Feedstock shrinkage (or dry matter loss) and quality reductions are major problems during feedstock storage. Shrinkage and quality reduction risks and mitigation strategies vary widely from region to region. Although rigorously developed targets for dry matter losses have yet to be developed, the general consensus is that they must be less than 5% for all feedstock types.

Specific research needed in this area includes:

• Assessing storage options and their effects on dry matter losses, compositional changes, and functional biomass changes specific to resource type and regional variables

• Establishing baselines of storage systems costs at scales from 0.8 million tons/year to 10 million tons/year to identify key cost and infrastructure issues and develop paths to minimize industrial-scale storage costs

• Understanding soluble sugar and carbohydrate loss and evaluating the feasibility of pre­venting or reclaiming those soluble sugars and carbohydrates from the feedstock during storage

• Developing cost-effective methods of large-scale bulk storage that reduce handling, elim­inate bulk flow problems, and minimize adverse physical changes that may affect plant processing.