Report
Report: Characterising SEQ Softwood Plantation Residues to Inform Emerging Markets
2024
Abstract
This report evaluates the quality and energy potential of softwood plantation harvest residues from south-east Queensland, focusing on the impact of comminution method (chipping or grinding) and, in the case of chipping, the impact of screening. The study sampled harvest residues (biomass, mainly clearfall tops and other off cuts) from whole tree roadside processing and cut-to-length at stump harvesting operations, and examined their moisture content, ash content, and net energy value. Totally 26 samples from 16 harvesting sites have been submitted for analysis, with all but one sample being from Southern Pine sites. While statistically meaningful comparisons were not possible due to limitations in the sample sets, the following trends are evident:
• Unscreened ‘Bruks’ chips (ex-Fraser Coast roadside processing residues) have a higher moisture content (38% vs 30%) and lower ash content (0.74% vs 4.36%) compared to unscreened grindings (ex-Beerburrum cut-to-length operations). Net energy values are similar (20.33 MJ/kg);
• Unscreened ‘Bruks’ chips were higher in moisture content (38%) than screened Bruks chips (26.5%) whereas both had similar ash content (0.63% and 0.64%) and net energy value (20.50 and 20.04 MJ/kg) respectively);
• Screened Bruks fines had a much higher ash content (6.74%) compared to screened chips (0.64%) yet moisture content and net energy values were similar.
Details
- Title
- Report: Characterising SEQ Softwood Plantation Residues to Inform Emerging Markets
- Authors
- Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Research InstituteIan Last - HQPlantations
- Additional notes
- This report was commissioned by the South & Central Queensland Regional Forestry Hub with funding from the Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
- Publication details
- 25 pages
- Date published
- 2024
- Organisation Unit
- Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991104245902621
- Output Type
- Report
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