Abstract
Interest in the production of renewable energy using forest biomass is increasing in South Korea, and improved knowledge on operations logistics to lower biomass harvesting costs is needed. This study aimed to build a low-cost forest-biomass harvesting system by analyzing the costs of two integrated (cut-to-length and whole-tree) harvesting systems for logs and logging residues. Two integrated harvesting systems were carried out in the clear-cut mixed forest on a steep slope. Compared to the cut-to-length system that separately extracts logs and logging residues in a forest, the cable whole-tree harvesting system can save $8.8/green weight ton (Gwt) because it requires no additional yarding operation cost of logging residues. Moreover, a breakeven analysis shows that the required machine utilization rates that favor whole-tree harvesting systems over cut-to-length harvesting were more than 70% for cable harvesting systems. The introduction of the whole-tree harvesting system is, therefore, required to produce forest biomass at a low cost. In the future, studies on forest-biomass processing and transportation systems will be needed to provide a biomass feedstock supply cost from stump to biomass power plant.
Highlights
The concentration of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, is rapidly increasing globally due to economic activities that use fossil-based fuels
The cable whole-tree harvesting systems were more economical than the cut-to-length harvesting system when the machine utilization rates were higher than 70% (Figure 6)
In South Korea, policies for the use of unused forest biomass were prepared as a declaration of national strategies for low carbon and green growth in 2008, the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2012, and the revision of the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) weight in 2018
Summary
The concentration of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, is rapidly increasing globally due to economic activities that use fossil-based fuels. Interest in the production of renewable energy using forest biomass instead of fossil fuels is increasing [2,3]. In South Korea, the demand for forest biomass (e.g., wood chips and pellets) is expanding and diversifying to cogeneration and heating for rural areas since the declaration of national strategies for low carbon and green growth in 2008. Because of the implementation of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2012, large-scale power producers (over 500 MW) are required to use 2% renewable energy sources for power generation, and they are required to increase this to 10% by 2023 [4]. In the forest industry, wood chip manufacturers have gradually increased their purchase of logs from 916,251 m3 in 2012 to 1,431,648 m3 in 2017 [5].
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