Forests may yield fuel alternatives, WVU researchers say

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With high gas prices and concerns about diverting crops from food to fuel, West Virginia University researchers believe they've found a solution in the forests of the Mountain State. West Virginia is the third most heavily forested state in the nation, and the harvesting process yields around 2.4 million dry tons of wood residues each year. These residues include the waste left over from forest operations and management th and sawdust, chips and barks in sawmills.

(Media-Newswire.com) - With high gas prices and concerns about diverting crops from food to fuel, West Virginia University researchers believe they’ve found a solution in the forests of the Mountain State.

West Virginia is the third most heavily forested state in the nation, and the harvesting process yields around 2.4 million dry tons of wood residues each year. These residues include the waste left over from forest operations and management – and sawdust, chips and barks in sawmills.

“These wood wastes are sustainable and can be used as feedstock for biofuels, biogas and green electricity,” said Jingxin Wang, associate professor of wood science and technology in WVU’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Wang; Joseph McNeel, professor and director of the division; Jinzhuo Wu, a graduate research assistant in the program; and Tony Goff, a research technician, have conducted extensive research on the sustainability of wood residue as a source of bioenergy.

“With a conversion factor of 50-120 gallons of ethanol from one dry ton of wood chips, West Virginia could produce up to 159 million gallons of ethanol per year,” Wang said. “Even if a small fraction of woody biomass were used, a significant amount of bioenergy could be produced.”

The use of wood residues as feedstock for bioenergy may provide West Virginia a significant opportunity in economic development and energy independence, according to Wang.

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