Evaluation of Tree Species for Biomass Energy Production in Northwest Spain

Abstract

Three types of forest stands (chestnut coppice, maritime pine stands, and poplar and willow short-rotation woody crops (SRWC)) were evaluated to determine their potential for energy production. The properties of the main aboveground biomass fractions (wood, bark and crown) and also the whole tree were analysed, thus providing data that could be used for management purposes and for evaluating potential forest, biomass energy yields and atmospheric emissions. Proximate, elemental and energetic analyses of the biomass provided important information for evaluating the fuel potential. The energetic value of the biomass derived from the maritime pine stands was higher than that of the poplar and willow clonal stands and chestnut coppice stands. The high ash content of the chestnut bark, relative to that of the wood and crown material, is also an important consideration in relation to energy production. The proportion of carbon concentration accumulated per tree was very similar in all types of material studied, although the N and S contents were higher in the maritime pine stands than in the other stands. For this reason, selection of species and fractions can help to improve fuel quality and the efficiency of the combustion processes, and to minimize atmospheric emissions.

Effect of Fuel Material Compositions on Combustion Properties of Wood Chips from Smallhold Farm Plots in a Sudano-Sahelian Environment of Nigeria

“…This is in conformity with what was reported on woods and barks of some biomass by Deka, et al [9] and Nosek, et al [13]. Different studies have demonstrated the influence of moisture content on the combustion properties of fuelwood materials [24][25][26][27][28] and concluded that moisture had negative effect on fuel value of the wood. Thus, bio fuel materials with low moisture content are always preferred because of the high energy content per unit volume, durability and slow burning rate.…”

“…Among the trees, FC content ranged from 24.19% in C. arereh to 36.20% in P. reticulatum (Table 6). This is similar to those recorded for some indigenous tree species by Deka, et al [9] but higher than the range of 13.50 to 23.02% obtained in some tree species by Álvarez-Álvarez, et al [24] and 5.1 to 7.6% obtained in the stump of some trees from short rotation forest by Senelwa and Sims [8]. On the average, FC content is approximately 15% higher in tree bark compared to their respective wood without bark.…”

“…Similarly, Deka, et al [9], worked on six different indigenous tree species and reported higher heating values in the bark of 5 out of the 6 trees studied. In another study, Álvarez-Álvarez, et al [24], recorded higher heating value in the bark of maritime pine compared to its wood without bark. However, as obtained in this study, wood of most tree species had higher heating value compared to their bark.…”

“…The percentage fixed carbon of the fuel materials from each tree species were evaluated using empirical formula, by subtracting the aggregate moisture, ash and volatile matter contents of each sample material from 100 similar to the method adopted by Solar, et al [23] and Álvarez-Álvarez, et al [24]. This is expressed as shown in equation 4.…”

Determination of Energy Properties of Fuelwood from Five Selected Tree Species in Tropical Highlands of Southeast Ethiopia

“…In the fifth column of Table 2, the ash content ranges from 0.994 (Olea africana) to 4.445 (Acokanthera schimperi). According to Álvarez-Álvarez et al [21], the tree species with the highest fixed carbon hold up the least ash content. Similar observations are found in this research.…”