Abstract
It is challenging to quantify the production of wood-based biomass, to define the type and where it comes from, how it is used, and the amount that remains available. This information is crucial for the implementation of national and transnational regulations and is a pillar for the development of the future bio-based circular economy. A variety of studies estimate the production of biomass, performs material flow analyses, or addresses supply chain modelling. These studies are often built upon distinct assumptions, tailored to a specific purpose, and often poorly described. This makes comparison amongst studies, generalization of results, or replication hard to even impossible. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology for wood-based biomass material flow analysis, anchored in Material Flow Analysis, built upon literature review and deducted through systematization of previous studies. This is a five-step approach, consisting of (1) adopt proper terminology; (2) obtain accurate estimates for the biomass flows; (3) Sankey diagram for resource balance representation; (4) scenario analysis; (5) stakeholders validation. The focus is to provide instructions for producing a generalized Sankey diagram, from the categorization of biomass resources, uses/applications in a circular economy setting, towards the development of scenario analysis. Its practical implementation is presented by defining the yearly wood-based biomass resource balance of Portugal and the waste wood resource balance of Flanders. The main data sources for the quantification of the biomass sources and uses/applications are identified. Based on the insights from these case studies, our methodological approach already shows to be replicable and with comparable results. This enables the comparison of resource flows between different regions and countries and also monitoring the progress over time. This leads to improved data which can be instruments for supporting companies’ decision-making processes (e.g., infrastructure investments or other strategic decisions), as well as designing policy strategies and incentives.
Highlights
Increasing the efficiency of the use of wood-based biomass in Europe is a prerogative of forest and energy national and transnational regulation and a pillar of the future circular economy
The subcategories for the wood-based biomass proposed in this study match those used in the Eurostat in the Joint Forest Sector questionnaire (JFSQ), which were extended with additional subcategories for the primary biomass and byproducts
From the secondary wood processing industries (IB2) Mobilized/Consumed that there is a surplus of RW, Forest residues * (FR), and Industrial byproducts (IB) that is not
Summary
Increasing the efficiency of the use of wood-based biomass in Europe is a prerogative of forest and energy national and transnational regulation and a pillar of the future circular economy. The authors of [25] have extensively quantified wood flows at the global scale, suggesting that there are still considerable uncertainties about the extraction of wood at the global level and especially of wood fuels These studies can be instrumental for supporting policy design in respect to cascading use of biomass in the future bioeconomy due to the possibility to model the interlinked relations between the biomass sources and applications. The main focus is providing instructions for producing a generalized Sankey diagram, starting downstream with both the description of the types of biomass sources and the main uses in a circular economy setting, which extends beyond the bioenergy production Another innovative aspect of the proposed approach is the development of scenario analysis based on the Sankey diagram. This methodology has been applied for two case studies—wood-based biomass resource balance of Portugal and the waste wood resource balance of Flanders, for the year 2016 and 2014, respectively—and several scenarios have been proposed taking into account the new trends in the wood-based biomass sector
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
