Performance of an Innovative Bio-Based Wood Chip Storage Pile Cover—Can It Replace Plastic Tarps?

There is currently great general interest in reducing the use of fossil-based materials. Fossil-based tarps are still widely used as cover for wood chip storage piles, causing additional waste or requiring further treatment supply chain. This study aimed to investigate performance an innovative bio-based pile compared conventional treatments (plastic-covered and uncovered) eastern Finnish conditions. The experiment evaluated drying process during stemwood chips 5.9 months storage. It included developments temperature, moisture content, heating value, energy basic density, particle size distribution, dry matter losses a total six piles. As result, forest dried by 11%, with dry-matter 4.3%, when covered bio-pile cover. Using plastic covering, 22%, 2.9%. At end experiment, content plastic-covered piles was 6.1% higher than uncovered 3.1% bio-pile-covered While differences key parameters can be observed, between those tarps, well were not statistically significant. We conclude that cover, under studied conditions, do render better conditions current practices. However, our indicates possible fossil-substitutional benefits using which calls R&D work this matter.