What about cutting down trees for woody biomass? There is regular discussion about this, especially on social media. Using facts, we explain that no trees are cut down specifically for woody biomass, but that woody biomass is a by-product of forest management and not a goal in itself.
Woody biomass is a collective name for all wood that is used to generate energy. Woody biomass consists mainly of low-quality wood (branches, top wood and trunks from thinnings) that is released as a residual product from forestry or sawdust from the woodworking industry. But wood from the recycling industry and residual flows from biochemistry (provided woody biomass serves as raw material) also fall under this category.
With the strictest sustainability criteria in the world, the Netherlands ensures that in addition to preserving biodiversity, there is also no unnecessary burden on nature.
Dutch and partly European forests provide the Netherlands with wood for paper and cardboard, wood products and energy. These forests show net growth. This means that the annual growth is greater than the annual harvest.
Facts and numbers
The Netherlands
Staatsbosbeheer harvests 265.000 m3 of wood per year. Its destination: 54% sheet material, 33% sawn and packaging wood, 7% firewood, 6% paper. 50.000 tons of biomass was released from residual flows, of which 64% came from forests, 34% from other nature reserves and landscape elements and 2% from nature restoration projects. (Source: Staatsbosbeheer annual report 2021).
Europe
Currently, EU forests are experiencing a net growth of just over 800 million m3 per year. Only 500 million m3 is harvested, mainly industrial roundwood for construction and for the production of furniture and paper.
(Source: Will the European forest and its firewood help Europe survive the winter? – WUR)
