Research project CG/DD1/251 (Research action CG)
CONTEXT
Climate change results from intensive use of fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas. Our energy future is one of the most important challenges facing mankind. How may we secure a sustainable energy supply while limiting the impact on future generations ? Gradually, we will need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources like solar, wind and wood.
THE PROJECT
In Belgium, wood is the most widely used renewable energy source, chiefly for domestic heating and paper production. Yet most of our wood resources are being wasted today: forest thinning, wood from parks and gardens, industrial packaging, etc. Used properly, wood going unused might be sufficient to cut Belgian greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million tons of CO2 each year. However, this result is only achievable by developing efficient energy production routes taking into account the whole production chain, from resource harvesting (in forests, industries, etc.) to final energy production (heat, power or co-generation).
As with every economic and industrial development, renewable energy development will have both economic and social as well as environmental impacts. The aim of the WOODSUSTAIN project is to forge a better understanding of the impacts of wood energy systems on sustainable development in Belgium. To do this, we are studying both the impacts on CO2 emissions and the impacts on employment in relation to the possible development of new wood energy systems in Belgium.
For this, we need to :
1- evaluate available wood resources in Belgium,
2- analyse every wood energy systems,
3- propose measures that will promote the most sustainable systems.
Therefore, the first stage of the WOODSUSTAIN project is to assess available wood resources in Belgium from different sectors: forest residue, industrial waste wood, short rotation coppice cultivation, construction and demolition waste wood, etc. UCL/ECOP and CRA have carried out field surveys involving foresters, farmers and manufacturers and have extrapolated the collected data for the whole of Belgium.
Using these estimations, different wood energy routes are being considered and assessed in order to identify the best use for each wood resource. To do this, UCL/TERM and UCL/IAG are studying each stage necessary in order to transform wood resources into energy (wood harvesting, crushing, storage and drying, transportation, gasification and combustion). In order to assess impacts on sustainable development, we take into account energy balances and greenhouse gases emissions, costs and employment.
In addition, particularly for the lignicultivation of short rotation coppice, we are calculating models for biological carbon balances (UIA/Biologie). This involves improving, via adapted mathematical modelling, the forecasting of wood coppice growth and biological carbon balances.
OBJECTIVE
Our work is contributing the environmental assessment of energy systems. In particular, we are analysing all complete wood-based energy supply chains, from craddle to grave. We are calculating energy yields and carbon balances in order to compare CO2 emission reductions for each sector. The adopted methodology therefore focuses on carbon dioxide emissions and the reduction factor for these emissions.
By integrating environmental aspects (CO2 emissions) and socio-economic aspects (costs/benefits and employment), we are proposing a tool to aid political decision-making. By studying different development scenarios for the wood energy sectors, we can estimate the environmental and socio-economic impacts of measures taken in support of the development of renewable energy in Belgium.
PARTNERS
Co-ordination and energy analysis:
UCL/TERM
Groupe Energie Biomasse
Unité de Thermodynamique
Université catholique de Louvain
Socio-economic analysis:
UCL/IAG
Centre entreprise environnement
Institut d’administration et de gestion
Université catholique de Louvain
Forest and industrial wood resources:
CRA
Centre de recherches agronomiques
Ministère de l’Agriculture - Gembloux
Biological growth model of coppice production:
UIA/BIO
Department Biologie
Universiteit Instelling Antwerpen
Lignicultivation analysis:
UCL/ECOP
Unité d’écologie des Grandes cultures
Faculté des sciences agronomiques
Université catholique de Louvain
WOODSUSTAIN: Contributions of wood-energy to sustainable development in Belgium: final summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP1006)
[To download]
Contributions du bois-énergie au développement durable en Belgique: rapport final
Sintzoff, I. - Menu, J.F. - Thiry, J. ... et al. Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0736)
[To download]
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