Comparative evaluation of calorific value, wood density, and moisture content for sustainable bioenergy production of major tree species in Pakistan

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Abstract

The growing need for alternative energy sources underlines the need to identify woody species with favorable characteristics that might produce sustainable biomass fuels. In this regard, ten widespread and extensively distributed species from Punjab, Pakistan, were investigated for fuel properties such as calorific value, wood density, and moisture content. For the experimental study, mature trees were chosen, and wood samples were obtained and analyzed for calorific value using an oxygen bomb calorimeter. Similarly, wood density and moisture content were measured using standard methods, followed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD), and Pearson correlation. For all the factors evaluated, the results revealed statistically significant differences across species. Prosopis cineraria (4484.9 kJ/kg), Vachellia nilotica (4377.3 kJ/kg), and Eucalyptus camaldulensis (4254.2 kJ/kg) had the highest calorific value, while Bombax ceiba (2087.5 kJ/kg) had the lowest calorific value. Similarly, Vachellia nilotica (820 kg/m3) and Prosopis cineraria (790 kg/m3) had the highest wood densities, which ranged from 300 to 820 kg/m3. The moisture content of chosen species ranged from 6.3 to 19.3%, with Vachellia nilotica and Prosopis cineraria having the lowest moisture content values. This study found a significant positive correlation (r = 0.928, P < 0.001) between wood density and calorific value, indicating that dense wood contains more energy. Thus, Prosopis cineraria, Vachellia nilotica, Dalbergia sissoo, Casuarina equisetifolia and E. camaldulensis have outstanding fuel qualities, therefore, could be promising for plantations of fuelwood and biomass energy generation programs in Pakistan.

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