Forest products industry studies biomass impact

An information provider for the forest products industry, has released a report examining the emerging biomass industry and how it could potentially affect U.S. timber supply and prices.

The report, titled “The Emerging Biomass Industry: Impact on Woodfiber Markets,” examined whether enough woodfiber supply is available to meet the accelerating demands for advanced biofuel production as mandated by the renewable fuels standard (RFS) and current and proposed renewable portfolio standards (RPS). The study’s authors determined that if woodfiber were to account for approximately one-third of the total RFS and renewable portfolio standard requirements, overall demand for woodfiber would nearly double by 2023. “Clearly this additional demand for wood is not realistic, and would place demands on the nation’s forests that are unsustainable,” the study stated.

Co-author of the report Erik Kankainen, senior timber analyst at RISI, told Biomass Magazine that the current supply of woodfiber in the United Stat