Operational costs of harvesting logging residues for use as energy: Final report
Costs of harvesting logging residues for use as energy were developed from a field study of skyline logging in two old-growth timber sales in National Forest in western Oregon. Three levels of utilization were specified for the harvest units: material down to 8 inches diameter at the large end by 10 feet in length, to 6 inches by 6 feet, and to 4 inches by 4 feet. Average harvesting costs for all material were approximately $9.00 greater per thousand board feet of total log production on the units cutting to 6 by 6 than on the units cutting to 8 inches by 10 feet, and $14.00 greater on the units cutting to 4 inches by 4 feet than on the unit cutting to 8 by 10. On a weight basis, the cost of removing residue materials 8 inches by 10 feet, and larger was $49.60 per ovendry ton, which included the costs of yarding, chipping for boiler fuel (hogged fuel), and hauling 40 miles to a utilization point. When material down to 6 inches by 6 feet was removed in addition, operating costs for the material between 8 by 10 and 6 by 6 averaged $56.90 per ovendry ton. When all sizes were removed operating costs increased the equivalent of $63.10 per ovendry ton of material between 6 inches by 6 feet and 4 inches by 4 feet. If yarding and hauling residue 9 miles to a disposal site are considered land management costs not chargeable to the utilization process, then the extra cost of chipping and hauling another 31 miles to a utilization point would be only $24.40 per ovendry ton. Incremental yarding and loading costs related to individual piece size increase sharply for pieces under 5 cubic feet in size. Incremental costs also increase sharply for combined log volumes under 200 cubic feet per turn. 16 refs., 21 figs., 23 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Forest Service, Portland, OR (USA). Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI51-81RO00861
- OSTI ID:
- 5766846
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/R0/00861-T1; ON: DE87013425
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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