Fossil-fuel consumption and CO2eq emissions of cut-to-length industrial roundwood logging operations in Finland

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure and model the fuel consumption of cut-to-length (CTL) logging machinery in cutting and forwarding under Nordic harvesting conditions, and to clarify which factors had the greatest effect on the fuel consumption. In addition, the total annual fuel consumption and CO2eq emissions were calculated for CTL logging operations in Finland in 2020. The data were collected during a long-term follow-up study on the fuel consumption of harvesters and forwarders conducted between March 2018 and April 2019. The fuel consumption data were obtained from a total of 16 harvesters and 13 forwarders equipped with digital flow metres featuring an accuracy of ± 1% of the fuel volume measured. The engine power of the forest machines explained most of the hour-based fuel consumption. Correspondingly, the harvesting conditions of the forest stand best explained the cubic-metre-based fuel consumption. The fuel consumption of CTL logging operations (cutting and forwarding) averaged 1.4 L m−3 in final felling, and 3.1 and 2.2 L m−3 in first and later thinning, respectively. There was a large variation in the cubic-metre-based fuel consumption between individual machines, both for harvesters and forwarders. The total calculated fuel consumption in Finnish CTL operations in 2020 was 126.6 million L, with the calculated CO2eq emissions totalling 334,209 t (i.e. 5.7 kg m−3). Several measures to accelerate fuel and energy efficiency and reduce CO2eq emissions in CTL logging operations are discussed in the paper.