Woody biomass refers to the trees and woody plants, including limbs, tops, needles, leaves, and other woody parts, grown in a forest, woodland, or rangeland environment, that are the by-products of forest management. The harvest, sale, offer trade, or utilization of woody biomass to produce bioenergy and the full range of biobased products including lumber, composites, paper and pulp, furniture, housing components, round wood, ethanol and other liquids, chemicals, and energy feedstocks.
Forests occupy close to 760 million acres of the land in the US alone. A significant portion of the harvested materials are from fast-growing species specifically planted a source of raw materials. Changes in demand like the decreased use of paper and substitution of plastics for wood has lowered the demand and there is significantly more sustainable biomass available from the forests than is currently required. Forests need to be managed to maintain their health and productivity. The biggest threat is from forest fires, however, there are species conversion, invasive species management, insect, and disease management, and soil and water conservation actions are also considerations.
Our experts have worked for years converting renewable woody biomass into valuable chemicals and fuels. They know the logistics issues required in obtaining woody biomass feedstocks. They are aware of the effect of the composition of wood on the potential use. They are experienced with the recent developments in pretreatment, conversion and separation methods that are revolutionized the use of wood as sources of chemicals and fuel. It is clear that wood biomass will continue to play an important role in the bio-economy and that good consultants in this area can be your partner in financing, business development, and technology implementation.
With over 150 consultants worldwide, Lee Enterprises Consulting has the diverse experts and geographical reach to assist in virtually any bioeconomy project. Our highly qualified teams bring a unique integration of technical, scientific, regulatory and hands on experience to any project. Look at our experts and the services we provide. Most of our experts are also available to advise and serve as expert witnesses in bioeconomy litigation matters. For the larger projects, we specialize in putting together full service, interdisciplinary teams with one point of contact. See video about LEC here. Call us at 1+ (501) 833-8511 or email us for more information.