Authors:
Harry Uosukainen, Henri Nybacka
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
biomass, carbon, energy, peat, peatland
Documentfile:
Uosukainen, Nybacka 2012: The Balance and Utilization of Finnish National Peat Biomass Resources
Summary:
Theme X. Peatland carbon budgets and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes
SUMMARY
4.8 mill. hectares of Finnish peatlands have been ditched for forestry, leaving 4.1 mill. ha of unditched peatland including 1.1 mill. ha of mires for conservation. Peat production amounts to 25 TWh/a (0,063 mill. ha). A total of 6.7 mill. ha of mires are actually engaged in binding carbon, which may be taken to bind a total of 3.44 mill. metric tonnes of carbon a year. Energy generation by means of peat will release about 3 mill. tonnes of carbon. While the annual mean increment in peat thickness for all virgin mires is 0.38mm, which in a repaludified peat production area is as much as 6.6 mm.