Sustainable production of biomass – a sectorial perspective

Last changed: 05 June 2018

The Nordic countries possess impressive competencies and a lot of activities related to sector analysis of forestry and agriculture. Partial equilibrium models (PEM) are used in Norway, Finland and Sweden (e.g. NorFor, FinnFor and SweFor) with different degree of sophistication but all integrated with national forest data. Preparations are under way to do the same in Denmark. In Sweden work on PEMs is found in at (at least) 3 different institutions where biodiversity, mitigation, technical development, innovation aspects and policy issues are of interest. The EFI-GTM model for international trade analyses are used in Finland and Norway whereas more detailed, spatially explicit, optimization is conducted with the BeWhere Sweden model to analyze localization of forest biomass based biorefineries. Models for tracing carbon mitigation effects, of varying degree of sophistication, exist in all Nordic countries but need to be (better) integrated into energy system modeling to provide more relevant information. A majority of the models that integrate management activities with sector markets pertain to forestry and Norway, Sweden and Finland. Work that connects agriculture to sector
models is particularly emphasized in Denmark.

This project maps available competencies and current and future activities within the forest modelling sector and provides a basis for improvement in several impact related parameters. It makes it possible to engage the best models and competencies for particular analyses, it identifies gaps in our ability to analyse particular aspects or weaknesses of the existing models, and it improve the potential to engage in EU framework programs.

Second BIOSECT Workshop in Copenhagen

The second BIOSECT workshop focused on describing future challenges, and from that standpoint, what areas need intensified research in terms of increased analysis capacity. One of the main issues that came up at the first workshop was the need to further discuss data requirements (mainly for industrial processes) for input to the models.

Presentations at the second BIOSECT workshop, October 27 in Copenhagen.

Dimitris Athanassiadis (SLU): The BIOHUB project

Jani laturi (Luke): The Finnish Forest and Energy Policy Model

Ismail Ouraich (LTU): Price Determination of Forest Feedstock under Different Next-Generation Biofuel Production Scenarios with the help of BeWhere Sweden

LjuskOla Eriksson: Price and Volume Determination of Harvest Outputs under Different Forest Technology Scenarios With SweFor

Third BIOSECT workshop in Helsinore

Presentations at the The Biennial Meeting of the Scandinavian Society of Forest Economics in Helsinore/Helsingør, Denmark, 22–25 May 2018 that are relevant to BIOSECT network (will be updated when the book of abstracts is published)

Hurmekoski, E., Myllyviita, T., Seppälä, J., Heinonen, T., Pukkala, T., Peltola, H., Kilpeläinen, A., Hetemäki, L., Asikainen, A. & Leskinen, P.: Structural change of forest industries and its impact on forestry carbon balance in Finland

Hyytiä, A. : SustainableDevelopment–International Framework – Overview and Analysis in the Context of Forests and Forest Products – Green Business opportunities

Chudy, RP., Busby, GM., Binkley, CS. & Stanton, BJ. The economics of dedicated hybrid poplar biomass plantations in the western U.S.

Miettinen, J. & Ollikainen, M. J. Sustainable forest-based bioeconomy: A case of biorefinery.

Danley, B. Time to evaluate forest owner typologies? Insights from Sweden.

Eriksson, O. Assessing the sensitivity to forest owner rationality of a Swedish forest partial equilibrium model.

Moiseyev, A. & Solberg, B. Economic and environmental impacts of the EU forest conservation and wood for energy policies.

Chudy, RP., Latta, G.S., Sjølie, H.K. & Solberg, B. Economic impacts of increased forest conservation and utilization of woody biomass for energy in Europe: an analysis with a new forest sector model.