Increasing the dry matter and energy yield of poplar biomass in Flanders

Merely 2% of the gross energy consumption in Flanders (Belgium) is covered by biomass. Key questions to be addressed are (1) how the future regional biomass supply for renewable energy production will be ensured, and (2) how this feedstock can be converted most intelligently into energy. We propose selecting and deploying highly productive poplars - in terms of both yield and quality - in short-rotation cultures (SRC) on marginal arable land. These poplars should provide readily accessible biomass that is adapted to thermochemical conversion technologies and for combined heat and power generat... Mehr ...