Canadian Forest Service Publications
Comparing Alternative Biomass Supply Options for Canada: What Story Do Cost Curves Tell? 2018. Yemshanov, D.; McKenney, D.W.; Hope, E.S. BioResources 13(2): 3157-3164.
Year: 2018
Issued by: Great Lakes Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 39069
Language: English
Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)
Available from the Journal's Web site. †
DOI: 10.15376/biores.13.2.3157-3164
† This site may require a fee
Plain Language Summary
Policy makers and investors often need to consider trade-offs between alternative biomass-based energy supply options. We summarize supply cost potentials for three bioenergy feedstocks prevalent in Canada: agricultural residues, dedicated woody crops and forest harvest residues. Each feedstock appears to have its own particular cost characteristics. There is a clear distinction in average costs; however, as should be expected, this is somewhat dependent on the quantities involved. More importantly, this synthesis has revealed significant differences in the uncertainty associated with the cost estimates, with agricultural residues having the greatest variation, followed by woody crops and postharvest forest residues respectively. One implication of this uncertainty is that the attractiveness of each feedstock option will likely depend on local market demand conditions and producer circumstances, making definitive aggregate supply estimates challenging.
