Impact of wood pellets export on the development of their production in Serbia with the effects of substituting enegry from fossil fuels and reduction of carbon dioxide emission

The paper presents the results of researching the impact of export on the production of wood pellets as well as the situation on the market for this wood fuel in Serbia. Objective of the research was to produce scientifically and professionally founded conclusions and the related adequate recommendations to the decision makers in order to improve the situation on wood pellets market in Serbia and eliminate the existing problems which significantly burden and slow down this development. Special objective of the research was to observe the contributions of wood pellets to the mitigation of climate changes using Serbia as the example. Results of the conducted research show that the expansion of the consumption (demand) increase in the European Union countries in the last fifteen years and the related increase of export from Serbia are the most significant factors which have influenced the development of wood pellets production in Serbia. Parameters of econometric model of the impact of export on the increase of production show that production increase of 1.17% can be expected with the increase of export of 1%. Thus, the number of wood pellet producers has rapidly increased in the last ten years, from 2 producers in 2006 to 52 active producers in 2016. Increase of the number of producers was also accompanied by the increase of the installed capacities. At the end of 2015, total installed capacities for wood pellet production in Serbia reached 550 thousand tons, and the realized production was 229 thousand tons, or 41.6% of the installed capacity. Consumption of wood pellets in Serbia in the last four years achieved significant increase and reached the level of 89 thousand tons in 2015. However, concerning the segment of wood pellets consumption in Serbia, the situation is still unsatisfactory despite the fact that the consumption has been increasing year after year. Average price of 1 kWh of energy from wood pellets exported from Serbia was in the range 20-44 ?$, which is 2.1 to 3.2 times less than the price of 1 kWh of energy from the natural gas which was imported in Serbia in the observed period.

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Analyzing the impact of fossil fuel import reliance on electricity prices: The case of the Iberian Electricity Market

Energy & Environment ◽

10.1177/0958305x17724047 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (7) ◽

pp. 687-705 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Blanca Moreno ◽

María T García-Álvarez

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Electricity Market ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽

High Energy ◽

Electricity Production ◽

The European Union ◽

Electricity Prices ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu

Spain and Portugal are highly dependent on energy from abroad, importing more than 70% of all the energy they consume. This high energy dependence could involve important effects on the level and stability of their electricity prices as a half the gross electricity generated in both countries came from power stations using imported combustible fuels (such as natural gas, coal and oil). In general, changes in the prices of these fossil fuels can directly affect household electricity prices, since generation costs are likely to be transmitted through to the wholesale electricity market. Moreover, in the framework of the European Union Emission Trading System, electricity production technologies tend to incorporate their costs of carbon dioxide emission allowances in sale offers with the consequent increase of the electricity prices. The objective of this paper is to analyze the influence of fossil fuel costs and prices of carbon dioxide emission allowances in the EU on the Spanish and Portuguese electricity prices. With this aim, a maximum entropy econometric approach is used. The obtained results indicate that not only the price of imported gas are very important in explaining Spanish and Portuguese electricity prices but also the price of carbon dioxide emission allowances in the EU.

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Environmental Payback of Renovation Strategies in a Northern Climate—the Impact of Nuclear Power and Fossil Fuels in the Electricity Supply

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13010080 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 80 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ricardo Ramírez-Villegas ◽

Ola Eriksson ◽

Thomas Olofsson

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Energy Efficiency ◽

Global Warming ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Radioactive Waste ◽

Global Warming Potential ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

The European Union ◽

The Impact

The aim of this study is to assess how the use of fossil and nuclear power in different renovation scenarios affects the environmental impacts of a multi-family dwelling in Sweden, and how changes in the electricity production with different energy carriers affect the environmental impact. In line with the Paris Agreement, the European Union has set an agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by means of energy efficiency in buildings. It is estimated that by the year 2050, 80% of Europe’s population will be living in buildings that already exist. This means it is important for the European Union to renovate buildings to improve energy efficiency. In this study, eight renovation scenarios, using six different Northern European electricity mixes, were analyzed using the standard of the European Committee for Standardization for life cycle assessment of buildings. This study covers all life cycle steps from cradle to grave. The renovation scenarios include combinations of photovoltaics, geothermal heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation, and improvement of the building envelope. The results show that while in some electricity mixes a reduction in the global warming potential can be achieved, it can be at the expense of an increase in radioactive waste production, and, in mixes with a high share of fossil fuels, the global warming potential of the scenarios increases with time, compared with that of the original building. It also shows that in most electricity mixes, scenarios that reduce the active heat demand of the building end up in reducing both the global warming potential and radioactive waste, making them less sensitive to changes in the energy system.

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Assessing the Potential Impact of Rising Production of Industrial Wood Pellets on Streamflow in the Presence of Projected Changes in Land Use and Climate: A Case Study from the Oconee River Basin in Georgia, United States

Water ◽

10.3390/w11010142 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 142 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Surendra Shrestha ◽

Puneet Dwivedi ◽

S. McKay ◽

David Radcliffe

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

River Basin ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Base Case ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Changing Climate ◽

Trade Offs ◽

The Impact ◽

Oconee River

This study examines the impact of projected land use changes in the context of growing production of industrial wood pellets coupled with expected changes in precipitation and temperature due to the changing climate on streamflow in a watershed located in the northeastern corner of the Oconee River Basin. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for ascertaining any changes in streamflow over time. The developed model was calibrated over a seven-year period (2001–2007) and validated over another seven-year period (2008–2014). Any changes in streamflow were simulated for a combination of 10 land use and climate change cases, from 2015 to 2028, under the two scenarios of High and Low Demand for industrial wood pellets. Our results suggest that streamflow is relatively stable (<1% change) for land use and temperature-related cases relative to the base case of no change in land use and climate. However, changes in precipitation by ±10% lead to considerable changes (±25%) in streamflow relative to the base case. Based on our results, expected changes in precipitation due to the changing climate will determine any changes in the streamflow, rather than projected land use changes in the context of rising demand for industrial wood pellets for export purposes in the selected watershed, keeping land under urban areas as constant. This study contributes to our broader understanding of the sustainability of the transatlantic industrial wood pellet trade; however, we suggest undertaking similar research at a larger spatial scale over a longer time horizon for understanding trade-offs across carbon, biodiversity, and water impacts of the transatlantic industrial wood pellet trade.

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Expansion of US wood pellet industry points to positive trends but the need for continued monitoring

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-75403-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Francisco X. Aguilar ◽

Ashkan Mirzaee ◽

Ronald G. McGarvey ◽

Stephen R. Shifley ◽

Dallas Burtraw

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Management Practices ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

The European Union ◽

Wood Fibers ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Growing Stock ◽

Dead Trees ◽

The Us

Abstract Implementation of the European Union Renewable Energy Directive has triggered exponential growth in trading of pelletized wood fibers. Over 18 million tons of wood pellets were traded by EU member countries in 2018 of which a third were imported from the US. Concerns exist about negative impacts on US forests but systematic assessments are currently lacking. We assessed variability in fundamental attributes for timberland structure and carbon stocks within 123 procurement landscapes of wood pellet mills derived from over 38 thousand forest inventory plots in the eastern US from 2005 to 2017. We found more carbon stocks in live trees, but a fewer number of standing-dead trees, associated with the annual operation of large-scale wood pellet mills. In the US coastal southeast—where US pellet exports to the EU originate—there were fewer live and growing-stock trees and less carbon in soils with every year of milling operation than in the rest of the eastern US—which supplies the domestic market. Greater overlap of mills’ procurement areas exhibited discernible increments across selected carbon stocks. These trends likely reflect more intensive land management practices. Localized forest impacts associated with the wood pellet industry should continue to be monitored.

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Potential opportunities to utilize mountain pine beetle-killed biomass as wood pellet feedstock in British Columbia

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc2014-013 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 90 (01) ◽

pp. 80-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Scott A. Lloyd ◽

C. Tattersall Smith ◽

Göran Berndes

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

The European Union ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Bioenergy Production ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

The Cost ◽

Harvesting Costs

The use of renewable forms of energy, such as bioenergy produced from wood pellets, can serve to offset fossil fuel use and, hence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union is the world’s largest user of wood pellets and British Columbia has been one of its largest external suppliers. British Columbia is currently grappling with the largest mountain pine beetle outbreak in its history. While this outbreak is expected to decrease the future timber supply in the Province, it has been suggested that one potential benefit of the mountain pine beetle outbreak is that it may provide a large amount of biomass that can be used for bioenergy production. Here we evaluate estimates of the amount of biomass available for bioenergy production in British Columbia and quantify the effects of the mountain pine beetle infestation on wood pellet feedstock supply chains. Our results, though subject to significant uncertainties, suggest that mountain pine beetle-killed wood is unlikely to be a substantial constituent of wood pellet feedstocks unless substantial subsidies are provided to offset higher harvesting costs. Even if such subsidies are implemented, it is likely that harvest residues will constitute an increasing proportion of wood pellet feedstocks as the volume of beetle-killed wood becomes depleted. Therefore, it is imperative that wood pellet producers improve the cost efficiency of harvest residue collection if they are to remain competitive in the European marketplace.

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EU BIOFUELS POLICY—RAISING THE QUESTION OF WTO COMPATIBILITY

International and Comparative Law Quarterly ◽

10.1017/s0020589311000285 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 713-736 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Stephanie Switzer ◽

Joseph A McMahon

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Technological Development ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

The European Union ◽

Policy Goals ◽

Imported Oil ◽

Biofuels Policy ◽

The Impact

Governments intervene in the energy sector using a variety of measures to pursue a range of objectives, from security of supply and energy efficiency to environmental protection. Recent concerns about the impact of fossil fuels on climate change have resulted in the increasing promotion of biofuels as an alternative to oil. While worries exist with regard to the environmental impact of biofuel production in ecologically sensitive areas, it has been argued that with an effective regulatory framework to promote sustainable production, biofuels could provide a mechanism to provide energy security in an environmentally positive way.1 The interest of the European Union (EU) in the promotion of biofuels production is a relatively recent phenomenon and it is now the world's largest producer of biodiesel and the fourth largest producer of bioethanol. At its most basic level, the promotion of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels is part of a wider EU effort to support the use of renewable energy. The promotion of renewable energy is traceable to a number of goals, a central one of which is ensuring security of energy supply.2 Other policy goals supported by the promotion of renewable energies include reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with climate change, decreasing dependence upon imported oil, the promotion of technological development as well as regional and rural development and employment.3

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Modification of Energy Parameters in Wood Pellets with the Use of Waste Cooking Oil

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14206486 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (20) ◽

pp. 6486

Author(s):

Aneta Saletnik ◽

Bogdan Saletnik ◽

Czesław Puchalski

Keyword(s):

Fossil Fuels ◽

Calorific Value ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Waste Cooking Oil ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Heating Value ◽

Energy Parameters ◽

Cooking Oil

Biomass is one of the most important sources of renewable energy. It is expected that in the coming decades, biomass will play a major role in replacing fossil fuels. The most commonly used biofuels include wood pellet, which is a cost-effective, uniform and easy-to-use material. In view of the growing interest in this type of resource, novel methods are being investigated to improve the quality of pellet. This article presents the results of a laboratory study focusing on wood pellets refined with waste sunflower cooking oil applied by spraying. In this work, authors attempted to modify the energy parameters of wood pellets with the use of waste cooking oil. Addition of waste cooking oil, applied at the rates of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% and 12% relative to the weight of pellets, increased the calorific value of the pellets without decreasing their durability. The highest dose of the modifier (12%) on average led to a 12–16% increase in calorific value. In each case, the addition of sunflower oil resulted in decreased contents of ash in the pellets; on average a decrease of 16–38% was observed in the samples treated with the highest dose of the modifier. The treatment led to a higher content of elements affecting the heating value, i.e., carbon and hydrogen, which on average increased by 7.5–12%, and 7.0–10.0%, respectively. The presented method seems to be a promising way of increasing the calorific value of pellets. Further research on refining the method and the possibility of using it in industry is necessary.

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Combustion Gases And Heat Release Analysis During Flame And Flameless Combustion Of Wood Pellets

Research Papers Faculty of Materials Science and Technology Slovak University of Technology ◽

10.1515/rput-2015-0002 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (36) ◽

pp. 17-24

Author(s):

Jozef Horváth ◽

Igor Wachter ◽

Karol Balog

Keyword(s):

Heat Flux ◽

Alternative Fuels ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Flameless Combustion ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Combustion Gases ◽

Two Samples ◽

Release Analysis ◽

Fire Characteristics

Abstract With the growing prices of fossil fuels, alternative fuels produced of biomass come to the fore. They are made of waste materials derived from the processing of wood and wood materials. The main objective of this study was to analyse the fire-technical characteristics of wood pellets. The study analysed three dust samples acquired from wood pellets made of various types of wood biomass. Wood pellet dust is produced when manipulating with pellets. During this process a potentially hazardous situations may occur. Biomass is chemically composed mostly of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. During straining of the biomass by heat flux, combustion initiation occurs. Also, there was a change in the composition of material throughout combustion gases production, and the amount of heat generated by a flame or flameless combustion. Measurement of fire characteristics was conducted according to ISO 5660-1 standard using a cone calorimeter. Two samples of wood pellet dust were tested under the heat flux of 35 kW.m−2 and 50 kW.m−2. The process of combustion, the time to ignition, the carbon monoxide concentration and the amount of released heat were observed.

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Guest Editorial: Johnson Matthey Technology Review Special Edition on Clean Mobility

Johnson Matthey Technology Review ◽

10.1595/205651320x15874763002058 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andy Walker

Keyword(s):

Fossil Fuels ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Global Climate ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽

The European Union ◽

Net Zero ◽

Climate Action ◽

The Uk ◽

Technology Review ◽

Lower Carbon

SHARE THIS PAGE:The world is at the start of an energy revolution: the biggest energy transformation since the Industrial Revolution, during which the use of fossil fuels drove growth and prosperity, with global temperature increase implications that we have only started to understand relatively recently. This energy revolution will drive the world towards a lower carbon, more sustainable future, with major implications for energy and electricity generation, heating, industrial power and transportation. Governments, states and regions are proposing, and in some cases (such as the UK) committing to, net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) or carbon dioxide emission targets over the coming years. To date, 15 countries have set defined targets to become net zero economies by 2050 or earlier, with over 50 others, including Germany and Canada, discussing when to implement such a target. Perhaps most significantly, the European Union (EU) intends to be net zero by 2050: this objective is at the heart of the European Green Deal and in line with the EU’s commitment to global climate action under the Paris Agreement.

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Economic consequences of increased bioenergy demand

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc2014-128 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 90 (05) ◽

pp. 636-642 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Craig M.T. Johnston ◽

G. Cornelis van Kooten

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Power Plants ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Bilateral Trade ◽

Forest Products ◽

Economic Consequences ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Trade Model ◽

Bilateral Trade Flows ◽

The Impact

Although wind, hydro and solar are the most discussed sources of renewable energy, countries will need to rely much more on biomass if they are to meet renewable energy targets. In this study, a global forest trade model is used to examine the global effects of expanded demand for wood pellets fired with coal in power plants. Positive mathematical programming is used to calibrate the model to 2011 bilateral trade flows. To assess the impact of increased demand for wood pellets on global forest products, we consider a scenario where demand for wood pellets doubles. Findings indicate that production of lumber and plywood is likely to increase in most of the 20 model regions, but outputs of fibreboard, particleboard and pulp will decline as these products must compete with wood pellets for residual fibre. Ultimately, policies promoting aggressive renewable energy targets cause wood pellet prices to more than double in our scenarios, which could increase the cost of generating electricity to such an extent that, in some regions, electricity producers will continue to use fossil fuels as their primary fuel, while some others might find it worthwhile to rely more on nuclear energy for base load power.

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