Harvesting productivity and costs when utilizing energywood from pine plantations of the southern Coastal Plain USA

Conrad, Joseph; Bolding, M. Chad; Aust, W. Michael; Smith, Robert L.; Horcher, Andy

doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.02.038

Cited by 24 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…While several studies have estimated biomass harvesting and transportation costs nationally [11,12], in the Northwest [13][14][15], Southeast [16][17][18], and in the upper Midwest [19,20], few studies have addressed the Northeast [21]. In Maine, some recent studies have addressed individual aspects of the biomass supply chain, such as logging contractor characteristics and harvesting methods [9], harvesting productivity [22,23], early commercial thinning costs [24], and challenges for expanding biomass harvesting in Maine [25]; however, no studies have thoroughly analyzed the costs for harvesting and transporting biomass to the end user in Maine.…”

Section: Review Of Existing Biomass Supply Chain Studies and Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While biomass may currently be a waste product of the forestry industry, resulting in many studies allocating the entire harvesting cost to timber products, this does not take into account the opportunity cost of allocating resources to harvesting biomass. Some studies in the Southeast have shown that this opportunity cost may be important [16,17], and limiting biomass harvesting cost to only chipping may underestimate the total cost. Conrad et al [16] compared the cost of WT harvesting (with different harvesting equipment than Maine) and transportation of roundwood in North Carolina under three scenarios: 1) roundwood harvesting only (no biomass chipping); 2) integrated roundwood harvesting and biomass chipping; 3) biomass chipping only (no roundwood harvesting -similar to BTU).…”

Section: Review Of Existing Biomass Supply Chain Studies and Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies in the Southeast have shown that this opportunity cost may be important [16,17], and limiting biomass harvesting cost to only chipping may underestimate the total cost. Conrad et al [16] compared the cost of WT harvesting (with different harvesting equipment than Maine) and transportation of roundwood in North Carolina under three scenarios: 1) roundwood harvesting only (no biomass chipping); 2) integrated roundwood harvesting and biomass chipping; 3) biomass chipping only (no roundwood harvesting -similar to BTU). The authors [16] found that a contractor could earn a profit of $1.52/tonne for harvesting roundwood under scenario 1 and lose $0.28/tonne under scenario 2.…”

Section: Review Of Existing Biomass Supply Chain Studies and Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Economic analysis of woody biomass supply chain in Maine

Whalley

Klein

Benjamin

2017

Biomass and Bioenergy

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An economic biomass supply chain model for Maine was developed to estimate the delivered cost of biomass chips using the stumpage price paid to the landowner, the cost of harvesting and chipping the logging residues, and the cost of transporting the biomass chips to a biorefinery for biofuel production. Harvesting costs were estimated using Maine-specific productivity equations, harvesting assumptions, and hourly costs, but the resulting model is applicable to any region with woody biomass. Transportation costs were estimated using round trip distance to the potential biorefinery. The delivered cost of biomass was estimated for multiple scenarios, including different machine cost rates, variables impacting machine productivity, transport distance, and stand characteristics. When biomass was treated as a waste product (only chipping costs included), the estimated delivered biomass cost was $11/green tonne (GT) (with a sensitivity analysis range of $4 to $24/GT), less than half the current biomass chip price in Maine ($28/GT). When a portion of the harvesting cost was included in the © 2016. This manuscript version is made available under the Elsevier user license http://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ delivered biomass cost, the estimated delivered biomass cost increased three-fold to $30/GT (with a range of $8-$82/GT). The results of this analysis will serve as a portion of an integrated sustainability assessment for a new biofuel pathway. This model can be easily adapted to other geographical regions with different site-specific inputs.

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Section: Review Of Existing Biomass Supply Chain Studies and Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Review Of Existing Biomass Supply Chain Studies and Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Review Of Existing Biomass Supply Chain Studies and Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Economic analysis of woody biomass supply chain in Maine

Whalley

Klein

Benjamin

2017

Biomass and Bioenergy

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“…However, when examining the cost effectiveness of integrated production systems, availability of efficient harvesting systems, road accessibility and infrastructure within reasonable transportation distances, and regional market prices for raw material produced have been noted to influence the economic feasibility (Han et al 2004;Di Fulvio and Bergström 2013). Cost pressures are particularly evident when integrated production leads to decreases in productivity in the harvesting of the higher valued industrial roundwood product (Conrad IV et al 2013).…”

Section: Technical Development and Economic Considerations In Energy mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Joint costing allocates costs of the operation based on the contribution of each product (Puttock 1995). Furthermore, costing can be examined through the ability to pay, such as wood paying capability (WPC) at a kraft pulp mill (Jylhä et al 2010), as break even analyses examining net income delivered to roadside or gate of receiving facilities (Han et al 2004;Di Fulvio et al 2011;Conrad IV et al 2013;Di Fulvio and Bergström 2013), or by examining harvesting or total supply chain costs among themselves (Kärhä 2011b;Kärhä et al 2011b). …”

Section: Cost Considerations Within Operational Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities for cost mitigation and efficiency improvements through rationalization of small-diameter energy wood supply chains

Petty¹

2014

Diss. For.

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To be presented, with the permission of the faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Helsinki, for public criticism in the Walter Auditorium of the EE-building (Agnes Sjöbergin katu 2) on April 4 th , 2014, at 12 o'clock noon. ABSTRACTThe production of energy wood from small-diameter (DBH < 9 cm) forests in Finland through separate energy wood and integrated energy wood and pulpwood production often face cost pressures that inhibit economic viability of many operations. Systemic factors, such as small stem sizes, limited removals, and high density of young forest stands limit the efficiency of many operations resulting in low productivity and high operating costs, particularly within cutting operations. Within the study, means to increase efficiency and mitigate costs of small-diameter energy wood and integrated energy wood and pulpwood operations by identifying optimal methods, technologies, and policy that may be applied were identified. Studies of integrated and delimbed stemwood cutting methods including the use of multi-tree handling and combined timber assortments in forest stands with stem size (DBH) of removals varying between 5-17 cm were investigated and compared against separate pulpwood production. Findings suggest that the methods provide increases in productivity and decreases in costs, particularly in < 11 cm DBH conditions. Crane scale measuring was investigated as a technical solution in timber logistics to be applied in energy wood and industrial roundwood procurement. The measuring method, used as a basis of payment, was found to provide a reliable, accurate, and cost effective method when compared with a manual timber pile measurement system. Policies, in the form of financial incentives were investigated to determine the effects of applicable subsidies on the profitability of energy wood production based on stem size of removal, finding possibilities for profitable operations with reduction in subsidies, however, with stem sizes (DBH) of removal 7 cm incentives played an important role in increasing profitability.Cost reductions were identified through: The utilization of integrated and delimbed stemwood harvesting methods with multi-tree handling, decreasing harvesting costs by 0.1-52.4% dependent on stem size (DBH) of removal between 7-17 cm when compared to a traditional pulpwood harvesting method; Combining timber assortments providing harvesting cost reductions between 1.5-8.0% between 5-17 cm; Crane scale measurement use provided increased accuracy and a 18.2-45.5% reduction in costs when compared to a manual timber pile measurement system when dependent on estimated working volumes between 20,000-30,000 m 3 ; Financial incentives under the PETU system were applied increasing profit margins of integrated supply chain operations by 3.8-19.9% dependent on stem size of removal, particularly with stem size of removals between 5-7 cm.Through rationalization of supply chains, harvesting methods, technologies, and policy which exhibit the ability to reduce costs and should be...

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