WILLOW AS AN ENERGY CROP IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES

摘要

The aim of this study is to give a state of the art description of willow cultivation in the Nordic countries, i.e.Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Presently, the Nordic agricultural sector is in a process ofrestructuring, whereby traditional agricultural production will be reduced markedly. As a result it is estimatedthat about 1.7 mill. hectares of agricultural land will withdrawn from traditional use. Willow (Salix spp.)could be an ideal plant for biomass production in the Nordic countries because of its favourable energybalance and adaptability to the different climatic conditions. In addition, growing of willow for energypurposes would be viable when all the social benefits and costs of the cultivation are taken into consideration.In the Nordic countries, willow for energy purposes is cultivated commercially only in Sweden. The totalarea is about 16.000 hectares, of which 14.500 hectares are located in Sweden. Through plant breeding theaverage yield has been increased by 100% and the resistance to pests and diseases has been largely improved.The required production level is at the limit of what is possible to achieve with techniques and plant materialavailable today. An important aspect is also that the production chain from planting to boiler is commercialtoday. There are a large number of heating and power plants throughout the Nordic countries, which coulduse willow as fuel. Therefore, willow could be an interesting alternative to crop growing for farmers in theNordic countries.