An overview of wood energy in North-America

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Abstract

Wood has been an important source of energy throughout human history. Currently over a fifth of humanity relies on the woody biomass as a key source of energy. Wood energy makes up over nine percent of the world's total primary energy supply. With its large landmass and forests North America has led rest of the world in access to biomass for energy production. Wood based biomass is collected from sources like primary and secondary mill residues, forest residues, logging and short rotation woody crops. Afterwards, collected biomass is converted into energy or fuel through processes like gasification, pyrolysis, cogeneration and pellet creation. In the U.S. woody biomass is primarily used for industrial and commercial applications. Major part of woody biomass is devoted towards electricity generation followed by pellet production. In recent years the EU biomass policy has been a major driver for North American pellet industry's growth. Climate change issues and urgency for development of clean energy has brought renewable resources like wood energy in spotlight. However, wood biomass based energy faces major infrastructure and policy challenges in coming years to sustain the current growth rate. Again North America has been at forefront to promote renewable energy by introducing guidelines like Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Wood Processing and Furniture Manufacturing Challenges on the World Market and Wood-Based Energy Goes Global - Proceedings of Scientific Papers

First Page

267

Last Page

275

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