Willow short-rotation coppice profitability assessment. A case study in Belgium

This paper deals with the economics of a willow short rotation coppice (SRC) production and valorisation pathway: a case of small scale electricity production by gasification in Belgium. A detailed specific economic model (ECOP), run with the key values of a reference scenario, calculated a cost of SRC delivered to the conversion plant of 92.5 EURO odt(-1), and a global project net present value of 18,000 EURO ha(-1) (project duration: 28 years). The model was also used to identify the most relevant parameters determining the project profitability and their sensitivity, and it considered the impact of the harvest option.