The Quantification of Logging Residues in Oregon with Impacts on Sustainability and Availability of Raw Material for Future Biomass Energy

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 16 - 22, 29.06.2017

Chet Miller Kevin Boston

Abstract

With an increasing societal desire to move towards
renewable energy sources, interest in utilizing forest logging residues,
logging slash, as a feedstock for new energy products is expanding. The
Northwest Advances Renewables Alliance (NARA) is working to develop processes
for transforming logging residues or slash into aviation fuel, Jet-A. As part
of NARA, this study evaluated the availability, utilization, and the material
that would remain on sites following clear-fell logging in the Pacific
Northwest (USA). Little work has been performed to quantify the volume of
harvest residues that are available for biomass material or to determine the
volume remaining on site after harvesting with current utilization practices
for private forest lands in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). To quantify these two
amounts, the volume from logging residue from six sample harvesting units was measured
to determine the available biomass and the quantity that remains on site.
First, all of forest harvest residues piles were measured; these are considered
the available biomass sources. Second, transects with a minimum total length of
one-thousand-foot line-intersect sampling was performed to estimate the volume
of residual material, not placed into piles, that will remain on site. The
results will show both what is available for collection and the minimum amount
of slash that will remain in the unit. The results from this study’s
measurement showed that the previous estimates of available residues in piles,
may overestimate available residues by at least 20%. The volume of residues
left in piles was dependent on logging system. Cable yarding left nearly 60% of
total logging residue that remained on site. The average pile ranged between 62
m³/ha and 79 m³/ha remaining on site. Ground-based
operations using shovels may leave as little as 39 % on site with a range
between 79 m³/ha and 40 m³/ha) remaining on sites with
110 m³/ha in piles.

Keywords

Logging residues, Availability of raw material, Biomass energy, Oregon

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