Nathan McClure

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Forestrys Contribution to the
Energy Future in Georgia
Nathan McClure
Kenneth C. Stewart, Jr. Director
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Presentation Outline

• GFCs Objective - Forest Biomass Industry
• Forest Resources in Georgia
• Estimate of Total Forest Biomass Available
• Services available from the GFC

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• Vision Healthy, sustainable forests providing
  clean air, clean water, and abundant products for
  future generations.

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We must sustain the economic viability of forest
land ownership in Georgia.
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New Products
Engineered Wood
Photo APA
Wood/Plastic Composites
Forest Biomass Energy
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Georgias Forest Resources
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Forest Resources Inventory

• Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program
• Used nationwide in some format
• Georgia Cooperative effort between GFC and US
  Forest Service

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Forestland Ownership in Georgia - 2003
Source Forest Inventory and Analysis data, USFS
Southern Research Station
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The Souths Forestland by State, 1998
Source Sheffield, USDA Forest Service, SRS, FIA
Data
Georgia ranks 1st in acreage of commercial
timberland in the Southeast.
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Volume of Softwood Growing Stock by DBH Class,
Georgia
Source Forest Inventory and Analysis data, USFS
Southern Research Station
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Wood Volume of Growing Stock By Species Group and
Diameter Class in Georgia - 2003
Source Forest Inventory and Analysis data, USFS
Southern Research Station
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Number of Live Trees in Georgia
Source Forest Inventory and Analysis data, USFS
Southern Research Station
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Planted Pine Timberland Acres in Georgia
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Georgia Reforestation Since 1985

• Total of 7,724,186 acres planted in trees
• Average of 386,209 acres planted each year

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Tree Planting in Georgia
Source GFC records
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Conservation Reserve Program

• Afforestation important in carbon sequestration
• High in productivity
• High volumes per acre
• Almost 100 pine in Georgia

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Georgia FIA Units Focus on Central, Southeast,
and Southwest
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Planted Pine Land By Age Class in Central, SW,
and SE Georgia
Source FS SRS FIA
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Softwood Volume Change in SE, SW, and Central
Georgia
20.6
20.3
17.6
Source FS SRS FIA
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Georgias Forest Resources Since 1997

• 2.3 increase in Georgias timberland
• 13.3 increase in pine plantations.
• 12 increase in softwood growing stock volume
• 21 increase in softwood growing stock in trees
  in the 5-10 inch DBH range.
• This increase is concentrated in the southern
  two-thirds of Georgia and has offset changing
  land uses to urban in the northern third of the
  State.

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Forecast Change in Forestland 1992 - 2010
Forecast Change in Forestland
1992 2010

• Forest change
• gt 14 loss
• 8 14 loss
• 0 8 loss
• Stable
• gt 1 gain

D. Wear, et.al, SFRA, Sept. 2002
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Population Density Map With 80 Mile Procurement
Radius
of People Per Square Mile 2000 Census
0-99 100-199 200-399 400-799 gt800
R. Harper USFS SRS (80 mi. radius added by
N.McClure, GFC)
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South Georgia Average Pine Pulpwood Stumpage
Prices vs. Southeast Average 4Q 1994 through 4Q
2004
6.49/ton
Timber Mart-South
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Estimate of Total Forest Biomass Available
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Forest Biomass Fuel Sources

• First thinnings of pine plantations
• Logging slash and living residues
• Understocked forestland
• Trees disposed of due to land use change
• Trees currently harvested for energy use
• Forest energy plantations
• Manufacturing residues

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References Used

• Forest Inventory and Analysis
• Timber Product Output Reports
• University of Georgia Warnell School of Forest
  Resources
• Georgia Forestry Commission records
• U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station

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First Thinnings
Forest Biomass Fuel Sources

• Traditional pulpwood thinning (age 15) yields
• 386,209 acres x 32 tons/acre 12.4 million tons
• Additional use of tops, crowns, and foliage
  yields additional 25 increase in utilization
• TOTAL 15.5MM Tons

Source GFC records and GA Forest Res. Paper No.
19
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Additional Biomass from Current Timber Harvest
Levels

• Timber harvests are conducted on 400 - 450
  thousand acres each year in Georgia, excluding
  thinning operations.
• Additional biomass can be recovered from
  non-merchantable trees (crooked, diseased, small
  trees, etc.) on the harvest site living
  residues
• Additional biomass can be recovered from logging
  slash (tops of tree stems, branches, and foliage
  from merchantable trees)

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Additional Biomass from Current Timber Harvest
Levels

• 335,762,000 cubic feet of logging slash
• 61,810,000 cubic feet of non-merchantable
  living residues removed or damaged 397.6
  million cf
• 397.6 mcf x 75 lbs/cf 29.8 billion lbs
• 14.9 million tons of woody biomass
• Assuming that 65 of this material can be
  economically recovered, the yield would be 9.7
  million tons of biomass available for energy use

Source Table x.9, 2001 Timber Product
Output,USFS Southern Research Station website
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Understocked Forestland and Land Clearing
Forest Biomass Fuel Sources

• 2.2MM acres poorly or unstocked
• 175MM tons potential
• 8.7MM tons/year for 20 years
• Land Clearing
• 5.1MM tons/year
• Now landfilled or burned on site
• Mostly fully recoverable

2003 FIA data, USFS Southern Research Station
website
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Wood Residues from Primary Manufacturers
Forest Biomass Fuel Sources

• Includes sawdust, bark, shavings, and coarse
  chips
• 7.4 million tons produced per year
• 98.5 utilized in some manner
• 38 used as energy source

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Wood Residue Use by Primary Forest Product
Manufacturers
Source Johnson, Timber Product Output, 2001
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Wood Residues from Secondary Manufacturers
Forest Biomass Fuel Sources

• Furniture, cabinetry, flooring, custom milling,
  and related industries.
• Approx. 400,000 tons of wood residues
• Much of this is currently disposed of in
  landfills
• 7-12 moisture content

1998 Data, University of Georgia Engineering
Outreach Website
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Potential from Sustainable Forest Biomass
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Potential Energy from Sustainable Forest Biomass

• 50 million tons forest biomass 545 trillion BTU
  Potential
• Potentially supplying 19 of Georgias total
  energy use
• This could increase to 27 if woody biomass
  plantations are established
• Forest biomass sources are currently supplying
  less than 6

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Potential of Energy Production From Forest
Biomass in Georgia, excluding Short Rotation
Energy Plantations
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History of Wood Energy Development
(www.gatrees.org)
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History of Wood Energy Development
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Biomass Energy ServicesGeorgia Forestry
Commission

• Forest biomass resource amount and location

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Biomass Energy ServicesGeorgia Forestry
Commission

• Forest biomass resource amount and location
• Forest biomass suppliers

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Biomass Energy ServicesGeorgia Forestry
Commission

• Forest biomass resource amount and location
• Forest biomass suppliers
• Biomass energy systems vendors

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Biomass Energy ServicesGeorgia Forestry
Commission

• Forest biomass resource amount and location
• Forest biomass suppliers
• Biomass energy systems vendors
• Existing biomass energy users

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Biomass Energy ServicesGeorgia Forestry
Commission

• Forest biomass resource amount and location
• Forest biomass suppliers
• Biomass energy systems vendors
• Existing biomass energy users
• Developing Carbon Sequestration Registry

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Georgia

• Forest biomass resources available now
• Forecast for future resources is good
• Infrastructure for collection of resources to
  mill gates
• Nearby energy markets
• Technology Development

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Questions
www.gatrees.org