With the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy, the European Union has introduced initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the “Fit for 55” legislative package. One cost-effective and environmentally beneficial strategy is to increase the material use of renewable biomass, particularly lower-quality wood resources, which are abundant in Slovenia.

The project Simulation and optimisation of potential valorization routes for lower quality wood in Slovenia (V4-2512) aims to increase the economic and environmental potential of lower-quality wood by identifying high-value transformation pathways into durable products with extended lifespan. Currently, over 30% of harvested wood in Slovenia is classified as lower-quality and primarily used for energy production, limiting its contribution to the national economy and environmental goals.

The research focuses on analyzing the current state and availability of lower-quality wood in Slovenia. It also examines best practices from Slovenia and selected European countries and explores opportunities to integrate post-consumer and waste wood into new processing streams. Using simulation and mathematical optimization models, the project develops a data-driven decision-support tool to optimize production, investment and policy decisions in the valorization of lower-quality wood.

The project started in September this year and will run until the end of November next year. It is coordinated by InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM team, led by Dr. Balázs Dávid and including Dr. Črtomir Tavzes, Lea Primožič, Dr. Andreja Kutnar and Dr. Miklós Krész. Among project partners are University of Ljubljana’s Biotechnical Faculty and Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport. The project is funded by ARIS and MGTŠ.

Expected outcomes of the project work include a proposal of a portfolio of economically viable, high-value products from lower-quality wood, guidelines for enhanced domestic biomass utilization, reduced carbon footprint and improved competitiveness of Slovenia’s forest-based industries. The project also provides strategies for extending the service life of wood-based products while promoting sustainable construction and material use.

Authors: Lara Prah, Dr. Balázs Dávid, Dr. Črtomir Tavzes, Lea Primožič, Dr. Andreja Kutnar, Dr. Miklós Krész