Paper details

Title:

Evaluation of the Coherence of the Waste Wood Management in Switzerland by Qualitative and Quantitative Approach

Author(s):

Bergeron, F.C.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Waste wood recovery by thermal treatment with energy recovery or by recycling allows the substitution and conservation of primary resources. The Swiss government notes the potential presence of tensions between policies which simultaneously encourage the cascade use of wood, the recycling or the energy recovery by thermal treatment of waste wood. The aim of the present research is to assess the coherence of waste wood management in Switzerland by a quantitative and qualitative approach. First, we model the wood resource and waste wood metabolism over one century by material flow analysis. The simulation results of various scenarios of waste wood management establish that the additional impacts of immediate thermal treatments are less significant for the reduction of CO2eq emissions but more significant for the energy production that its cascade treatments on Swiss territory. Secondly, we examine the determinants of the current waste wood treatments prevailing in Switzerland by documentary analysis. Thus, the causes of the strong presence on Swiss territory of the sector of thermal treatment, the export of almost half of waste wood generated and the sub­exploitation of Swiss forest act as barriers or drivers that result in introducing a crowding­out effect where no amount of waste wood is available for recycling in Switzerland. The comparison of the results of the two approaches leads to the conclusion that the current waste wood management is coherent. It represents an adequate balance among the various goals of the sectorial policies and the cross­cutting strategies of the Swiss authorities. The relevance of exploiting the waste wood as energy source comes of its ability to be a significant substitute to energy fossil to supply the heat demand for industry and district heating and thus reduce the GHG emissions of the energy supply and building sectors.

Keywords:

biorefinery, waste wood, climate change, coherence, energy production, cascade use

Topic:

Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability

Subtopic:

Resource efficient bioeconomy

Event:

22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

4DO.9.5

Pages:

1489 - 1493

ISBN:

978-88-89407-52-3

Paper DOI:

10.5071/22ndEUBCE2014-4DO.9.5

Price:

FREE