Richard Sikkema

University of Limerick | UL · Dept. of biological sciences

The European Atlas of Forest Tree Species is the first comprehensive publication of such a unique and essential environmental resource, that is, our trees. Leading scientists and forestry professionals have contributed in the many stages of the production of this atlas, through the collection of ground data on the location of tree species, elaborat...

European Union set an ambitious 20% target of its energy consumption from renewable resources 20% by 2020. The aim of this paper is to assess the contribution of solid biomass to renewables use in the EU. During 2010e2018 the share of solid biomass increased from 6.1% to 8.0% of total GFEC, an increase of almost 300 PJ. The paper identifies leading...

Large 2020 stakeholder consultation about climate change & support measures among Dutch forest owners Out of a survey among more than 1,000 Dutch forest owners (response rate 24%), it can be concluded that 80 percent of the owners are increasingly affected by natural disturbances like drought, storms and insect attacks. Many forest owners and – ma...

Background Forest carbon models are recognized as suitable tools for the reporting and verification of forest carbon stock and stock change, as well as for evaluating the forest management options to enhance the carbon sink provided by sustainable forestry. However, given their increased complexity and data availability, different models may simula...

Wood is an energy efficient, low carbon construction material that if carefully managed can contribute significantly to European climate policy goals in urban environments. The aim of this study is to assess the current construction wood use intensity ─ the ratio of apparent national consumption of wood for construction (in m3) to the useful floor...

Zoom presentation about the supply side of forest resources; demand side of wood; forest owner response curves and the use of dedicated models under the Paris Climate Agreement (global carbon stock take). The elements are extracted from the recently closed Forclimit project (2017-2020) and some other sources. The conference subtheme is: "Forest ed...

Corrigendum Addendum to "How can solid biomass contribute to the EU's renewable energy targets 2020, 2030 and what are the GHG drivers and safeguards in energy-and forestry sectors?" [Renew. Energy 165 (2021) 758e772]

Hoe kunnen beheer- en inrichtingsmaatregelen die bijdragen aan meer klimaatbestendig bos, natuur en landschap, in SNL (Dutch subsidy scheme for nature and forest management) worden geintegreerd? Dat was de kernvraag die de Stuurgroep Natuurterrein, bos, landschap en houtketen (AgroConvenant) stelde aan de Federatie Particulier Grondbezit (Associati...

The European Union has increased its ambitious targets by raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources from 20% by 2020 to 32% by 2030. For the aim of the analysis carried out in this paper the EU countries are divided into three groups having as main criteria the share that the use of solid biomass used for electric...

To promote synergies between circular bio-economy and various biomass uses to the fullest, only efficient biomass to energy conversion should receive public support, except for security of power supply. Financial support should focus on cost-effective methods for increasing energy efficiency, which would lead to a reduction in energy consumption. A...

The tendency towards increased use of biomass plays an important role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and complies with the EU Directive "Promotion on the use of energy from renewable sources". For our quick scan we focus on the Directive’s principle of ‘energy efficiency first’. Our study provides a global overview on the use of solid...

A video (tutorial) to highlight methodology, results and conclusions of our poster presentation.

A video (tutorial) to highlight the proceedings.

This paper aims to present a comparative analysis of biogas electricity deployment in EU countries over the period of 2010-2017. The analysis shows that the deployment of biogas electricity is mainly linked to the moment of the shift in the support framework, the maturity of tenders and the feasibility of long-term objectives. With 200 incentives i...

FORCLIMIT WP6 task: Analysis of mitigation incentives and forest owner response curves, in consultation with forest stakeholders, to identify mitigation strategies based on local/regional needs, forestry technicalities, national policy requirements and local societal challenges.

Cascading use of biomass is a recognized strategy contributing to an efficient development of the bioeconomy and for mitigating climate change. This study aims at assessing the potential of cascading use of woody biomass for reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and increasing the overall wood flow efficiency in the European Union’s forest and bi...

As part of the energy transition efforts, most bioenergy policies are strongly driven by the ambition to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and substitute fossil fuels. The challenge is to properly select the fossil fuel “baseline” comparators for each form of bioenergy for any given national context. Based on existing literature as well as data...

As part of the energy transition efforts, most bioenergy policies are strongly driven by the ambition to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and substitute fossil fuels. The challenge is to properly select the fossil fuel "baseline" comparators for each form of bioenergy for any given national context. Based on existing literature as well as data...

This paper aims to produce a quantitative approach on the overall measures and on public support framework for biomass for energy, based on the EU countries reports under RED and existing literature. The way in which the support for biomass is implemented in the EU energy sector is not similar across EU countries. Feed-in tariffs and feed-in-premiu...

Pellet Innovation Panorama. The energy transition offers many opportunities for new solutions, products and services – also in the pellet sector. In this session, a variety of examples demonstrate the wide range of possibilities.

Figure 1 is updated by FAOSTAT data

The targets for renewable energy in the European Union (EU) have resulted in a surge in the use of wood pellets. The EU-28 consumption has outgrown domestic production, resulting in increasing net imports. This study analyses the drivers of the use of pellets for heating (non-industrial pellets). An enquiry directed to biomass and pellet organizati...

The development of renewable energy sources (RES) is a priority for the EU. This report provides a compilation of the different support schemes and measures implemented by he EU countries since the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive (RED) came into force. It focuses to a large extent on the information provided under RED's formal reporting process, co...

The presentation aims to produce an outlook on the (i) bioenergy progress in the EU over 2005-2016; (ii) some considerations for sustainability and conversion efficiency; (iii) overall measures related to the biomass use for energy in the EU; (iv) the support framework for biomass in electricity, heating/cooling and transport in the EU;

ECE/TIM/SP/42 Wood Energy in the ECE Region highlights the use of wood for energy and includes the most recent statistics on wood energy markets across the UNECE region. It aims to communicate the relevance of wood energy in the region and help bridge information about the forest and energy sectors. It also intends to offer some of the best-availab...

Table 4 is corrected after the release of article in Journal of Cleaner Production to improve readability and understanding

This article addresses the question of how forestry projects, given the recently improved standards for the accounting of carbon sequestration, can benefit from existing and emerging carbon markets in the world. For a long time, forestry projects have been set up for the purpose of generating carbon credits. They were surrounded by uncertainties ab...

Cascading use of biomass is a recognized strategy contributing to an efficient development of the bioeconomy and for mitigating climate change. This study aims at assessing the potential of cascading use of woody biomass for reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and increasing the overall wood flow efficiency in the European Union’s forest and bi...

Revised Abstract (Note: Appendix A Supplementary Data and Revised Table 4 can be found in Data section of ResearchGate) Cascading use of biomass is a recognized strategy contributing to an efficient development of the bioeconomy and for mitigating climate change. This study aims at assessing the potential of cascading use of woody biomass for red...

Satisfying an increasing wood demand for material and energy in EU?s future bioeconomy is a big challenge. Under the spotlight of EU?s climate and energy policies, wood is a key contributor to the renewable energy targets. The aim of our paper is to review and discuss how forests and wood can sustainably and efficiently contribute to such intensifi...

The poster provides information related to the biomass supply for energy use in the European Union

The European Union has set ambitious targets of raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources from 20% by 2020 to 27% by 2030. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of woody biomass in renewable energy as gross final energy consumption in the European Union (the EU-28). The paper identifies leading and lagging c...

Five questions (theorems, points-of-view) to facilitate discussion during the roundtable session # 3, called EU’s 2020 targets for renewable energy. Website: http://www.argusmedia.com/events/past-argus-events/europe/2017/argus-euro-biomass/print/

The main objective of the SIMWOOD project is to develop and test innovative approaches to multifunctional forestry and specifically, to enhance wood mobilisation across Europe. We present recommendations, on behalf of project partners, for policy-makers and research priorities in view of future Horizon 2020 projects. The research gaps (section 2) a...

The European Union has set ambitious targets of raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources from 20% by 2020 to 27% by 2030. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of woody biomass in renewable energy as gross final energy consumption in the European Union (the EU-28). The paper identifies leading and lagging c...

Cascading use of biomass is a recognized strategy contributing to the development of the bioeconomy and for mitigating climate change.This explorative study highlights the potential of cascading use of woody biomass in the wood production chains to contribute to a reduction of environmental impacts related to wood resource and energy use, but it al...

The European Union (EU) aims to utilize 20% renewable energy sources (RES) for its gross energy consumption by 2020, and 27% by 2030. Woody biomass already plays an important role for the production of heat and electricity. In addition to domestic supplies, a considerable share of the EU renewable energy is imported, particularly in the form of woo...

A bio-based economy may be defined as one using “... production paradigms that rely on biological processes and, as with natural ecosystems, use natural inputs, expend minimum amounts of energy and do not produce waste as all materials discarded by one process are inputs for another process and are reused in the ecosystem". The transition towards a...

The common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) is a small-medium deciduous tree which usually grows 20-25 m in height, rarely exceeding 30 m. In winter it is recognisable for its brown leaves which stay attached, dropping only in spring when the new green leaves are starting to come out. Its natural range extends from the Pyrenees to southern Sweden and...

Carpinus orientalis Mill., commonly known as oriental hornbeam, is a small tree or shrub commonly found on dry and rocky slopes of low elevation mountains in South-East Europe. Its wide distribution range reaches through the Black Sea to the Caucasus region. It is a frugal and drought-resistant species, which prefers calcareous soils and is frequen...

Satisfying an increasing wood demand for material and energy in EU's 2030 bio economy is a big challenge. Under the spotlight of EU's climate and energy policies, wood is a key contributor to the renewable energy targets. How can forests sustainably and efficiently contribute to such intensified goals? EU's existing legal frameworks for legal timbe...

Corrigendum of affiliation details

For ordering a full colored copy of the PhD thesis: please contact UU library via http://dspace.library.uu.nl/ =====+++====Brief summary=====+++=== From energy outlooks, it becomes clear that global bioenergy consumption is expected to grow further; specifically the demand for wood for electricity and heating, together with agricultural biomass f...

For ordering a full colored copy of the PhD thesis: please contact UU library via http://dspace.library.uu.nl/.

For ordering a full colored copy of the PhD thesis: please contact UU library via http://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/304548.

The first objective of this paper was to provide an inventory of developments of certification schemes for sustainable biomass production, following recent EU legislation (both formalized and under development). One main pillar is the EU Timber Regulation for legal harvesting; a second one is the EU’s 2010 recommendations for sustainable woody biom...

Following the adoption of EU’s Forest Strategy by the European Commission in 2013, the Joint Research Centre in Ispra (Italy) is developing a Forest Information System for Europe (http://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/). As such, the JRC is analyzing the role of forests in the bioeconomy of Europe. Bioeconomy refers to the production and conversion of bio...

Forest biomass is one of the main contributors to the EU's renewable energy target of 20% gross final energy consumption in 2020 (Renewable Energy Directive). Following the RED, new sustainability principles are launched by the European energy sector, such as Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP or former IWPB). We have a reference situation with exist...

Some Parties (Countries) to the UNFCCC decided to include the carbon uptake by harvested wood products (HWP) in a new general accounting framework after 2012 (post Kyoto). We combine the new HWP framework with an assumed increased 50 million m 3 harvest level in Canada and evaluate the impact of the GHG emissions over a 100 year period. Our referen...

Europe’s future wood demand for energy is expected to increase by 10 million to 200 million m3 in the period 2010-2030. This will be supplied by both domestic sources (forests, industrial residues post-consumer wood waste), but also from sources outside Europe. The EU-28 predicts a near future (2020) gap between solid biomass supply and demand for...

The Inbio project aims to make low-value woody biomass flows available for the production and export of industrial wood pellets to EU markets. In case of post-consumer wood waste, pellets could not be certified in the Inbio-A project. Following our investigation in Inbio B: wood waste pellets may become certifiable in near future, as more sustainab...

Some Parties (Countries) to the UNFCCC decided to include the carbon uptake by harvested wood products (HWP) in a new general accounting framework after 2012 (post Kyoto). The analysis aims to make a comparison between the cascaded use of HWP and the use of wood for energy. We combine the new HWP framework with an assumed increased 50 million m3 ha...

Appendices to the article "The GHG contribution of the cascaded use of harvested wood products in comparison with the use of wood for energy—A case study on available forest resources in Canada" (Environmental Science and Policy 31 (2013): 96-108.

In order to give an impression of “Wood pellet and chip certification and sustainability compliance”, we have highligted the outcome of a Dutch inventory study (commissioned by RVO) about the sustainable export of pellets and other woody biomass to EU. The aim of that project is to evaluate which certification framework may be suitable for the comp...

ЕЕвропейское регулирование древесных и биотопливных рынков. Вслед за новой директивой ЕС в области возобновляемой энергетики - EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED), новый законодательный акт в области древесной продукции - EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) – может существенно повлиять на рынок древесных топливных гранул. Основная задача EUTR– предотвращен...

With regards to the deliverables of the project, we would like to recommend the following: 1. Examples of biomass fuel supply contracts used in the international practice. Based on an investigation that covered various aspects of a supply contact of a modern Dutch CHP’s it was found that the difference in biomass contracting between Belarus (Bilejk...

Based on the findings described in this report, Control Union Certifications (CUC) has verified that Nationaal Groenfonds’ Bosklimaatfonds does comply with the Carbonfix standard v3.2. This decision is based on an extensive audit whereby all applicable requirements have been assessed during the course of 1 year (from fall 2010 to fall 2011). During...

The wood pellet market is booming in Europe. The EU 2020 policy targets for renewable energy sources and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction are among the main drivers. The aim of this analysis is to map current European national wood pellet demand and supplies, to provide a comprehensive overview of major market types and prices, and to discu...

Supplementary files to BioFPR article

a b s t r a c t This study compiles and analyses national-level data on land use change (LUC) and its causes in Indonesia and Malaysia over the past 30 years. The study also explores the role that palm oil has played in past LUC and that projected growth in palm oil production may play in LUC until 2020 and suggests strategies to minimize negative...

The European wood pellet market is booming: concerns about climate change and renewable energy targets are predominant drivers. The aim of this analysis is to compare typical wood pellet chains from the purchase of the feedstock from sawmills to the conversion into heat or electricity. Cost structures, primary energy inputs and avoided greenhouse g...

The aim of the pellets@las project is to develop a transparent European pellets market through the collection and provision of detailed information on all pellet markets across Europe. Market data, such as produced and available quantities and regional sales prices are made available through a public web-based information platform. In order to cove...

Summary & Conclusions Production volumes and capacities More than 650 000 tons per of pellets were produced in Russia in 2008. We expect that more than 850 000 (and even up to 1 000 000 tons) tons of pellets could be produced per year by the end of 2009.The production capacity of pellet plants was more than 1 290 000 tons per year in 2008. We expe...

The international biomass trade in the Netherlands has been growing strongly over the last few years, but information on the corresponding volumes, origins and prices is barely available. The objectives of this paper are to quantify imported and exported biomass volumes and origins, and identify drivers and barriers behind the trade flows. Data col...