The Energy Potential of Firewood and By-Products of Round Wood Processing—Economic and Technical Aspects

According to most energy demand forecasts, woody biomass has the potential to become an important source of renewable energy, especially during the transitional period of energy transition. The aim of this article was to estimate the energy potential of the biomass from the forest and the biomass generated by the mechanical processing of wood raw material and also to show the spectrum of possibilities for the potential use of the biomass for energy production in Poland. This research used available statistical and literature data on the species structure of harvested wood and the qualitative and assortment structures of woody biomass. The basic parameters of the raw material were evaluated in accordance with the EU classification of energy wood. This study confirmed the relationship between the energy potential of woody biomass and energy demand in Poland. The correlation coefficient for these variables was r = 0.984. This correlation was reflected in the significant shares of biomass in the production of electricity (more than 9%) or heat (almost 14%). Energy wood resources in Poland are smaller than in other European Union countries, which affects the scale of the potential use of woody biomass for energy purposes. Nevertheless, the use of such a biomass is fully justified from the point of view of possible development.