VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed a new technique based on gasification, which offers a sustainable way to turn forest industry byproducts, such as bark, sawdust and forestry waste, into transport fuels and chemicals. The new technique reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 90% compared to fossil fuels.

The new approach uses gasification to turn biomass into intermediate products – liquid hydrocarbons, methanol or methane – in production units integrated with communal district heating plants or forest industry power plants. The intermediate products are processed further in oil refineries to make renewable fuels or chemicals.

VTT developed and piloted the new gasification process and evaluated the competitiveness of plants based on the technique in the course of a recently concluded project called BTL2030. The distributed generation process developed by the project team makes efficient use of the energy content of biomass. Approximately 55% of the energy content is turned into transport fuels and a further 20-25% can be used to provide district heating or to produce steam for industrial processes. The new technique reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 90% compared to fossil fuels.

The process is based on VTT’s low-pressure, low-temperature steam gasification technology, simplified gas purification and small-scale industrial syntheses. Thanks to the small-scale approach, the heat generated by the process can be used throughout the year, and the process can be fuelled with local waste. Finland’s previous plans have involved considerably larger gasification-based diesel plants, the raw material demands of which could not have been satisfied with locally sourced waste.

Source: VTT Finland

China’s forestry sector output reached 7.33 trillion yuan (about 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2018, 2.88 percent up from than in 2017, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The growth came amid the country’s ongoing drive for environmentally-friendly development, as the government banned grazing on degraded grasslands, increased financial input and stepped up law enforcement in the sector.

China’s desertified land has shrunk by 10 million hectares since 2012, while nearly 34 million hectares of forest has been planted, bringing the national forest coverage to 21.66 percent.

China unveiled a plan last November to enhance land greening and boost domestic ecological resources. Under the plan, China will increase its forest coverage to 23.04 percent by 2020, while the volume of forest resources will expand to 16.5 billion cubic meters.

Source: Xinhua Net

From May John Deere Construction & Forestry and Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) Pty Ltd. (HCA) have agreed to end a successful 29 year distribution arrangement of Deere branded and manufactured construction, forestry, and compact machinery in Australia. As the joint businesses expanded over the years, so have each company’s priorities in various markets around the globe.

“John Deere Construction & Forestry Company (Deere) and Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (Hitachi) have a long and successful global partnership spanning multiple continents and product lines,” said Dan Fitzpatrick, global director of construction & forestry sales outside of the Americas.

“This partnership served both companies well and supported each company’s global growth over the multi-decade relationship. Over the course of the next five months Deere and HCA will work together to execute a seamless transition of business to John Deere Limited’s newly appointed construction and forestry dealers in Australia.”

As of May 1, 2019, RDO Equipment Pty Ltd (RDO Equipment) will be appointed the authorized John Deere Construction & Forestry Dealer for John Deere Limited in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory. AFGRI Equipment Pty Ltd. (AFGRI) will be appointed the authorized John Deere Construction & Forestry dealer for John Deere Limited in Western Australia.

“John Deere Limited, HCA, RDO Equipment and AFGRI are committed to working together to ensure this transition has minimal impact on customers’ access to machines, parts, and/or service,” said Fitzpatrick.

“Similarly, John Deere Limited, HCA, RDO Equipment and AFGRI are committed to smoothly transitioning customers who have existing agreements and service contracts with HCA. We believe this change in distribution will allow both companies to increase focus on their respective brands and provide a world class experience to customers across Australia.”

The changes announced in this press release have no impact on Deere and Hitachi’s partnerships or distribution arrangements outside of Australia.

Tilhill Forestry has anounced that another six members of staff have gained their Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) Professional Member’s status.

The Company supports the Institute and endeavours to see all applicable staff achieve chartered status. The company pays the membership subscription fee and supports staff members as they plan their route to chartered status.

Tilhill’s Forestry Director, Tim Liddon FICFor said: “Membership of the Institute has long been encouraged at Tilhill Forestry. Externally and internally within Tilhill Forestry, chartered status denotes an individual’s standing within the profession.  It demonstrates a commitment to Continuing Professional Development and a commitment to follow a Code of Conduct and I am delighted that we now have a further six professional forest managers within our forestry team. Many congratulations to them.”

Our staff also consider that achieving ICF status is a significant step up in their careers. Upon gaining his chartered status Byron Braithwaite, Forest Manager Central Borders said: “I am excited for the opportunities that certification will offer me. Thanks to the colleagues that supported me through the process.”

In addition to Byron, Tilhill’s other successful staff were Forest Managers Andrew Fisher, Colin Corkhill and David Crozier, Senior Forest Manager Callum Nicholson and Head of Investment & Property Bruce Richardson.

Dr Stuart Glen, Institute of Chartered Foresters added: “The Institute of Chartered Foresters is delighted with another record number of applicants promoted to Professional Member status last year. Chartered Status denotes standing within the forestry profession. It gives staff parity with other professionals e.g. Architects, Landscape Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, Environmental Scientists, Planners, etc., many of whom employees will encounter on a regular basis in day-to-day activities. This notion of parity and recognition across professions is highly important to many members.”

Tilhill Forestry’s latest ICF Professional Members:

Byron Braithwaite, Forest Manager

Byron Braithwaite joined Tilhill Forestry in 2015 following the completion of his degree at Bangor University. As part of his degree he spent a year working with the Forestry Commission in Central Scotland and he completed Tilhill Forestry’s graduate programme. He now manages a broad range of forests in the Scottish Borders.

Colin Corkhill, Forest Manager

Colin Corkhill is based at Alton in Surrey giving him management responsibilities across a swathe of Southern England. He has been working in the industry for over 10 years, initially studying Lowland Woodland management at Sparsholt Agricultural College, where he was awarded Best Overall Performance by Royal Forestry Society.

Colin is thrilled to be receiving member status and of learning of his success said: “Becoming a Professional Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters has been something I have aspired to since I began my forestry career with Tilhill Forestry back in 2011.  The recognition by my peers of my hard work and dedication to the implementation of sound forestry and silvicultural practices across southern England is highly gratifying.  This is truly the pinnacle of my career to date and an accolade of which I am extremely proud.”

David Crozier, Forest Manager

Forest Manager David Crozier covers the North West of Wales, managing client properties. He holds a BSc Honours degree in Countryside Management from Harper Adams University. With experience working as an Estates Manager in Derbyshire, David has since developed an interest in forest diversification and adding value to commercial conifer plantations.

Speaking of his success David said: “Last year was a very big and crazy year for me – I had the letter through confirming my ICF status a few days after my son Bertie was born. It was a good week for me and the ICF news was the cherry on top!

“I consider that membership of the ICF is important because it’s a stamp of professionalism that demonstrates trust and competency for anyone with a chartered status. For me, personally, it was a huge relief to ‘get there’ after a lot of hard work and preparation throughout last year and I am proud to put the ‘MICFor’ letters after my name.

“The promotion has provided a confidence boost and has cemented my position as a forest manager within Tilhill Forestry. Throughout the process Tilhill has provided huge amounts of support to get me to this stage, which would have been impossible without the experience gained in my role. I enjoy carrying out CPD events and networking that the ICF provides and I will continue to play an active role in engaging with the ICF community.”

Andrew Fisher, Forest Manager

Andrew Fisher, Central Borders Forest Manager is focused on commercial forestry management and large scale woodland creation for a wide range of forest owners, he was one of only two applicants this year to be presented with an Award of Excellence for his PME submission.

Andrew said: “I am very pleased to have been promoted to full chartered status, it is the culmination of 5 years of hard work toward this achievement. Drawing on all my knowledge and experience gained during my time in the industry. Chartered membership of the ICF is the mark of professionalism within the industry, so I am very proud to have this against my name. Beyond that the organisation will offer networking, learning and knowledge sharing opportunities throughout the industry.

“I am very pleased and proud my work has been chosen for the Award of Excellence, even more so now I know there were only two issued within the 52 promotions!”

Callum Nicholson, Senior Forest Manager

Callum Nicholson, Senior Forest Manager, North Highland joined Tilhill Forestry in 2016 after seven years working for Forest Enterprise in North Scotland. He completed his BSc in Forestry and Conservation with distinction from the University of Highlands in 2016. Callum’s background is in forest establishment, maintenance operations, GIS mapping and the preparation of forest management plans for both commercial and native woodlands and he has been heavily involved in the development of SRDP woodland creation projects, with an emphasis on native woodland expansion.

Callum said upon receiving the news: “I am delighted to have gained chartered status. It’s important to me as it demonstrates professionalism to both clients and colleagues. I see it as a very important achievement towards my continued development as a Forester, by attending thought provoking ICF events and having access to such a wealth of information and the opportunity to network with industry colleagues.”

Bruce Richardson, Head of Investment & Property

Head of Investment & Property, Bruce Richardson originally worked in the financial services industry and afterwards completed a Masters degree in Forestry before joining Tilhill Forestry in 2012. Bruce supports both individual and corporate clients with property acquisition, valuation and woodland creation projects. He also leads on several projects such as the production of the annual UK Forest Market Report. Commenting on the recent promotion he said:

“Coming into forestry as a second career it was very important to me to be able to provide assurance to my clients (and myself) that I can be trusted as a competent professional in my new career and that I am recognised as such by my peers.

“The demanding entrance process, the requirement for continuous development, all governed by a strong Code of Conduct, enforces this professionalism. Surprisingly, I found the entrance process itself was a confidence booster, as it gave me the chance to reflect on what I have achieved and see how far I have travelled since joining Tilhill Forestry.”

Photo: Andrew Fisher, Central Borders Forest Manager

Tilhill Forestry is seeking graduates with drive, passion and enthusiasm who are interested in a career within the forest sector with the industry’s leading company.

High-achieving forestry graduates, or those studying for a degree or about to graduate in forestry or related subjects such as land management, environmental studies or horticulture, will be ideally placed to join Tilhill Forestry’s three-year graduate programme. Successful applicants are assigned to a district office or business stream where they learn every aspect of that area, including shadowing highly experienced colleagues. Graduate trainees are offered mentoring and are paired with an experienced manager during their training period.

Tilhill Forestry Managing Director George McRobbie said: “This is a very exciting time to join the forest industry and Tilhill Forestry is a superb company to work for with a wide variety of roles across the UK on offer. There is the added benefit of being part of the BSW Group – BSW is the UK’s largest sawmill company.

“We are looking for graduates with drive, enthusiasm and passion for managing and creating forests and working outdoors.”

Tilhill Forestry offers all its employees a friendly and challenging work environment with good personal and career development opportunities. The Company operates a unique management development programme that starts by building up employees’ management skill sets in order to give them all the tools required to be our managers of the future.

Applications opened in December with placements starting in June 2019. If you’re a recent graduate or studying for your degree, you can find out more about our graduate opportunities by visiting the careers section at www.tilhill.com Applications should be emailed to careers@tilhill.com and the process closes on 10th February 2018.

Softwood lumber exports from Brazil have increased 36% from January through November this year as compared to the same period in 2017, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly.

In US dollar terms, the export price has only gone up a modest three percent from the 3Q/17 to the 3Q/18, but because of the weakening Brazilian Real, there has been a 26% increase in the export price in the local currency over the past year. This development has led sawmills to expand export sales, which has resulted in higher demand for sawlogs.

As a consequence, there has been continued upward pressure on log prices, which reached a new all-time-high in the 3Q/18, according the Wood Resource Quarterly. This increase is a continuation of a trend that started in 2013 when sawlog prices averaged BRL125/m3.

In US dollar terms, Brazilian sawlog prices have declined the past year because of the strengthening dollar and in the 3Q/18 were at their lowest levels in over two years.

Despite excess regional supplies of both pine and eucalyptus pulplog, prices in the local currency have increased slightly this year. Eucalyptus pulplogs have gone up three percent from the 3Q/17 to the 3Q/18, while average prices for softwood pulplogs have increased 1.3% during the same period, reports the WRQ. However, in the Southern region of Brazil, prices for pine pulplogs have declined somewhat, which was an unwelcome development for the many small independent land owners and timberland investors in the region.

The limited price improvements over the past few years, oversupply of pine pulplogs, and potentially more attractive land-use alternatives in the agricultural sector, have led some landowners to choose to plant agricultural crops rather than trees. There is a concern that if many current owners of forest plantations choose this path, there will be insufficient supply of wood raw-material for the forest industry in the southern states in the future.

Ufkes Greentec b.v. the developer and producer of forestry machinery, such as wood chippers, stump grinders and forestcutters, has been active in the German market for a long time now.

Schültke GmbH is a family business and market leader in selling Rayco stump grinders throughout the whole of Germany. By joining forces Schültke can facilitate the German market even better and provide optimum service.

From North Rhine-Westphalia (Sundern) we are strategically positioned to easily facilitate sales, service and parts. As extension of Ufkes Greentec b.v. our employees can always be informed about the newest developments and trained to provide the best customer support.

Schültke GmbH is excited to get the opportunity to continue expanding the company and its team. The acquisition matches our ambitions for further growth in Germany. Ufkes Greentec b.v. has been the market leader for PTO driven and built on stump grinder for years. Together with the wide range of Rayco self propelled stump grinders the target is now provide the right machine for all customers.

With a professional range of Greentec wood chippers, Greentec Forestcutters and Greentec stump grinders, together with Rayco stump grinders, Schültke Ufkes Greentec GmbH now offers the complete range for forestry, authorities and landscapers.

Greentec machines are widely deployed in Germany and are recognized for their robust built, high-tec control, easy maintenance and customized solutions. From the compact, 30 cm infeed, crane fed, car towed chipper up to machines with 600 HP.

A recent development for the forestry sector in Ireland has been the launch of Forest Industries Ireland.

Ireland has a significant strategic advantage over its international competitors with higher forest growth rates, cutting edge processors and increasing scale over the coming decades.

Strong government support demanding an increase in forest cover (currently just 1 in 10 acres is planted) aligned with a modern industry sector can ensure it contributes to expanding the rural economy for the benefit of all, together with all the environmental benefits that emanate from a healthy, vibrant forestry sector.

Veon Ltd is a prominent member of Forest Industries Ireland.

For more click here.

Photo:  Daragh Little, Managing Director Forestry of VEON Ltd; Fergal Leamy of Coillte; Brian Murphy, FII Chairman; Mark McAuley FII Director at the launch of Forest Industries Ireland.

Morbark, LLC, has recently announced that it has completed the acquisition of DENIS CIMAF, Inc., based in Roxton Falls, Québec.

This transaction represents the company’s second acquisition since private equity firm Stellex Capital Management LP acquired Morbark in 2016. The acquisition of Rayco Manufacturing in October 2017, brought a lineup of innovative equipment into the Morbark family across multiple product categories.

In particular, Rayco stump cutters, aerial trimmers, forestry mulchers and crawler trucks. The purchase of DENIS CIMAF is another step in the Company’s strategic focus on broadening the range of tree care and industrial equipment, aftermarket parts, and service offered to their Customers.

Founded by Laurent Denis and his wife, Monique Vaillancourt, in 1998, DENIS CIMAF specializes in the development of high-performance brushcutter-mulcher attachments for excavators, skid steers, forestry tractors, graders and other types of heavy equipment.

The company manufactures four main lines of products: the DAH series, industrial mulcher attachments for excavators; the DAF series, attachments for skid steers and other dedicated carriers; the DTN series, industrial brushcutters-mowers for roadside maintenance; and the EWF series, dedicated hydraulic power packs. The Company celebrated its 20th anniversary in business this past summer.

“The DENIS CIMAF team and I are extremely excited to be joining the Morbark family,” said Benjamin Denis, the newly appointed General Manager of DENIS CIMAF.  “DENIS CIMAF is a fantastic business with committed and passionate associates, a great track record and enormous global potential. Being part of the Morbark family will enable us to continue to grow the business farther and faster.”

Dave Herr, Chief Executive Officer of Morbark, commented, “DENIS CIMAF’s line of attachments are complementary to our current tree care and industrial product lines. In fact, DENIS CIMAF mulcher heads have been an available option on our Rayco carriers for many years. The company’s patented mulcher head design has enabled them to become the mulcher head attachment of choice among intensive vegetation control, land clearing, roadside transmission lines, pipeline maintenance, and forest fire prevention contractors.”

Transaction Highlights:

• The transaction is a positive, strategic fit for both companies. DENIS CIMAF brings a lineup of patented, innovative equipment into the Morbark family across multiple product categories and will enhance the Morbark carrier product line.
• Benjamin-Pierre and Simon Denis, sons of DENIS CIMAF founders, Laurent Denis and Monique Vaillancourt, will continue to lead the DENIS CIMAF team to develop new products and help improve the company’s existing product lines.
• Morbark will operate DENIS CIMAF as a new division maintaining its brand identity. DENIS CIMAF’s experienced management team will continue to manage its operations. Teams from each company will work together to determine how to be more efficient and leverage each other’s strengths.

Herr continued, “The companies have a common entrepreneurial heritage and culture, and this is a great fit with immense potential for growth. We are anxious to get started.”