UGA forestry study reveals that southern pine forests can provide reliable solutions for energy independence

A study by scientists at the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources has confirmed that new methods can successfully harvest significant amounts of forest biomass for energy production from southern pine forests without adversely impacting roundwood (pulpwood and sawtimber) production.

Slash, tree tops and limbs that are removed from harvested trees and forest understory growth are prime examples of forest biomass that have traditionally held zero value. Today, however, members of the forest products industry are beginning to power entire manufacturing plants with this raw material. They can even generate excess electricity that they sell to utilities such as Georgia Power.

Dale Greene, the principal investigator for the study and professor of forest operations at the Warnell School, found that for every Btu (British thermal unit) expended to acquire forest biomass fuel chips and transport them to the manufacturer's generator, 50 Btu of energy can be generated to operate the plant, as long as the plant is within 40 miles of the harvest site.

"This is a remarkably efficient process," said Greene. "These kinds of efficiency ratios make use of biomass very competitive with the use of fossil fuel."

The ability to substitute biomass chips for fossil fuels as the raw material used to generate electricity in large manufacturing plants would have a significant influence on the amount of greenhouse gas producing coal and natural gas needed for domestic energy production if the practice was universally adopted by American manufacturers. Despite its exciting potential for forestland owners and the forest product manufacturing industry, some industry leaders have been concerned that a developing bioenergy industry might interfere with their traditional supply source for roundwood.

Greene now believes this concern is unwarranted. "While this approach required some additional work from the felling and skidding operation, roundwood production did not suffer significantly and costs appear favorable for this treatment," he said.

This study was conducted with the assistance and cooperation of Langdale Industries, Inc. and Lott Logging, Inc. and was funded by Georgia's Traditional Industries Program (TIP3). It will be presented at the Council on Forest Engineering Annual Meeting in July.

Celebrating its centennial anniversary, the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia provides five degree path programs in forestry and natural resource science and management. These include the forestry, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture, water and soil resources and the new natural resource recreation and tourism programs. With more than fifty faculty and 23,000 acres of teaching lands, the Warnell School is the oldest, and one of the most respected, forestry and natural resource education providers in the United States. The school also houses one of the largest study abroad programs in the nation to provide global learning opportunities

for its students. For more information visit the Warnell School website at www.warnell.uga.edu.

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