Feedstock

General

Resource

Potential

Energy forest

Energy forest

Certain regions such as Smålands highlands, richly forested Värmland, the provinces that lie between central and northern Sweden are relatively rich in raw material. The quantity can be increased if trees are planted and maintained, not with just the aim of producing timber and wood, but even have a variety of bio energy. Furthermore, by cultivation the long-term supply for raw material can be increased. There are about 600,000 hectares of uncultivated land in Sweden. If we cultivated energy forests here, we would be able to produce ethanol such that the energy and electricity would be equal to two and a half times that of what Barsebäck produces and fuel for more than half of the future car park.

It is a fantastic possibility to think about, considering that the biggest economic question in the EU is that half of the budget is paid towards agricultural products that need cultivation or export financing. If the EU is to expand eastwards, then the problem will become even more extensive.

Energy forest, the size of a football field grows 27,000 kwh per year. It will be sufficient for heating a normal house and ethanol for two cars.

Optimal usage of cellulose based raw material

One should work towards long-term perspective solutions regarding grading and utilisation of raw material for production, which should be cost effective. Examples are on a decreasing scale: