Wood fuels handbook - Food & Agriculture Organisation
Prepared by: Dr. Nike Krajnc Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Pristina, 2015
INTRODUCTION
Wood biomass is a renewable and CO2 neutral source of energy, which, if used in a sustainable and efficient way can contribute to a cleaner environment. Wood has been used as a source of fuel for millennia and is still used in households around the world. Wood is the most important source of energy for the majority of households in South East Europe; the main form of wood fuel used in the region today is wood logs. Wood pellets are used mainly in bigger towns (urban areas), while wood chips are slowly entering the market. We can find new pellet producers, as well as some new wood chips producers. The main problems identified in wood fuel consumption in the region today are:
- Wood fuel is used in old stoves and boilers that are inefficient and have high emissions.
- Wood fuel has a high water content (water content is higher than 30 percent).
- Wood fuels are often sold as solid m3 but in reality buyers get stock m3.
- There is lack of relevant information for both users and producers.
To help users and wood fuel producers we have summarized some information in this handbook. The information in this booklet comes from various sources and has already been published in the publications listed in the bibliography. The main aim of this publication is to provide useful information on wood fuels to a variety of stakeholders in the wood biomass production chain.