The future of wood energy in Europe
Wood is often overlooked as a Renewable Energy Source (RES). This is because most of the attention is drawn to other types of biofuels as well as other types of RES like solar and wind energy. The Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES), a leading RES research institute in Greece, participated in the ECHAINE R&D project supported by the Fifth Framework Programme. Their task involved a thorough investigation of the various implications associated with expanding energy wood harvesting across Europe. CRES found, as expected, that the more materialis extracted from a forest, the greater the risk of damage to the local ecosystem. This applies whether the material is wood or other useful by-products of the logging process. However, large-scale projects can be successful when sustainable management practices are employed. The proper balance between environmental, economic and technical aspects must be achieved. CRES therefore recommends that the necessary technology and know-how be transferred from regions with extensive experience in this industry, namely northern Europe, to newcomers. Additional care must also be taken with the less densely forested regions of southern Europe. Here, wood harvesting has the added benefit of reducing the threat of forest fires, which have become increasingly common in the Member States bordering the Mediterranean. The important findings and recommendations arising from CRES' research have been made available to the public via the ECHAINE web site as well as conference presentations and papers published in scientific journals.
