BioInnovation has identified a great need to increase knowledge and basic understanding of biogenic carbon flows and where there is potential for increased resource efficiency. There is also a need to identify research needs to enable increased resource efficiency of bio-based carbon.
The purpose of the area analysis “Biogenic Carbon Flows with a Focus on the Wood Industry” is to describe the biogenic carbon flows from Swedish primary production to industry, society, including reuse, recycling, export, and import. A previously conducted area analysis mapped the forest biogenic carbon flows, which is now complemented by a detailed review of the wood-using industry (as well as an area analysis of biogenic carbon flows from the agricultural sector).
Mapping of the Wood Industry’s Value Chain
The mapping aims to diversify flows for the biogenic carbon used in the wood industry’s value chain. The value chain is often defined as the Swedish primary and secondary processing wood industry, including sawmill industry, wood manufacturing, and furniture industry:
- The sawmill industry includes companies that disassemble logs into sawn timber and also plane and surface-treat sawn timber for the building materials trade and directly for the construction project market.
- The wood manufacturing industry consists of manufacturing companies that buy sawn and planed products from the sawmill industry. The strategic groups are created after the intended end products in sub-sectors that can be gathered into larger groups such as houses, prefabricated building systems, advanced components/finished products, interior building components, joinery, and packaging products.
- The furniture industry consists of companies that mainly manufacture components and finished furniture for private or public use.
In addition to these, actors in the value chain that receive by-products from these, i.e., those who reuse, recycle products, or use them for energy production, are included. The building materials trade is also an actor in this context. The mapping is limited to national flows starting in the sawmill, through the wood industry’s value chains with by-products, as well as recycling and reuse. Recycling and reuse of exported flows are excluded.
Project Goals
- Map today’s biobased carbon flows in value chains within the wood industry
- Develop an illustrative description of biogenic carbon flows from primary production and onwards in the value chains for forestry-based value chains.
- Identify areas for more efficient use of biomass
- Identify new uses for by-products and discuss development needs through stakeholder dialogue.
Implementation
In addition to mapping flows and their sizes, a stakeholder dialogue with relevant actors from the wood industry, industry organizations, and representatives from BioInnovation will be conducted to identify where there is potential to increase the use of carbon in the wood industry’s value chain, as well as development needs and drivers among the actors. At the project’s final stage, a roundtable discussion will be held to discuss research and development needs that have emerged and to anchor proposals for future research and development work. The project concludes with a seminar to present the results and how the results should be managed and taken forward.
Actors, Budget, and Timeline
The assignment is carried out by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden between April and October 2024. The project has a total budget of 300,000 SEK.
Steering Group
- Anders Brolin – StoraEnso
- Marie Johansson – RISE
- Per-Anders Hansson – SLU
- Sverker Danielsson – Chair, BioInnovation