ECONOMIC EVALUATIONS OF BIOMASS PLANTATIONS

ABSTRACT A series of production and utilization alternatives were proposed for short rotation Populus biomass plantations. A model was developed for the first rotation operation of a commercial-sized plantation managed under various strategy/site options. Data was obtained from research plantations established under four strategies (control, irrigation, fertilization and fertilization-irrigation) and on two sites representing favorable and unfavorable inherent growth conditions. The rotation length was 4 years and the trees were spaced at .6 m × .8m intervals. A linear programming model of a 924 hectare commercial plantation determined the most financial and energy efficient approach among the various options. The model used the technical parameters from each option and the financial and energy costs for capital, labor, land and material inputs. Biomass output was priced on the basis of an energy equivalent value derived from commercial coal. The model indicated the optimal strategy to be fertilization on the best site. This option provided a three fold increase of energy input to output and recovered over 90% of the first rotation financial costs.