Management summary research study „ Availability and Applicability of Wood and Crop Residues for the Production of Wood Composites “
Given the high level of volatility in the market for agricultural and forestry commodities, specifically timber and agricultural crops, it is important to identify the risks associated with the stability of supplies necessary for the production of composite materials in the Czech Republic.
In this paper, an econometric prediction of the stability of the supply of lignocellulosic biomass from post-harvest crop residues and wood for the Czech Republic was performed, showing in particular that crop production is characterised by a relatively narrow mix of field crops.
The aim of this study is to accurately estimate the availability of selected raw materials containing lignocellulose over the next 20 years. Furthermore, their suitability for the production of composite materials is assessed on the basis of their physical properties. In addition, in the event of a wood shortage in the European Union, recycled wood and post-harvest residues could be used to replace conventional raw materials in wood-based composites such as particleboard.
The viable potential of Czech forests is estimated at 740 to 750 million cubic metres of wood. For agricultural crops, it is estimated at 0.9 million hectares of wheat and 0.5 million hectares of rapeseed under the current EU biofuel policy and 0.4 million hectares if this policy is abolished.
According to our forecasts, a further increase in the volume of timber harvesting can be expected, mainly caused by bark beetle, with the total availability of woody biomass expected to be around 6800 thousand tonnes in 2040. This means that, in terms of actual material available, the availability of woody biomass is expected to be higher.
However, it is worth considering other materials to replace wood, also taking into account all the social (environmental) costs and benefits.
Target groups of stakeholders: biofuel producers, wood processing industry
Citation: Procházka, P., Honig, V., Bouček, J., Hájková, K., Trakal, L., Soukupová, J., & Roubík, H. (2021). Availability and Applicability of Wood and Crop Residues for the Production of Wood Composites. Forests, 12(5), 641. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12050641