WP23: Short Rotation Woody Crops (SRWC)

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WP23 Short Rotation Woody Crops(SRWC)
Martin Weih
Introduction Species SRWC in Sweden R D
team WP 23
Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences Department of Short Rotation
Forestry Uppsala, Sweden
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Short Rotation Forestry

• Silvicultural practice
• Plantations with fast-growing tree species
• On fertile agricultural or forest land
• High plantation density
• Single stem or coppice systems
• Woody biomass production
• Rotation period lt30 years

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Common Species used in SRF
Populus spp.
Salix spp.
c. 30 species (all tree-forming)
gt350 species (c. 30 tree-forming)
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SRWC vs. traditional forestry
Source Weih (2004) Cand. J. For. Res.)
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SRWC vs. traditional forestry
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Willow SRWC in Sweden
Biomass production 6 to gt12 t/ha/yr (commercial)
Cutting cycle 3-5 years
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SRWC Infrastructure in Sweden
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Phytoremediation can generate added value to SRWC
Salix plantation (76 ha)
Biomass to Power Plant
Wastewater storage pond

• Sewage plant

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RD team at the Department of Short Rotation
Forestry, SLU, Uppsala Prof. T. Verwijst
(Population dynamics IPC, IEA activities) Assoc.
Prof. P. Aronsson (Vegetation filter
applications) Assoc. Prof. M. Weih
(Ecophysiology, biodiversity, NPC) PhD students
N.-E. Nordh, A. Karacic, J. Dimitriou, A. Adler,
A. Mehari, Y. Lennhed

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala,
  Sweden

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• WP 23 Objectives
• To describe and evaluate the production chain
  for willow biomass (energy purpose) from field
  plantation to upgraded product
•   To provide data on the technological,
  economic and environmental performance of the
  willow short rotation production system for
  energy purpose
•   To provide data on the energy input and
  output of the willow production system
•    To provide employment, land use, and
  socio-economic data for the willow energy
  production chain.

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala,
  Sweden

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WP 23 Description of work Compilation of
biomass production data from willow short
rotation plantations in Sweden and other European
countries   Analysis of climate and market
effects on the economy of willow biomass
production for energy   Analysis of technical,
socio-economic and environmental constraints for
the utilisation of willow biomass for energy.  
The data will be produced in close co-operation
with some important actors on the Swedish SRWC
market, e.g. the company "Agrobränsle AB" and a
municipal energy supplier. The contacts to these
organisations are well established.

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala,
  Sweden

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WP 23 Milestones expected result
Technical information on the willow production
system (month 2)   Information on economic
and environmental performance of the willow
production chain (month 4)   Information on
the practical experiences of willow biomass use
for energy on a commercial basis with respect to
economic, legislative and environmental
constraints (month 6)   Final evaluation of
the economic, legislative and environmental
conditions for the use of willow biomass for
energy in different European countries, with
particular focus on the comparison between Sweden
and Germany (month 8).

• Dept. of Short Rotation Forestry, SLU, Uppsala,
  Sweden