Forest Resources LCA
Develop a cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) for the forest collection processes and conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) using the TRACI method (Bare 2002) to determine comparable environmental footprints from harvest to utilization.
Provide relative comparisons of fuels (torrefied wood and pellets) to fossil fuel sources and biochar to the alternative of prescribed burning and/or wildfire impacts as federal land management tools.
Biochar Processing, Torrefied Wood, and Densified Briquettes LCAs
Develop a cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) for biochar processing, torrefied wood, and densified briquettes and then conduct life cycle assessments (LCAs) using the TRACI method (Bare 2002) to determine comparable environmental footprints from harvest to utilization.
Organizations completing task
- University of Washington Forest Resources LCA
- Woodlife Consulting/ Biochar Processing LCA
- USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory
Milestones
- Forest Resources LCA: LCA and spatial analysis for Biochar Processing Torrefied Wood and Densified Briquettes LCAs
Deliverables
- Life cycle inventory and assessment report for forest resources and biochar production including upload of data into the US LCI database
- Comparative analysis of forest resource impacts from wildfire and biochar production processes including sensitivity analysis of predicted impacts on forest productivity of biochar application
- Life cycle inventory and assessment report for torrefied wood products and densified briquettes production including a comparison with the impacts of fossil fuels and an upload of data into the US LCI database
Reports
- Alanya-Rosenbaum, S., R. Bergman, I. Ganguly, and F. Pierobon. 2018. A comparative life-cycle assessment of briquetting logging residues and lumber manufacturing coproducts in Western United States. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. ASABE special collection publication. 34(1): 11-24.
- Alanya-Rosenbaum, S., R. Bergman, and E. Oneil. 2017. Cradle-to-gate life-cycle inventory of torrefied briquettes from post-harvest forest residues. White Paper.
- Alanya-Rosenbaum S, and R. Bergman. 2016a. Gate-to-gate life cycle inventory analysis of briquetting post-harvest logging residues. In: Proceedings, Forest Products Society 70th International Convention. June 26-28, 2016. Portland, OR. 8 p.
- Alanya-Rosenbaum S, and R. Bergman. 2016b. Gate-to-gate life cycle inventory analysis of torrefying post-harvest logging residues. In: Proceedings, Forest Products Society 70th International Convention. June 26-28, 2016. Portland, OR. 8 p.
- Puettmann, M., K. Wilson, and E. Oneil. 2017, Life cycle assessment of biochar from post-harvest forest residues, Final Report. December 13, 2017. Pp. 50
- Oneil, E.E. and M.E. Puettmann. 2017. Life cycle assessment of forest residue recovery for small scale bioenergy systems. Chapter 2, pp. 27-37 in: Oneil, E.E., J.M. Comnick, L.W. Rogers, and M.E. Puettmann. 2017. Waste to Wisdom: Integrating Feedstock Supply, Fire Risk and Life Cycle Assessment into a Wood to Energy Framework. Final report on Waste to Wisdom: Subtask 4.2, 4.7 and 4.8. HSU BRDI grant DE-EE0006297. December. 50 p.
