Page 13 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 2 - Spring 2023

WHAT IS WOODY BIOMASS?
The forest products industry has continuously innovated to capture and leverage waste material from logging and manufacturing processes to generate sustainable biomass energy.
We’re Using Every Part of the Tree
The input material for forest biomass can take a number of different forms, but in most cases, the material is waste material from logging or mill operations, including sawdust, wood chips, lumber mill scraps, and even full trees unsuitable for lumber production.
Not All Biomass Is Wood Pellets
Wood pellets may be in the limelight, but it may surprise you to learn that there are multiple domestic and international markets and uses for woody biomass.
LOGGING RESIDUALS
limbs, leaves, bark and tops left over from the logging process
MILL RESIDUALS
bark, sawdust, chips and trimmings left over from the manufacturing process
SMALL-DIAMETER TREES
small-diameter, low-value trees not suitable for higher value products like lumber
WOOD CHIPS
Wood chips are derived from logging or mill residuals, and they are typically burned directly to produce energy in a biomass broiler.
WOOD PELLETS
Wood pellets consist of woody material that is pressed into pellets to increase fuel density, ease of transportation and improve storage.
BLACK LIQUOR
Black liquor is a waste product from the kraft paper process when lignin is removed from pulpwood to free the cellulose fibers. It is burned in a recovery boiler on-site to generate power locally.
TORREFIED
WOOD
Wood is heated in a controlled environment to remove moisture and chemically alter the wood, turning it into a charcoal-like substance, and giving it a similar energy density to coal.
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