Woody Biomass
Production, Harvesting, Transport and Utilization
Hank Stelzer
MU School of Natural Resources
!! WARNING !!
You are about to experience
random acts of education.
The United Nations FAO on bioenergy
Moreover, the scarce information available is
collected, compiled and presented using
different terminology without clear
definitions and the units and conversion
factors used make comparison, aggregation
and exchange difficult and tedious.
What is woody biomass?
• 14,576,500 acres
– 33% total land cover
Slash
Wood and
woodparts
Chips
Round
wood
Harvesting and transporting
are the biggest hurdles
Producers think in tons…
But, consumers think in BTUs
BTU/lb
BTU/ton
Delivered $/ton
Delivered $/MMBTU
Forest
Poplar
Willow
6,500
13,000,000
22
1.69
5,500
11,000,000
25
30
2.27
2.72
Relative Energy Values
Delivered $/MMBTU
Forest
Poplar
Willow
Coal
1.69
2.27
2.72
Contract 2.70
Compliant
3.50 –
4.50
Natural Gas
Spot
6.50
7.00 – 8.00
Bigger…
is NOT better!
We are NOT
alone…
So, why bother with woody biomass?
• Forest
– Improve forest health
– Add value
• Residual trees grow faster and better
• Carbon and water credits
• Real estate
So, why bother with woody biomass?
• Farm
– Improve water quality
• Trap nutrients and sediment
– Improve wildlife habitat
• Quail (escape cover)
• Travel lanes
– Add value
• Real estate
So, why bother with woody biomass?
• Cities and Towns
– Reduce size of landfills
So, why bother with woody biomass?
Because it’s the right thing to do.
Thank You!!
Contact Information
Hank Stelzer
State Forestry Extension Specialist
203 ABNR
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
voice: 573-882-4444
email: stelzerh@missouri.edu
website: www.snr.missouri.edu/forestry/extension