Environmental Impact Assessment of Logging Residue Utilization for Increased Bioenergy Production from Scots Pine Forest Stands in Lithuania Using a Life Cycle Approach

Abstract

The strategic importance of forest biomass as a renewable energy source is growing across the EU, driven by climate goals, energy security, and the abundance of logging residues. While logging waste offers considerable potential for bioenergy production, its life cycle environmental impacts remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluates the impacts of utilizing Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) logging residues for energy production in Lithuania using a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA). Two harvesting scenarios were assessed at midpoint and endpoint levels: one excluding and one including logging residues. The results show that about 173.2 tons of biofuels can be produced from one hectare of Scots pine forest over a 100-year cycle, generating up to 513.6 MWh of energy when residues are utilized. The LCA revealed improvements in 9 of 18 impact categories, with greenhouse gas avoidance increasing from –52 to –89.5 t CO2 eq, and overall endpoint impacts decreasing by nearly 39%. The novelty of this study lies in applying established LCA methods with region- and species-specific data, partly obtained through monitoring, for Scots pine residues in Lithuania, while extending system boundaries to include soil degradation, storage losses, and ash management—providing a more holistic and Northern Europe-relevant perspective.