A Literature Review on energy Consumption and Efficiency in Chipping Operations

Chipping is a key operation in forest harvesting and bioenergy production. Understanding its energy use and efficiency is important for reducing costs and environmental impacts. From a financial management perspective, improving energy efficiency directly translates into lower operational and fuel-related costs. This review examines studies on fuel consumption, productivity, and emissions in chipping operations. The focus is on factors that influence energy use, such as chipper type, feedstock, terrain, and idling time. Data were compiled from journals, technical reports, manufacturer information, and international case studies. Chipping technologies are classified into mobile diesel, hybrid, and fully electric systems. The review highlights trends, trade-offs, and differences between systems. It also identifies gaps and inconsistencies in existing research. Finally, the paper discusses opportunities for improving efficiency and reducing emissions. These findings have implications not only for environmental performance but also for equipment investment decisions, cost structure optimisation, and long-term financial planning within forest operations. This review aims to guide future research and technology development in chipping operations.

Read this report here: Final-Literature Review Chipper Energy-revised

Authors:

Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan¹, Mark Brown¹, Sajid Anwar¹, Raffaele Spinelli², Natascia Magagnotti², Dan Bergström³, Robert Prinz³, Bruno Gagnon⁴, Hamed Kouchaki⁴

¹University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia

CNR – IVALSA, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden

Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Joensuu, Finland

⁴Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada