Contribution of wood energy to reaching the Serbian national renewable target 2020

Abstract

The paper shows research results for the woody biomass potentials for energy, their actual utilization, consumption of wood energy and its contribution to achieve the national target for Serbia 2020. Research results show that in 2015 total technical potentials of woody biomass for energy in Serbia amount to 7.97 million m(3) meeting the criteria of their sustainable use out of which 4.7 million m(3) or 59% is the estimated stemwood potential. Consumption side of woody biomass for energy shows its consumption in the amount of 7.5 million m(3), which gives positive difference of 469 thousand m(3) annually compared to possible potentials. Small difference between technically available potentials and their present utilization indicates the fact that the level of using the existing woody biomass potentials in Serbia is on the upper limit of its sustainable use. Therefore, further investments in the area of wood energy production should be planned carefully. Regarding the contribution of wood energy to final energy consumption (385,315 TJ) in Serbia in 2015, it was 61,042 TJ or 15.8 percent.