Salvage harvesting for bioenergy in Canada: From sustainable and integrated supply chain to climate change mitigation

Abstract

Driven by the policy imperatives of mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving energy security, an increasing proportion of global energy demand is being met by nonfossil energy sources. The socioeconomic and environmental benefits of replacing fossil fuels with bioenergy are complex; however, debate continues about issues such as best practices for biomass removal, stable supply chains, and GHG mitigation. With the greatest biomass per capita in the world, Canada could play an increasing role in the future of global bioenergy and the emerging bioeconomy. This paper reviews the utilization of feedstock salvaged after natural disturbances (fire and insect outbreaks) to supply wood‐based bioenergy, by addressing the following multidisciplinary questions: (1) How much salvaged feedstock is available, and what are the uncertainties around these estimates? (2) How can sustainable practices to support increased removal of biomass be implemented? (3) What are the constraints on development of an integrated supply chain and cost‐effective mobilization of the biomass? (4) Is the quality of biomass from salvaged trees suitable for conversion to bioenergy? (5) What is the potential for climate change mitigation? In average, salvaged feedstock from fire and insects could theoretically provide about 100 × 106 oven Dry ton (ODT) biomass per year, with high variability over time and space. Existing policies and guidelines for harvesting of woody biomass in Canadian jurisdictions could support sustainable biomass removal. However, uncertainties remain as to the development of competitive and profitable supply chains, because of the large distances between the locations of this feedstock and available processing sites. Another uncertainty lies in the time needed for a benefit in climate change mitigation to occur. A flexible supply chain, integrated with other sources of biomass residues, is needed to develop a cost‐efficient bioenergy sector. This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Climate and Environment

Applying a science‐based systems perspective to dispel misconceptions about climate effects of forest bioenergy

“…In addition, extracting (otherwise unutilized) lower quality biomass (e.g. resulting from pest and disease impacts or overstocking) can reduce the frequency and severity of wildfires and associated loss of forest carbon and release of non‐CO 2 GHGs, further enhancing the climate benefit (Agee & Skinner, 2005; Evans & Finkral, 2009; Mansuy et al, 2018; Regos et al, 2016; Sun et al, 2018; Verkerk et al, 2018). On the other hand, the mitigation value of forest bioenergy could be diminished if policies supporting bioenergy reduce timber availability for material applications (Favero et al, 2020), thereby reducing the wood products pool and increasing use of GHG‐intensive materials; if excessive removal of residues reduces forest productivity (Achat et al, 2015; Helmisaari et al, 2011); or if reforestation displaces food production and results in deforestation elsewhere to provide new cropland.…”

Broad‐scale wood degradation dynamics in the face of climate change: A meta‐analysis

“…The latter depends on a multitude of (sometimes interacting) factors, such as the type of end‐product (Barrette et al, 2015) and its expected lifespan (Kurz et al, 1993), the carbon footprint of the substituted product (e.g., Laganière et al, 2017), the carbon sequestration rate of the post‐disturbance forest (Paquette & Messier, 2010), and the timing and quantity of emissions related to the decomposition the dead trees. To increase the climate change mitigation potential of salvage harvesting, special attention should be given to the factors that may help reduce the time needed to achieve atmospheric benefits (Mansuy et al, 2018). As such, dead trees that decompose at a faster rate, in warmer regions, may be seen as a better source of feedstock to increase greenhouse gas mitigation (Laganière et al, 2017).…”

Woody Biomass Mobilization for Bioenergy in a Constrained Landscape: A Case Study from Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta, Canada

“…In our case, using pellets to produce heat or electricity for the local community will generate more GHG emissions than using natural gas, except in the case of harvest residues. While a wood-based bioenergy system can provide a major opportunity to address climate change by reducing fossil CO 2 emissions [39], this study suggests that a bioenergy system needs to be carefully planned to ensure sustainability and efficient GHG mitigation. Sustainable and competitive biomass supply chains can be implemented by restoring community-based management.…”