Potential of Photosynthesis as A Renewable Source of Energy and Materials

Responding to recently published considerations concerning biomass as a renewable substitute for fossil fuels to provide at least part of the necessary total amount of primary energy annually consumed in an economy system the authors estimate capacity of photosynthesis in a case study of the Republic of Latvia (Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea). The calculations are made on the basis of recent inventory data on land use, distribution of forest land between the stands of the main dominating species, and the average level of forest productivity specific to species at felling age. Sustainable annual supply of dry biomass from the present forest area available for economic purposes is estimated being equal to 3.7 million metric tons the energy equivalent of species (aspen and grey alder) traditionally harvested for firewood including logging residues from timber wood comprising ~ 13 thousand GWh, which is equal to ~ 24% of the present annual consumption of primary energy.