Characterization of biomass resources
Blas MOLA-YUDEGO
Summary
There are several sources of wood biomass that are used for energy. A classification defines these sources as primary, secondary and tertiary sources, mostly by-products of forest management or industrial uses, and energy crops. Primary sources include logging residues, small diameter trees from pre-commercial thinings, whole diameter trees rejected by other forest industries. Secondary sources include all that biomass resulting from other forest industries, such as sawdust, shavings or black liquor, among others. Finally, tertiary sources would include those resulting from recycling products. Energy crops are different from the previous in the sense that are not by-products but final products: their ultimate purpose is to generate biomass for energy. All these sources include a wide range of materials, with different properties that affect their management, logistics and utilization. Heating value, moisture content and bulk density, among others, are critical parameters to examine. Some of these parameters belong to the nature of the feedstock, and some others can be modified through management or transformations (such as storage, to reduce the moisture content, or pelletizing, to include the bulk density).
Objectives
This introductory session focuses on:
- To review the technical details of most common raw materials used for bioenergy
- To understand the most important parameters used for characterizing biomass supply.
Materials
Slides [PDF]
Different biomass resources [video]. Biomass can be defined as organic matter used as a fuel, especially in a power station for the generation of electricity or heat. Biomass can be classified and defined in different ways, according to the source, the use, the industry associated, etc… We focus on forest-based biomass, mainly wood, that results as a by-product of forest operations (primary), forest industry (secondary) or recycling (tertiary). Each of then presents different characteristics that must be understood for their correct management. The presentation shows these different assortment and characteristics in the Nordic context.
Readings
Wood fuel handbook (The Biomass Trade Centre) [PDF] The Wood fuel handbook can also be found in different languages at and can be cited as: Francescato, V., Antononi, E., & Bergomi, L. (2008). Wood Fuels Handbook. Italian Agrioforestry Energy Association. Italian Agriforestry Association, Italy, 1-79.
Krajnc, N. (2015) Wood fuels handbook. FAO. Pristina [PDF]