Feedstock

General

Resource

Potential

Energy forest

Potential

In the long run, the potential is greater in cellulose-based ethanol. There is intensive technical development taking place in this segment, and amongst others. USA has an ongoing project where the aim is to produce bio-ethanol, competitive to petrol. In Sweden, BAFF and EnergiCentrum Norr (ECN) are working together with the support of the Energy Authorities to develop a research and development facility and later full-scale operations in the different provinces that are richly forested.

Different types of fibre
The raw material for a bio refinery can constitute of different types of available fibre such as wood shavings from the saw mill and timber industry, branches, treetops, grot from clearing forests, collected recycled fibre, paper from garbage, fibre remains from pulp production, industrial waste from scrap, together with energy crops as salix and reed grass. Probably the exchange would be the highest if the raw material is somewhat homogeneous so that the conditions for processing are suited to the raw material.

Birch wood is in the process of being used as a raw material
Birch wood gives a much lower ethanol exchange since it consists of various types of sugar with five carbon atoms, called pentoses. These cannot ferment into ethanol on an industrial scale, but only in the laboratories. Nevertheless expectations are great, and it could be possible within the next few years. Birch wood will give a higher content of ethanol than pine wood.

Sustainability of forest raw material
Long-term sustainability with the growing forest is an important environmental issue. A number of reports have shed light on the importance of restoring nourishment and mostly minerals back to the forest. Reports from The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Environmental Protection and SLU show that they have begun to restore ashes to the forest.