Properties of Wood Waste Stored for Energy Production

Storage of wood biomass is not a new concern, but our current focus on using wood for renewable energy has brought it back to researchers’ attention. Since much of the past research done on pile storage relates to paper pulp chips, most of it dates to the 1960s and 1970s. Fiber shortages during that period caused increased interest in higher pulp yields (Zoch, Springer, & Hajny 1976). Further interest in the use of whole trees came about from the energy crisis of the late 1970s. Recent efforts by the government to create a U.S. energy portfolio rich in renewable resources have renewed this interest (Foust, et al., 2007; Perlack, et al., 2005). Many barriers stand in the way of the use of wood biomass for energy. This publication focuses on problems and control of the rate of degradation and decomposition of wood biomass in storage.