As a conclusion, the application of a cheaper storage
solution leads to significant cost reduction at the storage and
handling stage of the biomass supply chain, which results in
considerable cost savings for the whole biomass logistics
function. This reduction exceeds by far the extra cost imposed
by biomass material losses and increased handling cost
characterising the simpler storage solutions applied. However,
side-effects of applying cheaper storage solutions without
biomass drying, such as heating value reduction of the biomass,
health and fire risks, etc., should be further investigated.
Consequently, the need for a detailed logistical analysis for
each potential application of a bioenergy exploitation system,taking into account the specific details of the locally prevailing
biomass types, is pinpointed.
Based on the case study results it can be inferred that when
simple and cheap storage solutions can be used, choosing the
cheapest biomass type available appears to be the wisest choice.
On the other hand, multi-agricultural biomass approach appears
to be attractive for systems where expensive storage solutions
are used, in order to reduce the storage space required.
In real world conditions, the positive effect of biomass
drying during storage depends strongly on the moisture level of
the incoming biomass. If the biomass types used are brought for
storage with small moisture content (e.g. 15–20%), then the
effect of biomass drying during storage is not so significant, and
therefore storage without drying can be safely used. However,
agricultural residue biomass types are usually characterized by
high moisture content when collected (usually 40–50%) and
there is no time available to let them dry in the field, as the
farmers need, in most cases, to prepare the land for the next crop
and biomass will decay if left in the field. If biomass is stored
with high moisture content without drying, then the problems of
quality degradation, material loss, fire danger or even formation
of microbes dangerous to human health may become critical.