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Forestry Sector and Circular Bioeconomy: A Necessity, Opportunity, and Source of Pride for Chile

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Rodrigo O’Ryan Blaitt, General Manager of John O'Ryan Surveyors and President of the Chilean Biomass Association (AChBIOM).

It is evident that the way we interact with the environment requires abrupt and large-scale changes. We can no longer continue emitting polluting gases, liquids, and solid materials that end up destroying ecosystems, exterminating species, generating global warming, and harming living beings, among many other ills. As humanity, our days are numbered if we fail to find a solution to this problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to transition to a new model based on the efficient use of resources derived from renewable and environmentally friendly sources. This is where the concepts of "Bioeconomy" and "Circular Economy" come into play.

Bioeconomy encompasses the production of renewable biological sources and the conversion of these resources and waste into value-added products such as food, feed, bioproducts, and bioenergy (Source: European Commission 2012).

The Circular Economy is based on the principle that "the value of products, materials, and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible, and waste generation is minimized" (European Commission 2015). This places special emphasis on the efficient use of resources (economic and ecological), not just waste, which is treated as a resource, in line with the previous policy of the European Community. The action plan includes two sectoral priorities directly linked to the bioeconomy: food waste and efficient biomass conversion.

The concepts of Bioeconomy and Circular Economy share similar objectives and overlap to some extent, but neither is entirely a subset of the other. Without delving too deeply, let us consider Circular Bioeconomy as the intersection of "Bioeconomy" and "Circular Economy."

It is in this context that the forestry sector proves highly relevant, as it is and will increasingly become a vital player in the development of a "Circular Bioeconomy." Below are some key references to its main contributions in this challenge:

1. Bioenergy: Green Energy

This involves using biomass as a replacement for fossil fuels. Currently, bioenergy generated from biomass (excluding biogas) is the leading renewable energy source both in Chile and globally, accounting for about 65% of production. Additionally, it is the second-largest energy source—just slightly behind diesel—in Chile’s primary energy matrix, representing around 25% of it.

Looking ahead, the International Energy Agency states that to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2050, we must reduce the share of fossil fuels in the energy matrix from 80% to 20%. To accomplish this, the modern use of biomass must increase by approximately 60% compared to its current share.

2. Chemical Products and New Types of Biofuels

Forest biomass has a high content of "green carbon." This characteristic is especially relevant in Chile, a future international leader in "green hydrogen" production. Both carbon and hydrogen compose many chemical products required in all aspects of our activities, particularly biomaterials, bioplastics, and other biopolymers. With "green carbon" and "green hydrogen," we can establish a "green chemical industry" that is sustainable from economic, environmental, and social perspectives, meeting the international market's need to replace oil and its derivatives with renewable raw materials that have a low environmental footprint. In parallel, it is worth mentioning new climate-neutral fuels, known as "efuels," which are produced using energy generated from the sun, wind, or other renewable sources.

3. Biomaterials, Bioplastics, and Biopolymers

The negative environmental footprint associated with transforming fossil raw materials into everyday products, along with the need and possibility of sequestering carbon for long periods in bio-based products—helping to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations—makes the production of a wide variety of biomaterials, bioplastics, and biopolymers highly promising. These include products and applications ranging from insulating panels with eco-sustainable/fire-resistant coatings, wood construction, bio-based adhesives, paints, asphalt materials, textile fibers, biodegradable plastics, and many others.

4. Fine Chemicals

Wood, bark, and foliage from tree species contain a wide variety of compounds that protect trees from fungal and insect attacks, provide natural resistance to decay, and prevent degradation reactions with atmospheric oxygen, among other functions. These compounds open a broad field for developing high-value fine chemicals for diverse industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials.