[en] The potential for Pellets trade in Europe was researched and assessed. Such trade is of key importance for the development of a European pellet market of sufficient supply, demand, price and quality standards. Three target markets were taken as case studies for the trade assessment: Greece, Spain and Italy. All three markets stand to profit greatly from international trade. For these markets, pellet imports could supply the basis for the development of a domestic boiler market. At the same time, pellet exports would allow the planning of larger pellet production plants. Whilst these additional costs amount to some 10-20% of the Pellets price, they are financially acceptable, especially for new markets and 'peaks' in the demand/supply of established markets

[en] The objective of the project is to produce market information for technologies for small-scale production and use of wood fuels. In addition, information is produced on planning the supply chains, on raw material availability as well as on the applicability and competitiveness of Finnish technologies. In this work, business models are also developed with the aim of conceptualizing the whole supply system. The focus is on the highlands of EU, where the annual consumption of heat energy is close to the levels in Nordic Countries and which also often are outside the natural gas network. (orig.)

[en] In March 2006, a research project was launched about bioenergy production and use that serves the South Ostrobothnia Target 2 area. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the South Ostrobothnia Employment and Economic Centre and Sein^joki University of Applied Sciences. A meeting of experts was held in Aehtaeri during April 2006 to establish the views on the problems, bottlenecks and research needs of the bioenergy sector. The bioenergy trade was seen as regional opportunity and strength. Its domestic content, effect on employment and the regional economy plus the plentiful raw material sources of forests, fields and bogs were identified. Like-wise, the competing position between bioenergy and other forms of energy became evident. Forest owners emphasised the weakness of low energy wood prices and the risks of forest soil nutrient losses. The forest industry was concerned about a foreseen shortage of machine operators. Forest owners, municipalities, researchers and Forest Centre raised the short-sightedness of state subsidy policy. The Forest Centre also brought up the issue of operators who only seek fast profits in a fast growing trade. The issue of emissions trade benefits ending up outside the forest sector was also considered a problem. The core research needs identified were collating fragmented research in-formation for the use of operators in the Target area, mapping the bioenergy potential of the region, logistical calculations and energy wood measurement

[en] The main aim of the project was to improve competitiveness of chopped firewood by producing information that can help to reduce production and distribution costs as well as increase the quality of chopped firewood produced. The aim was to attain the goal through four subprojects: 1. Productivity, Costs and Development Targets of New Firewood Machines, 2. The Artificial Drying and Storage Management of Chopped Firewood, 3. New Logistics Solutions for the Chopped Firewood Production Process, and 4. The Current Situation of the Firewood Trade in Europe. The research project covered an analysis of the productivity of new firewood machines, and the costs and quality of produced chopped firewood. Suggestions were made to firewood machine manufacturers for developing firewood machines. Also, the cost-effectiveness of current chopped firewood production and distribution chains was studied. Field tests were carried out on different types of cold and warm air dryers being used by chopped firewood entrepreneurs. In addition, the suitability of resistance based electronic wood moisture meter for measuring the moisture content of single chopped firewood pieces was also studied. Furthermore, a survey was carried out on the volume of firewood sales and the firewood production equipment available for sale in Europe, and European firewood merchants' methods of operation was studied. (orig.)

[en] The small-scale use of firewood is the second largest source of wood based energy after industrial residues in Finland. Objectives of this project, funded by European Regional Development Fund via Tekes and Finnish companies, were to develop logistic systems for small scale use of wood fuels and produce information and material for advisors and consults. The small-scale use of wood fuels increases constantly and e-commerce of chopped firewood is developing especially in Eastern Finland. Currently, the most severe bottlenecks are in the integration of production and delivery logistics, availability of raw material, as well as in the non-professional way of working. In the project, technological alternatives of supply chains, cost structures as well as constraints and preconditions for the economically sustainable operations were clarified. Project ended with following results: 'Typical features of North-Karelian firewood entrepreneur', identifying wood fuel resources in forest planning, new biomass models for estimating availability of energy wood in young stands, simulation studies about delivery logistics, cost structure of firewood supply chains and feasibility of integrating firewood transport to other transport services. Also education and training materials were produced for advisory organizations, like Finnish forestry centers. (orig.)

[en] Bio-energy is one of the important renewable energies. Among them, wood-pellet fuel can be more easily mass-produced and used in a large scale than others, so it is a desirable substitute for conventional fossil energy. The spreading and application of wood-pellet fuel in China should not simply copy experiences and modes from other countries but analyze the national energy structure and market. This paper analyzed the economic returns on wood-pellet fuel used in different fields, and put forward the market entry points for wood-pellet fuel industries: To gain the best development opportunity and economical effect, the bio-energy could replace the conventional fuels such as coal, gas, and oil in manufacturing, heat supplying, and heating boilers under the current technical situations and policy

[en] The small-scale use of firewood is the second largest source of wood based energy after industrial residues in Finland. Objectives of this project, funded by European Regional Development Fund via Tekes and Finnish companies, were to develop logistic systems for small scale use of wood fuels and produce information and material for advisors and consults. The small-scale use of wood fuels increases constantly and e-commerce of chopped firewood is developing especially in Eastern Finland. Currently, the most severe bottlenecks are in the integration of production and delivery logistics, availability of raw material, as well as in the non-professional way of working. In the project, technological alternatives of supply chains, cost structures as well as constraints and preconditions for the economically sustainable operations were clarified. Project ended with following results: 'Typical features of North-Karelian firewood entrepreneur', identifying wood fuel resources in forest planning, new biomass models for estimating availability of energy wood in young stands, simulation studies about delivery logistics, cost structure of firewood supply chains and feasibility of integrating firewood transport to other transport services. Also education and training materials were produced for advisory organizations, like Finnish forestry centers. (orig.)

[en] In this study, the regulated and unregulated emissions profile and fuel consumption of an automotive diesel and biodiesel blends, prepared from two different biodiesels, were investigated. The biodiesels were a rapeseed methyl ester (RME) and a palm-based methyl ester (PME). The tests were performed on a chassis dynamometer with constant volume sampling (CVS) over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the non-legislated Athens Driving Cycle (ADC), using a Euro 2 compliant passenger vehicle. The objectives were to evaluate the impact of biodiesel chemical structure on the emissions, as well as the influence of the applied driving cycle on the formation of exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. The results showed that NOx emissions were influenced by certain biodiesel properties, such as those of cetane number and iodine number. NOx emissions followed a decreasing trend over both cycles, where the most beneficial reduction was obtained with the application of the more saturated biodiesel. PM emissions were decreased with the palm-based biodiesel blends over both cycles, with the exception of the 20% blend which was higher compared to diesel fuel. PME blends led to increases in PM emissions over the ADC. The majority of the biodiesel blends showed a tendency for lower CO and HC emissions. The differences in CO2 emissions were not statistically significant. Fuel consumption presented an increase with both biodiesels. Total PAH and nitro-PAH emission levels were decreased with the use of biodiesel independently of the source material. Lower molecular weight PAHs were predominant in both gaseous and particulate phases. Both biodiesels had a negative impact on certain carbonyl emissions. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were the dominant aldehydes emitted from both fuels.

[en] The substitution of biomass for fossil fuels in energy consumption is a measure to mitigate global warming, and political action plans at European and national levels exist for an increased use. The use of forest biomass for energy can imply different economic and environmental advantages and disadvantages for the society, the energy sector and forestry. For the achievement of an increased and sustainable use of forest biomass for energy, the EU 5th Framework project WOOD-EN-MAN aimed at synthesising current knowledge and creating new knowledge within the field

[en] The 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories provide four accounting approaches to harvested wood products (HWP). These differ in the way they define system boundaries. Therefore, reported national carbon emissions differ according to the accounting approach used, and the implications of each accounting approach differ for different countries. This paper investigates four IPCC accounting approaches, as well as the 1996 IPCC default approach, to determine whether they provide incentives to achievement of major policy goals related to climate, forest, trade, and waste, taking into account indirect effects of wood use change (i.e., the effects on forest carbon stocks and on carbon emissions from the use of other fuels and materials). Conclusions are as follows: (1) The analyses produced many different results from those of previous studies. These differences appear to be attributable to whether or not the indirect effects of wood use change are taken into account and the reference scenarios that are assumed; (2) The best approaches for achieving each policy goal differ, and the best approaches for particular policy goals might pose problems for other policy goals; (3) Overall, the IPCC default approach is the best accounting approach from the viewpoint of greater compatibility with, or integration across, the array of policy goals, although it does not address the issue of an increasing global carbon stock in HWP