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Biomass Harvesting and Transportation Bob Rummer US Forest Service Forest Operations Research Auburn, Alabama
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A Billion-Ton Feedstock Forests currently about 70% 2.5 x increase to 368M bdt
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Future Woody Feedstocks 144M tons forest industry residues 64M tons logging residues 60M tons thinning/fuel treatments 52M tons fuelwood harvest 47M tons urban woodwaste
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Biomass Challenges Small diameter harvesting costs Low SVF increases handling/transport Low product values to pay the freight Ecological/environmental issues No silver bullet
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2 acres of biomass
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Biomass—31 Flavors
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Removal cost “The cheapest way to get the 4” stick is when it is on top of an 8” stick.” Steve Aulerich
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Bentley and Johnson, 2003 13% softwood volume 24% hardwood volume Biomass Utilization
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#1. Integrated recovery
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Chipping
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Integrated recovery Biomass only has to cover the cost of comminution and transport May even receive value of avoided disposal costs May include energywood harvest Integration with existing systems is key
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Biomass Bundling
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#2. Thinnings
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Thinnings Lowest cost extraction (?) Small merchantable mat’l can be processed effectively with known systems Limits on tract size, total volume Biomass value has to cover cost from stump to user Ground-based impacts
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#3. Brush harvest Biomass recovery can be credited with the value of stand cleaning Small diameter/low volume reduces productivity Special equipment
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Biomass harvesting
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Chip Recovery
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Brush harvesting Photo: Texas A&M Univ
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You can’t go far … 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 152030405060 1-way miles $/gt.10/ton-mile.15/ton-mile
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Payload
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Slash transport
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Conclusions #1: Lowest cost to user—residues #2: Thinnings #3: Niche systems for brush, smallwood, SRWC Biomass for energy will not pay for stump to mill without subsidy Wide variety of options
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www.srs.fs.usda.gov /forestops
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