Fuel-wood plantations

A good opportunity for rural areas

Political decision-makers in Germany and at the European level are expecting sustainable growth in the contribution of biomass to the production of energy. One major requirement, however, is the creation and safeguarding of an adequate fuel base. Fuel-wood plantations provide an opportunity to develop additional assured sources of fuel for the climate-friendly production of energy. This form of timber production has its origins in traditional coppicing. Nowadays the land that can potentially be cultivated in this way is largely fallow arable land with barren soil. Fuel-wood plantations therefore provide good opportunities for adding value to a rural area, yet without competing with food production. At the same time they make an excellent contribution to the preservation of fossil energy sources.

10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) are planned

Over the next few years we want to plant approx. 75 million fast-growing trees on areas totalling about 10,000 hectares or 25,000 acres. This will clearly exceed the normal growth achieved by conventional woodlands. Under normal conditions these plantations should yield about 10 metric tonnes of dry matter per year. The harvesting cycle is between 2 and 5 years. Several tree species are suited for this purpose:

• Poplar
• Willow
• Robinia
• Paulownia

We usually obtain the required space on long-term leases. Opportunities for growing such trees are available throughout Europe. Climatic conditions are particularly favourable in south-eastern Europe, although we also see good prospects for large-scale contingents in Germany.

Fuel-wood plantations and biodiversity

Short-rotation plantations provide a form of complementary land use and therefore present a solution to the usual tension between agriculture and forestry. From an environmental perspective, fuel-wood plantations offer clear benefits over intensive agricultural use. Once established the plantations have a lifetime of 20 years. Due to this less energy is required for the planting and harvesting of trees, and there is also a marked reduction in the use of herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and fertilisers. Moreover, the level of biodiversity is much higher in tree plantations than in agricultural monocultures. Although our plantations do not achieve the same biodiversity as an intact forestry area, they nevertheless help to protect against soil corrosion and assist in the formation of humus.

Planting trees at a fuel-wood plantation