Cost of producing energy from wood in intensive cultures

Abstract

The production of energy in intensively managed ''fuel plantations'' of woody species has been proposed as an alternative to help meet increasing energy needs. To date no vigorous cost studies of such a proposed fuel production system have been completed. Utilizing an economic model developed for investigating intensive cultures, likely ranges of fuel production costs for a number of production alternatives and intensities were determined. Given today's technology and costs, energy can be produced from wood competitively with other energy sources in certain production situations. The use of the fiber produced in intensive cultures for pulp and paper processing appears to be the better alternative at current market prices. The pulp and paper industry has, however, a great potential for using wood fiber also in the production of energy.