Biomass Energy, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1987 From Harvesting to Storage

Collection, like transport and storage, is one of the basic technical and economic components of the processes of converting Biomass into energy. In recent years much progress has been made in R&D and industrial appli­ cations for the collection of all types of Biomass resources/feedstock, which ranges from orchard prunings to tree-felling waste, from straw to seaweed, from specific energy crops to arable-farming residues of any kind. Though interesting results have certainly been achieved, many problems still remain, and their solution will largely influence the final use of these Biomass sources and residues. There are the problems of bringing out timber waste from inaccessible oak forests, and making the collection of algae and aquatic plants financially worthwhile j should ma­ chines be specially designed for this work j and what about the economic and social costs for a proper forest management policy such as forest fires, soil degradation and so on. The need to assess what positives advances have already been made in the Community's member countries, so that Community action in this sector can be directed most efficiently, prompted the Directorate-General for Energy of the Commission of the European Communities to organize this workshop in collaboration with the other departments active in this field.

Opening Session.- Welcome address.- Opening address.- The community energy demonstration programme: the context for biomass.- Role and strategies of the ENEA in the biomass energy sector.- European R&D programme of wood as renewable raw material.- Session I — Forestry.- Forest biomass for energy in EEC countries from harvesting to storage.- Biomass production from coppice forest harvesting and first thinning of fast-growing plantations.- Mechanised forestry chains in France.- Evaluation of the work and objectives to be followed in France for the harvesting, storage and processing of forest biomass.- Harvesting and storage of chipped wood for energy production in hill areas.- Assessment of the energy balances for beech coppices in the Northern Appennines.- Cooperative R & D in harvesting forest biomass in the IEA bioenergy agreement.- Wood harvesting systems for energy purposes in developing countries.- Session report.- Session II — Energy Crops.- Harvesting, drying and storage of short-rotation forestry energy crops.- Innovation in the mechanization of biomass harvesting.- The Scorpion: a forestry tractor for harvesting biomass.- Biomass harvesting technology and energy balance.- Sweet sorghum: from harvesting to storage.- Aquatic crops: problems and perspectives concerning harvesting technologies.- FAO/CNRE research cooperation on biomass production and use for energy.- Harvesting problems in Spain.- Leben project, the contribution of the Leben project to work on the production and harvesting of plant biomass.- Session report.- Session III — Crop by-Products, Straw.- Straw for energy purpose.- Rice straw harvesting mechanisation chains.- Handling and storage of straw and woodchips.- Availability of by-products: feasibility study on producing alcohol frombiomass.- Technical and economic comparison of different methods of harvesting maize, recovering the cobs for use in grain drying.- MSW and vegetable by-products, guidelines for research: from the harvesting procedure to the anaerobic process.- Session IV — Crop by-Products, Pruning.- Biomass energy in Europe. General report on by-products of pruning.- Development of harvesting and handling mechanization of pruning residues in Greece.- Vine, olive and orange trees residues. Mechanization chains in Spain.- Plan for obtaining energy from waste (PAER).- Experimental tests on a prototype machine for harvesting forestry trimming wastes.- Tree crops pruning — Mechanized chains in Puglia region.- Baler for the harvesting without shredding of pruning-wood from vineyards and fruit trees in general.- Session report.- Session V — Economic Evaluations, Public Incentives.- The economic analysis of different mechanisation steps from harvesting to storage of crops and crop by-products.- The use of wood chips from forest harvest residue for energy production — Potential yield, quality, harvesting techniques and profitability.- An approach to the economic evaluation of biomass energy-production projects.- Conclusions and Recommendations.- List of Participants.- Index of Authors.