Long term storage of poplar chips in Mediterranean environment

Industrial poplar plantations reach maturity in about 10-15 years, showing a wood productivity that is hardly achieved by other broadleaf species. Among the possible uses of this product, the energetic production is one of the most promising as it can offer additional revenues to plantation owners. However, the difficult handling and the large volumes occupied by crowns during storage decrease significantly the convenience of the recovery. Therefore, efficient and affordable storage methods need to be identified in order to make this product more manageable and profitable. The main goal of the research is to understand the dynamic of a long-term storage lasting 18 months and the effects of storage on fuel quality in both stem and crown of poplar chips. Storage performance were evaluated with respect to moisture content, dry matter losses, particle size distribution, bulk density, and fuel quality before and after storage. Contrary to the results obtained in Northern climates, this study revealed the poor storability of poplar chips, regardless the plant component (bole, branch, crown) considered, showing in the worse cases dry matter losses higher close to 50% and final moisture mass fraction increases to about 70%.