Biomass Production

Research and Education Lines

Evaluation of biomass production systems, focusing on different plantation systems and cultivations dedicated to the sustainable production of biomass for traditional and emerging bioeconomy uses.

Forest biomass production, focusing on all aspects related to production, including intensive silviculture, efficient operations, optimised logistics and final transformation into higher added value products.

Integrating risk in biomass production, focusing on the integration into forest and plantation management of different disturbances and risks that affect prodution

Governance of natural resources and bioenergy, focusing on the social acceptance of biomass production systems and the sustainable intensification of forest management for the production of biomass.

Advanced courses in Forest Sciences

3513129 Production and energy use of lignocellulosic biomass (6 ECTS)
Essentials: Basic concepts of lignocellulosic biomass supply and production from managed forests, plantations and sources of different industrial by-products. Research and analysis tools for evaluation and estimation of existing biomass resources and potentials. Basics for analysis of harvesting and transportation logistics of energy wood. Complementary knowledge: Heat production technologies; introduction to bio-energy conversion technologies, with focus on thermal combustion and gasification. [link to the course]

3513019 Bioenergy markets and policy (6 ECTS)  
Essentials:  Overview of the markets for biomasses for energy production and biomass based value chains globally and within the European Union (EU), including the supply, quantity, demand, and consumption as well as consumer market aspects. Fundamentals of the policies that have impacts on the supply and consumption of wood energy biomass. Complementary knowledge: Bioenergy governance at local and global level. International bioenergy business, role of bioenergy for the development of rural areas and entrepreneurship. [link to the course]

Advanced courses in partner institutions

Production of non-food biomass (3 ECTS)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden)
The major focus of the course is on the available and potential sources of non-food biomass from forestry, agriculture, residues and other sources that can be used in a biobased economy, for biofuels, biomaterials etc., in a Swedish and global perspective. Additional issues addressed are the further use of these resources and their potential implications on sustainability. [link to the course]

Economics of local and global wood biomass production for energy (5 ECTS)
Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University (Russia)
The course is a jointly organised by all CBU-FOR partner universities with St. Petersburg State Forest Technical University being the host university and the University of Easter Finland as the coordinating university of CBU-FOR. Bringing together CBU FOR students from Russia and Finland this course is an essential part of the studies included in the CBU FOR Master’s Degree Programme. [link to the course]

6053002E Research methods applied to wood biomass production (3 ECTS)
North West Agriculture & Forestry University (China)
The course is organised by the North West Agriculture and Forestry University, at Yangling, Shaanxi, China, and it is the result of a long cooperation with the University of Eastern Finland, being offered annually since 2011. The course is a core course of the curriculum of the NWA&FU, open to exchange students, and focuses on all aspects of biomass production for energy, covering forest and plantations as sources, and entailing aspects of management, sustainability, policy, economics and trade. The course this year gives especial emphasis on research methods applied to the study of the estimation of bioenergy potentials. [link to the course]

International Winter School: management of natural resources (3+2 ECTS)
Kazakh National Agrarian University (Kazakhstan)
The course is part of the Winter School of the Kazakh National Agrarian University (Almaty, Kazakhstan). The purpose of the International Winter Master School is to obtain new knowledge, practical skills, the development of innovative technologies and methods of research. The programme is oriented to Master’s, Doctoral degree students and young scientists in order to increase their knowledge and acquire practical skills. The program includes lectures, master / training classes and round tables, which will allow forming professional and interpersonal competencies among students. [link to the course]