JUN 25

Burning wood is eco-friendly now? It's one of the least energy dense sources of power we have a available!

How is burning would eco friendly? Are they sustainably harvested? Is it the waste by product from other harvesting operations? I'm confused...

I assume that one tree can consume equal amount of carbonmonoxid as one tree produces when it gets burned, so in this way this should be eco-friendly. Or am I wrong, can someone tell me?

In Sweden you have to plant a new tree for every one you harvest, so in the long term this should be sustanable. If you don't replant you will get a fine.

There are right now several companies in the north of Sweden that are testing, building and evalutating to use svartlut (don't know the english word, black liquor maybe?, it's a leftover from the making of paper) to make metanol or diesel (DME). There is now testing station for this and the plans to build a production site are right now in the makings.

Volvo are right starting to sell trucks that can run on DME, so this part should be sustainable.

http://translate.google.se/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://www.dn.se/2.738/2.739/han-gor-drivmedel-av-svartlut-1.707006&sl=sv&tl=en - article in one Swedens biggest newspaper about this

http://www.chemrec.se/ - the company that builds the production site

This is not eco friendly. Read the article below.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gfe69Woon_43mEJbvRsdEmOc2GkgD9G8N55O0

There are high-efficiency wood boilers that consume all the waste from burning wood, including ashes and most of the smoke, so the pollution is actually quite small.

So far I haven't seen or heard about any biofuels that do not degrade sustainability; I'm not sure how they deal with wood soot, CO, CO2, etc. but in many areas biofuels are a poor use of water resources.

Of course what Sweden is doing is not an option for other Western countries (ie sparsely populated so enough space for vast forests) Although the USA could give it a go. Instead of corn ethanol subsidies that are just creating vast monocultures.

The forests of Scandanavia are so well managed that they are actually expanding! Therefore I think this a pure good news story.

Biomass is more than just wood pulp. Its yard waste and plants from farms during the off-season. There are a lot of grasses that can be planted to help with crop rotation and then its harvested for biomass fuel. Biomass also comes from algae (some places are even harvesting algae in a farm-like setting). Anything green. Trees are made into a wood pulp which has a greater surface area than a log, so it actually has more energy output.
I think its great that Sweeden is using more of other sources than oil!! Way to go Sweeden!

Göteborg Energi is planning a large-scale biogas plant which will utilise wood waste! More info: http://www.goteborgenergi.se/ English_Projects_GoBiGas__Gothenburg_Biomass_Gasificati
on_Project_DXNI-9238273_.aspx

Like its neighbors, Sweden has consistently taken the long view, in social safety nets, support for education for everyone, and now in sustainable biomass for energy. I would not mind paying their tax rates with such helpful policies and practices as the result.

the problem is in the way you obtend the wood, if you deforest prime forest to grow hight growth plants, your are more like a eco-killer... and that is what is happening now in the world...The palm is a big problem for al of us...
I can´t believe how the sweden are doing that kind of increase in so bad ecologic politic

if you wanto to know more about it
http://www.transportenvironment.org/News/2010/6/Biofuels-Recognised-by-the-European-Union--but-what-does-it-really-mean/

Bio Fuels are great and there are solar heating applications that may be used to speed up the production of biofuels.

I think bio fuels help to generate carbon neutral energy we can use sustainably generate. The palm oil experience is based on non sustainble use of forest as opposed to the Swedish expereince where each tree is replaced for each one used as a fuel.

It would be great to see Sweden make more use of electrical equipment at the point of usage as well. For example, electric cars, electric heating, etc. This helps to improve the efficiency of how the energy is consumed.

Look forward to your comments.

The report failed to mention that Sweden in the highest user of ETHANOL (mostly sugarcane ethanol imported from Brazil) in Europe .This biofuel as well as biodiesel are cheaper to import and cleaner for the enviroment ,at the same time helping development and employment in Third World countries ,a win-win situation
Bravo for Sweden!

Peppe:
You are correct "svartlut" is "black liquor"...

It is used as fuel for recovery boilers. Its a byproduct of the Kraft process.

It is about a 7:1 ratio product, 7 tonnes of liquor for 1 tonne of pulp.

...I'm from a pulp mill town, and I've known a few Swedes, plenty of them on my wife's side of the family... Wife is Swede/Finn.

Also quite familiar with Sweden's use of almost every bit of trees being used.

Brazil achieved the same thing over a year ago and nobody said anything.

In fact, the country now consumes more bioethanol than gasoline.

It is amazing how badly that country sells itself.

A pity, considering it is a role model in energy conservancy...

I THINK THE MORE WE PLANT CASSAVA, THE LESS DAMAGE EARTH BECOME..

Biofuel of course is a renewable fuel, but if is harvested at unsustainable rates its supply may diminish as well. In addition to this, it is produces carbon emissions when burnt. My vote is for solar and wind power.

Thats really an interesting trend in biomass rich Sweden.

I also heard, that they started some projects for the production of biomass-to-liquid (BtL)in Sweden. The production of this seconde generation biofuels will be a good bonus for the power production with solid biomass (wood).