The Current and Potential Production of Forest Biomass for Energy in Europe, Russia, and China

Schopfhauser, W. (1996). The Current and Potential Production of Forest Biomass for Energy in Europe, Russia, and China. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-96-158

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Abstract

In this analysis, the forest biomass utilization and the potential for energy production for Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and China has been estimated. Western and Eastern Europe are assessed on a country level and Russia and China as regions. Current trends and developments of forest resources characterize their ability to produce forest biomass for energy production. Europe is characterized by a slowly increasing forest land area, underutilization of the forest resource, and increased growing forest stock and an estimated increase in wood energy production by 25-75% by year 2020. Limitations of the Russian forest resource are due to a major share which is actually not exploitable and because natural hazards and overexploitation in populated areas threaten the growing stock. Nonetheless, by far the largest biomass resource of the studied regions is located in Siberia. China has faced heavy overutilization of its forests without appropriate reforestation and protection. Despite a decline of forest area and forest productivity, the harvesting has increased. This situation is expected to continue, which may even increase pressure on forest exploitation. Forest biomass potentials are compared with total biomass potentials by IIASA's ECS-Project. The possibility of a forest plantation program to contribute to the enhanced production of forest biomass for energy production is analyzed.

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