Performance evaluation of different techniques for firewood storage in Southern Europe

At present, many farmers prefer to use firewood instead of comminuted wood because it has a lower production cost and limited microbial activity during storage. The goal of this work was to assess the drying storage dynamics of different techniques for firewood storage adopted in Southern Europe (uncovered piles, piles covered with plastic sheets, and piles situated under roofs). In particular, the storage dynamics of firewood were analysed for three different tree species (poplar, beech, and black locust) for a period of 180 days (March-September). Storage dynamics were evaluated for the following key drying physical parameters: moisture content, temperature, heating value, dry matter, and ash content. Initial values of key parameters were different for all forestry species tested. Uncovered piles showed the same drying performance as piles under roofs. After the 180-day drying period, all three species showed a moisture content of about 18% and a lower heating value of 14.52 MJ kg(-1). In contrast, storing firewood in piles covered with plastic sheets did not show benefits in terms of moisture content losses and lower heating value increments. No variations were observed between initial and final values of the storage period for temperature, ash content, and dry matter losses.