Förädling Bränslekvalitet Åkerbränslen - Energimyndigheten

genetic maps of each species. Such genetic maps for willow have now been
developed within the project, and are used in the hunt for genetic markers that
influence important growth characteristics. The focus is on the characteristics high
growth-rate, resistance to insect pests and diseases, and tolerance toward frost,
drought and heat. The last of these characteristics is not least in importance for
maintaining and developing Sweden’s leading position in willow breeding now
that the interest for willow increases in southern Europe, and varieties with new
characteristics are in demand. The methods developed are expected not only to
render the selection of plants for onward processing more efficient – which will
reduce commercialization time for new kinds – but also to make the selection of
characteristics that are difficult to evaluate in the field more reliable. Another
important overall project goal is to see if it is possible to predict the production
capacity of a stand of willows in the field based on studies of young, potcultivated
saplings. Within Stage 2 of this synthesis project, an attempt to estimate
the time frame needed for the introduction of these developed methods in practical
use will be made.
The call for proposals regarding harvest technology for willow is expected to
generate alternatives to today’s harvest technology, as the latter has been
identified as a major bottle-neck for increased willow production. Harvest
technologies and methods that not only allow equipment harvest under difficult
weather conditions, but can also cope with thicker trunks and allows harvested
willow to be stored longer, are prerequisites for an increase in the use of willow.
Most of the resources in the Swedish Farmers’ Foundation for Agricultural
Research programme have been put into willow and straw fuels, but matters
concerning reed canary grass and hemp have also received support. The projects
mainly have the character of applied research that can be put into practice
relatively quickly, but there are also projects of a more general nature. Several
good examples of successful technological solutions, knowledge surveys and
preliminary studies that prepare the ground for continued research and
development are worth mention such as knowledge surveys and system studies in
which different aspects of fuel raw material capabilities are analyzed. Annual
crops such as hemp are interesting for growers and will become a necessity if
strong demand is to be met. However, one knowledge gap is which annual crops
would be the most cost efficient. Hemp has not been cultivated in Sweden for
many years, and never previously for energy purposes, so knowledge is lacking in
many areas. The biggest obstacle for hemp today however is its relatively high
cost. In order for hemp to be of interest, costs must be reduced through more
efficient methods and/or simultaneous income from seeds, fibres and oil.
Danish experiences regarding the systems and economics of harvesting,
transporting and storage of straw for energy purposes were collated. Programme
projects focused on reducing loading and transport costs of whole-crop cereals
and other straw-based fuels, the simulation of resources, costs and quality of straw
and how these are affected by weather, geography and the choice of handling
system. The amount of straw available for fuel purposes is estimated at just less
than 1 million tons per year, the equivalent of 3–4 TWh/year, which is almost a
halving of the estimate from the beginning of the programme. A field study
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