Economic Modelling of Poplar Short Rotation Coppice Plantations in Hungary

No study has been previously completed on the range of sites, potential yield, and financial characteristics of poplar short rotation coppice plantations (SRC) in Hungary. This paper conducts a literature survey to reveal the biomass production potential of such plantations and presents a model that is used to analyze their financial performance. The results indicate that the break-even-point of production is between 6 and 8 oven-dry tons per hectare per year once a minimum cost level and wood chip price within a 10% range of the 2020 value are considered. The higher the wood chip price, the lower the break-even-point. Since the model excluded the administrative costs that depend on the type and size of the management organization, the break-even-points can be significantly higher in reality, which suggests that short rotation energy plantations can be a financially reasonable land-use option in above average or even superior poplar-growing sites. The rotation period of industrial poplar plantations that produce high quality veneer logs ranges from 12 to 25 years. Though such sites can provide higher returns on investment, short rotation plantations have the advantage of providing a more evenly distributed cash flow. To facilitate the wider application of poplar SRC, the related policies need to apply specific subsidies and allow the rotation cycle to be extended up to 20–25 years, which is currently limited to 15 years.

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Estimation of Yield Loss Due to Deer Browsing in a Short Rotation Coppice Willow Plantation in Northern Japan

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11080809 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 809 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hisanori Harayama ◽

Qingmin Han ◽

Makoto Ishihara ◽

Mitsutoshi Kitao ◽

Akira Uemura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Linear Model ◽

Generalized Linear Model ◽

Yield Loss ◽

Biomass Yield ◽

Short Rotation Coppice ◽

Potential Yield ◽

Simple Method ◽

Deer Browsing ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Northern Japan

Deer browsing is a major factor causing significant declines in yield in short rotation coppice (SRC) willow, but the resultant yield loss is difficult to estimate because it requires extensive investigation, especially when the standard yield is unknown. We investigated a simple method for estimating yield loss due to deer browsing. We enclosed an experimental SRC willow plantation in Hokkaido, northern Japan, planted with 12 clones, with an electric fence; deer browsing did, however, occur in the first summer of the second harvest cycle. We counted the number of sprouting stems and deer-browsed stems per plant and, after three years, the yield of each clone was analyzed using a generalized linear model with the above two parameters for the numbers of stems as explanatory variables. The model explained the yield of 11 out of the 12 clones, and estimated that browsing of a single stem per plant could reduce yield to 80%. Losses due to deer browsing were estimated to be as much as 6.0 oven dry ton ha−1 yr−1. The potential yield in the absence of deer browsing ranged from 2.2 to 7.5 oven dry ton ha−1 yr−1 among clones, and was significantly positively correlated with the estimated yield loss due to deer browsing. Our results suggest that a generalized linear model can be used to estimate the yield loss due to deer browsing from a simple survey, and deer browsing could significantly reduce willow biomass yield from the clones we studied, and thus countermeasures to control deer browsing are therefore necessary if sufficient willow biomass yield is to be produced.

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Opportunities for short rotation coppice production on free-range chicken farms in Flanders: farmers’ perceptions and cost-benefit analysis

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170518000546 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 286-295

Author(s):

Lisanne M Stadig ◽

Frank A.M Tuyttens ◽

T. Bas Rodenburg ◽

Pieter Verdonckt ◽

Erwin Wauters ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Net Present Value ◽

Wood Chip ◽

Biomass Energy ◽

Short Rotation Coppice ◽

Price Premium ◽

Free Range ◽

Poultry Products ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Budget Analysis ◽

On Farm

AbstractThis paper focuses on systems producing short rotation coppice willows (SRCW) in chickens’ free-range areas. We aim to map chicken farmers’ motivation to implement SRCW, and to assess the economic viability of these systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 free-range chicken farmers. Farmers agreed that chickens would prefer SRCW over grassland, which could benefit chicken welfare. They expected establishing an SRCW system would be labor intensive, and doubted if it would be a profitable investment. Some concerns of farmers might be taken away by exchanging information with farmers with SRCW experience. A partial budget analysis was performed to calculate the net present value (NPV) of six different scenarios, differing in the type of chickens, in whether the produced biomass was sold or valorized on-farm and in harvest pattern, all over a 23-yr period. The NPV was positive but low for all scenarios. A sensitivity analysis showed that changes in biomass yield, wood chip price, a price premium for poultry products and current fuel price were most likely to influence the NPV. A risk analysis revealed that NPVs were positive in the majority of the modeled cases. Scenarios in which biomass was used for on-farm heat production showed the highest risk of a negative NPV. A price premium for poultry products may be most effective at increasing profitability, but may only be feasible for farms selling directly to consumers. Establishing a solid market for biomass energy, including guaranteed demand and availability of appropriate machinery for cultivation, may mitigate farmers’ concerns.

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Short Rotation Coppice Energy Plantations

Journal of Sustainable Forestry ◽

10.1300/j091v01n03_03 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 23-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J. B. Ford-Robertson ◽

C. P. Mitchell ◽

M. P. Watters ◽

Haworth Continuing Features Submission

Keyword(s):

Short Rotation Coppice ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Energy Plantations

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Dry Matter Losses and Methane Emissions During Wood Chip Storage: the Impact on Full Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Savings of Short Rotation Coppice Willow for Heat

BioEnergy Research ◽

10.1007/s12155-016-9728-0 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 820-835 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Carly Whittaker ◽

William Macalpine ◽

Nicola E. Yates ◽

Ian Shield

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Wood Chip ◽

Methane Emissions ◽

Short Rotation Coppice ◽

Full Life Cycle ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Full Life ◽

The Impact

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Energieholzproduktion in Mittel- und Nieder-wäldern der Schweiz | Energy Wood Production in Coppice With Standards and Coppice Forests in Switzerland

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.1999.0142 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 150 (4) ◽

pp. 142-147

Author(s):

Bettina Bally

Keyword(s):

Twentieth Century ◽

Economic Value ◽

Wood Production ◽

Fuel Production ◽

Energy Wood ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Energy Plantations ◽

Coppice With Standards

Coppice with standards and coppice forests are the result of silvicultural systems widely applied until the mid-twentieth century, mainly for fuel production. Similar to energy plantations in Scandinavia and Germany the above-mentioned systems are characterised by a short rotation. The present paper tries to show that, owing to efficient logging methods, energy wood can be produced from coppice and coppice with standards forests so cheaply that it proves to be highly competitive compared to oil. The economic value of coppice and coppice with standards was calculated on the basis of models and compared to high forest cultivation. Contrary to high forests, the coppice with standards system is cost-covering on poor, well developed and easily accessible sites.

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