The Impact of Wood Moisture Content on the Productivity and Costs of Forest Energy Supply Chains in Southeast Brazil

Abstract

Using wood for power generation necessitates a more efficient production chain in the various steps: harvesting, forwarding, storage, chipping, transport, and conversion systems. In this context, the moisture content (MC) of wood can impact the harvesting operation, the volume to be chipped, the transportation of raw materials, the storage time, and other factors, thereby influencing the economic aspects of the chain. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the influence of wood moisture content on the yield and costs of different forest operation chains for power generation in São Paulo State, Brazil. Our findings reveal that harvesting and forest transport are the primary cost components (over 80%) in the supply chains under study. We observed a difference of up to 17.6% in the unit cost of the energy generated among the studied supply chains. In economic and sustainable terms, our results suggest that logs should be stored in the field for three to four months and the transport distance to the power plant should not exceed 100 km.