Short Rotation Forestry
Unlocking New Zealand's Green Energy Future with Short Rotation Forestry
20 May 2024
A groundbreaking two-year research project by Scion has unveiled the promising potential of short rotation forestry (SRF) to revolutionize New Zealand's energy landscape. This innovative approach could significantly reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and support our journey towards a circular bioeconomy.
Key Findings:
Economic and Environmental Benefits: SRF can diversify regional economies, contribute to sustainable land management, and generate substantial environmental benefits.
Efficiency and Impact: Scion’s modeling indicates that SRF could replace 6% of New Zealand’s annual fossil fuel demand using less than 1% of the land area.
Ideal Species and Regions: Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus fastigata, and Eucalyptus regnans are identified as ideal species for SRF due to their rapid growth and adaptability. The Central North Island, Northland, the East Coast, and Otago are highlighted as prime regions for SRF implementation.
Practical Guide: A new handbook provides a comprehensive ‘how-to’ guide for landowners, forest investors, and government agencies, outlining the feasibility and regional suitability of SRF.
What is SRF? Short rotation forestry involves growing and harvesting trees on a much shorter cycle—between 12 and 18 years—compared to the conventional 28-year cycle. This approach ensures a steady supply of biomass for renewable energy production, which includes wood pellets, torrefied briquettes, and liquid biofuels.
Strategic Benefits:
Low Value Land Utilization: SRF can be established on economically marginal lands, maximizing productive capacity and increasing economic viability.
Emission Reduction: By displacing fossil fuels and promoting carbon sequestration, SRF significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Community Transformation: Regions suited for SRF can transform their economic base, creating a resilient and sustainable energy future.
Challenges and Future Steps: Despite its potential, SRF faces challenges such as the current low value of bioenergy feedstock and land costs. Scion’s research recommends integrating the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) carbon value to incentivize investment. Collaborative trials with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are underway to test the practical implementation and optimize tree genetics for bioenergy.
Looking Ahead: By 2035, SRF could see 150,000 hectares of dedicated bioenergy forests, contributing to at least 5% of domestic fossil energy demand and displacing up to 4 Mt CO2 from coal annually.
Scion’s research is a critical step toward a sustainable, green energy future for New Zealand. The SRF handbook is now available, providing invaluable insights and practical steps for those looking to be part of this transformative journey.
Read the handbook here https://scionresearch.com/?a=113096