Production and market barriers of solid forest biofuels in Mexico From the enterprises’ perspective

Abstract

Bioenergy is an important alternative for the reduction of fossil fuel use and the mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. There is a growing global market for forest energy carriers (FECs), such as wood pellets and wood chip fuel. Mexico has a large potential for forest resources to be used as sustainable FECs. However, there are important barriers for the production, commercialization, and use of these biofuels. This study is based on the perspective of forest enterprises to identify the barriers for the production and market of these products in Mexico. Representatives from 58 enterprises were interviewed. These companies operate in the country’s major forest regions. They produce or have the potential to produce one or several of the following FECs: charcoal, fuelwood, wood chip, wood pellets, industrial fuelwood, bark, and sawdust. The results indicate that market entry barriers, such as the current low demand and low prices of FECs, limit their production and use. Other limiting factors include low management and technical capacities, as well as inadequate infrastructure and equipment to produce carriers (such as charcoal, wood chips, and wood pellets). Results also prove that barriers depend on the type of company and the type of TEF they produce. Enterprises producing more than one FEC face more barriers because they are generally not specialized and produce residues from the saw milling process.