Development of Catalonia

Research and innovation catalan Foundation (FCRI)

CTFC is a public consortium with private management

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How is forestry in Catalonia structured?

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Area (ha)*

Catalonia total area 3,199,011Forest & other

wooded land (Forests + Shrubland + Other) 1,938,281

% 60.59

Forests 1,214,664

Shrubland 525,917Other

(grasslands,barren land, etc.) 197,699

Aproximately the 80% are private forest land

*Centre for ecological research and forestry aplications

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•Spanish Forest National Inventory + in detail inventory•Data available per diameter class:

–Stem volume o. and u. bark–Firewood volume–Stem weight–Crown weight–Leaves/needles weight

Estimating the resources’ availability

How much is it there, in the forests? Standing volume estimation

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Growth values from the Spanish Forest Inventory:-Annual increment of volume o. and u. bark-Basic wood density of the species


How much are the forests growing? Which is the maximum potential?

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-Continuous Cover Forestry (ideal curve)

-Planification with even-aged stands (ideal curve at whole-stand level)

Estimating the ideal curve – Q of Liocourt


How is the wood extractedsustainably?

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All the species (Catalunya)

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Jordi Vayreda(CREAF)

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-The ideal curve: combinate growth and exploitation periodicity (15-20 years) to estimate the annual sustainable potential-The wood overload at forest sites must be extracted, but this will mean more extractions at the beginning (risk of overestimation)


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All the species (Catalunya)

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“Inventory” of forest companiesHow do they work currently?How are they organized?Which means do they have to work?

Who will work at the forests?

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Weather Protectedareas

Accessibility Forestdynamics

Snow: limits forestworks up to 7 months in somecases

Forest fires risk: no works in summer

Regulated orimpeded forestryactivity

Forest road network

Rockyness

Slopes

Pests

Protected speciescycle


Are there limitations to forestwork?

David Pérez

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Factor Included excludingAreas protected Outside forest protected (EIN- area

of natural interest)

Accessibility slope < 30%: max 400 mslope 30-60 %: max 150 mslope 60-100%: max 75 m

Surface track farther tothe distancesmentioned. Surface with > 100% slope.

Edafology and ecology

Capitalitation: FCC≥ 70%Erosion: slope < 100 %

Sustainabilitythat it exceeds the ideal curve

down from the ideal

curve

Market Quercus: Dn ≤ 35 cm.Conífers and deciduous: Dn ≤ 15 cm

timber with the largest

diameter

Management leave trees of large diameters, bird

habitat improvement

--

Wildlife presence of protected species: August/September, december

The rest of the year

Pests Pests: April-July The rest of the year

Timing/moments

Amount

Surface

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MappingaccessibilityForest areaaccessible in county Osona

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Transport coststo storage areas

Estimation of transporttime to three storageareas in Pallars Sobiràcounty

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Restrictions on final uses

Final user Solid biofuel Expected/Required features

Firewood Traditional without restrictions

Wood pellets without additives nor straw

Dry and very homogeneous chips without branches

Wood pellets wihout additives nor straw

Dry and homogeneous chips

Chips, chunk, powder/milled wood (depending ontech.)

Agriindustries Wood chips (pellets)

Dry and homogeneous chips

Very dry and very homogeneous chips

Very dry and homogeneous chips

(Organic) Rankine Cycle

Wood chips Wood chips, chunk, powder/milled wood(depending on boiler tech.)

Bakeries Firewood Traditional

Wood pelletsFacilities and buildings

Wood chips

Industries Wood chips

Gasificationup/downdraft

Wood chips

Gasification fluid bed Wood chips

Wood pelletsHousehold use

Wood chips

Contamination and composition

MoistureSize & homogeneityType and tree part

Factors

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Influence of final use on logistics

Felling Independent (when possible)

Processing –haulage

Loss of productivity in delimbing –afections to soil in haulage

Minerals incorporation

Roundwood storage

Dependent on pests and need of drychipping

Transport Differences among slash, whole treesand stems

Comminution/ chipping/ sieving

Dependent on later use (storage, industrial/household use, etc). Lowproductivity with slash

Wood chip storage

Very dependent on utility size, owned means, final use, etc.

Delivery Dependencies on distance, facility’sease of access, silo location, etc.

Type and treepart

Size & homogeneity Moisture Contamination

and composition

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Estimation of demand potential

User Estimation

Household heating and hot water –isolated houses/aggregated(villages/towns)

Standarized demand according toclimate, house structure, etc.

Fattening farms Modulated values

Industries Type of industry and overallactivity

Public facilities and buildings Current consumption orextrapolations

Other services’ buildingsCurrent consumption, extrapolations, theoreticalassessment

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Industries’ needs

Heating (60º-70ºC) Hot water (90 – 180 ºC) and steam

Animal fattening (i.e. poultry)

Greenhouses (also CO2)

Offices

Slaughterhouses

Food industries (tinned food, baking, bottleing, fodder, wax/honey, milk and derivates, sterilization)

Ceramic factories (pre-firing treatments, drying, castspreheating, etc.)

Laundries (hot water)

Textile industries (hot water, steam)

Hospitals (hot water and traditionally good for cogeneration)

Tanning factories (hot water/steam)

Etc.

Agriindustries

Other indusries

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Demand mapping -heat

Distribution ofheat demand. Example ofcounty Osona

DISSEMINAT

AGLOMERATS

SERVEIS_1

COLúLECTIU

COMER€

INDUSTRI_1

RAMADERIA

Isolated

Aggregated

Services

Collective buildings

Commerce

Industries

Farms

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Demand mapping -cogeneration

Potential for smallcombined heat and powerplants at industries. Example of County Osona

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SWOT Analisys –Strategies design

Weaknesses

Higher costs than other biomasses

Variable moisture content

Limited availability

Strengths

Manageable energy resource

Lower cost than petroleum products

Clean energy

Creates jobs at rural areas

Threats

Strong competence of Natural Gas

Lack of awareness

Lack of legislation for thermic uses

Survival strategy

Detection of areas with high availability not covered by NG

networks

Defensive strategy

Strong dissemination actions

Opportunities

European directives

The need of forest management

A more sustainable energy model

New buildings

Reorientation strategy

Ensure quality and traceability

Offensive strategy

Public buildings installations

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Strategies implementationDecision makers

•Diffusion of knowledge among decision makers•Improve coordination among different governmental departments and decision makers •Include in any new building project a central heating based on wood (Integrated Plan of Works and Services of Catalonia)•Concentrate in areas with high potential•Investment grants

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Strategies implementationFocusing on potential industrial users

Agriindustries and other industries

•Diffusion of advantages

•Installers and engineers training

•Identification of areas where bioenergy offer and heat demand meet

Actions General diffusion action

General diffusion action

Selling price per MWh of diverse energy sources

45,00 €/MWh49,36 €/MWh

71,68 €/MWh

32,87 €/MWh

57,17 €/MWh

68,87 €/MWh

72,59 €/MWh

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Heating oil SFM wood chips Natural gas - household

Natural gas - industries Wood pellets Piped propan

Bottled propan

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Strategies implementationQuality and traceability - CTFC

•Biomass analysis laboratory

•Participation in the spanish standarization committee (AENOR)

–Quality standards

–Traceability standard

•Creation of a quality control label

•Dissemination of quality standards and procedures

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Other activities of diffusion

Diffusion bulletin

“infobiomassa”

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Other activities of diffusion

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Projects in Europe

•Intelligent Energy Europe-encourage the use of renewable energy sources in Europe

Others with CTFC participation:•Woode3-logistic•Prospects market in fragmented forestownership- wood mobilization•Rok-For- Agenda research for wood products(green chemistry)

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Any question?

Pere Navarro, Judit Rodríguez, Ignacio López Wood mibilisation and biomass Department

Forest Technology Center of [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Photographs: J. Rodríguez, M. Codina, A. Marques, D. Pérez, I. López

Thanks for your attention

fostering bioenergy from forests in catalonia

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