Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Utilization of Logging Residues for Bioenergy in Turkey

Although using logging residues for bioenergy is not a new issue for countries such as Sweden, Finland, Austria, Germany, etc. that are developed in terms of forestry, it is a new issue that requires studying for countries such as Turkey. This study investigates the views of forest engineers working in forest enterprises, researchers working in forestry research institutes and academicians working at universities concerning the use of logging residues for bioenergy that are not currently used in energy production. Within the framework of the study, a questionnaire was sent out to 181 forest engineers, 77 academic staff members and 29 research institute employees, a total of 287 respondents. According to the results of the study, logging residues that are either left in the forest floor or collected by forest villagers for the purpose of fire wood have a favorable potential for energy and forestry if they are used in bioenergy production. Thus, the issue is substantial and of primary importance for Turkey. On the other hand, there are barriers in developing bioenergy sector and using logging residues for this purpose. In order to remove these barriers, first of all, forestry administration should clarify its strategies and policies related to the issue.