Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry
Wood transportation is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions, which should be considered when the carbon neutrality of the forest industry is of concern. The EU is dedicated to improving technology for a carbon-neutral development. This study investigates carbon neutrality by improving roa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/11/1194 |
| _version_ | 1797548135613988864 |
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| author | Teijo Palander Hanna Haavikko Emma Kortelainen Kalle Kärhä Stelian Alexandru Borz |
| author_facet | Teijo Palander Hanna Haavikko Emma Kortelainen Kalle Kärhä Stelian Alexandru Borz |
| author_sort | Teijo Palander |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wood transportation is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions, which should be considered when the carbon neutrality of the forest industry is of concern. The EU is dedicated to improving technology for a carbon-neutral development. This study investigates carbon neutrality by improving road freight transportation fleets consisting of various vehicle size combinations. The environmental emission and energy efficiency of a transportation fleet were analyzed in selected wood procurement regions of Stora Enso corporation (Finland). Based on the enterprise resource planning (ERP) data (2018–2020), the environmental emission efficiency increased by 11% via 76 t-vehicles compared 64 t vehicles. The maximum reduction in fuel consumption was 26% for 92 t vehicles, though this was achieved when operations were fully adjusted to the maximum weight limit. The wood-based energy efficiency measure (wood energy/transport energy) was a useful development indicator. It showed that the adapted fleets of transportation companies support a positive development for a carbon-neutral forestry. In respect to the current legal fleet (64, 68 and 76 t), the use of 76 t vehicles increased energy efficiency most effectively, by 50%, compared to 64 t vehicles in the best region. Currently, transportation service providers and their clients are using ERP information to tailor their energy efficiency metric and to implement them locally in the transportation monitoring systems. A three-year sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the technological development of management tools to improve transportation efficiency is essential for larger and heavier vehicle utilization. In the future, the whole wood supply chain from forest to factory will also be optimized with respect to energy efficiency criterion to ensure a low-carbon forest industry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:54:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b28820a1cc794619b8943c197b29b4c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:54:10Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-b28820a1cc794619b8943c197b29b4c62023-11-20T20:43:29ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-11-011111119410.3390/f11111194Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest IndustryTeijo Palander0Hanna Haavikko1Emma Kortelainen2Kalle Kärhä3Stelian Alexandru Borz4Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, FinlandFaculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, FinlandFaculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, FinlandStora Enso, Forest Division, Wood Supply Finland, P.O. Box 309, FI-00101 Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Forest Engineering, Forest Management Planning and Terrestrial Measurements, Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Şirul Beethoven 1, 500123 Brasov, RomaniaWood transportation is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions, which should be considered when the carbon neutrality of the forest industry is of concern. The EU is dedicated to improving technology for a carbon-neutral development. This study investigates carbon neutrality by improving road freight transportation fleets consisting of various vehicle size combinations. The environmental emission and energy efficiency of a transportation fleet were analyzed in selected wood procurement regions of Stora Enso corporation (Finland). Based on the enterprise resource planning (ERP) data (2018–2020), the environmental emission efficiency increased by 11% via 76 t-vehicles compared 64 t vehicles. The maximum reduction in fuel consumption was 26% for 92 t vehicles, though this was achieved when operations were fully adjusted to the maximum weight limit. The wood-based energy efficiency measure (wood energy/transport energy) was a useful development indicator. It showed that the adapted fleets of transportation companies support a positive development for a carbon-neutral forestry. In respect to the current legal fleet (64, 68 and 76 t), the use of 76 t vehicles increased energy efficiency most effectively, by 50%, compared to 64 t vehicles in the best region. Currently, transportation service providers and their clients are using ERP information to tailor their energy efficiency metric and to implement them locally in the transportation monitoring systems. A three-year sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the technological development of management tools to improve transportation efficiency is essential for larger and heavier vehicle utilization. In the future, the whole wood supply chain from forest to factory will also be optimized with respect to energy efficiency criterion to ensure a low-carbon forest industry.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/11/1194environmentenergyefficiencyCO<sub>2</sub>wood transportationrenewable wood |
| spellingShingle | Teijo Palander Hanna Haavikko Emma Kortelainen Kalle Kärhä Stelian Alexandru Borz Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry Forests environment energy efficiency CO<sub>2</sub> wood transportation renewable wood |
| title | Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry |
| title_full | Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry |
| title_fullStr | Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry |
| title_short | Improving Environmental and Energy Efficiency in Wood Transportation for a Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry |
| title_sort | improving environmental and energy efficiency in wood transportation for a carbon neutral forest industry |
| topic | environment energy efficiency CO<sub>2</sub> wood transportation renewable wood |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/11/1194 |
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