Production is now underway at Pyrocell’s plant in Gävle. The new and groundbreaking factory is turning sawdust into bio-oil.

Jointly owned by Setra and Preem, Pyrocell was formed in 2018 based on the business concept of producing bio-oil from sawdust. Production at the groundbreaking plant – Sweden’s first pyrolysis oil plant for biofuels – is now underway.

“It’s brilliant that we have built a brand new factory from scratch and it’s now up and running. We have produced the first oil and we’re very proud of the plant,” says Anders Wigstein, Production Manager at Pyrocell.

Pyrocell’s plant is located at Setra Kastet sawmill in Gävle on Sweden’s Baltic coast. It converts sawdust, a residual product in Setra’s industrial process, into non-fossil pyrolysis oil. The pyrolysis oil is then processed further to make renewable diesel and petrol at Preem’s refinery in Lysekil.

“Pyrocell is a unique industrial initiative that enables a sustainable value chain from forest to tank. We replace fossil oil and contribute to an increased share of renewables in fuels, producing lower carbon dioxide emissions,” says Pontus Friberg, Executive Chairman of Pyrocell.

The plant will produce around 25,000 tonnes of non-fossil pyrolysis oil per year, equivalent to the annual fuel consumption of about 17,000 cars.

For further information, please contact:
Pontus Friberg, Chairman Pyrocell, pontus.friberg@pyrocell.se, +46 70 234 1894.

Pyrocell – from idea to finished factory

• In 2016, Setra launched a feasibility study on bio-oil production based on the rapid pyrolysis technology.
• This concept formed the basis for the application to the Government’s Klimatklivet initiative that was submitted in spring 2017. In early summer, it was announced that the plant had been granted SEK 117 million in investment aid.
• An environmental permit was gained in 2018.
• In 2018, the company Pyrocell was formed, jointly owned by Setra and Preem. The company’s business concept is to produce bio-oil from sawdust.
• Setra’s and Preem’s boards decided to invest in the pyrolysis plant in Gävle in 2019.
• In the summer of 2019, the construction project was manned and procurement of pyrolysis plant and sawdust handling systems started.
• The first ground was broken on 23 March,  2020.
• Production started on 2 September, 2021.

About pyrolysis

Pyrolysis is a process in which a substance is rapidly heated to a high temperature so that the solid material is vaporised and can be condensed into a liquid. Pyrolysis enables waste products from the forest, such as branches, roots, tops and sawdust, to be turned into oil, which can then be refined into renewable petrol and diesel

About biofuels

In 2018, a total of around 9.5 million cubic metres of fuel was sold in Sweden, of which approximately 1.9 million was biofuel, according to the Swedish Petroleum and Biofuels Institute (SPBI). Around 15 percent of all biofuel was produced in Sweden, with the rest being imported from other countries

About Pyrocell

Founded in August 2018, Pyrocell is jointly owned by Setra and Preem. The company’s business concept is to produce bio-oil from sawdust. Setra has the raw material, sawdust, while Preem has refineries and filling stations. The pyrolysis oil plant at Setra’s sawmill in Kastet outside Gävle creates a strong new value chain for renewable fuels, from forest to fuel tank.

Read more at pyrocell.se

https://news.cision.com/setra-group/r/pyrocell-has-started-production,c3420250

The wood industry company Setra invests in a new saw line for small diameter logs at the company’s facility in Skinnskatteberg. The investment provides major efficiency improvements and increased resource utilization.

Setra’s board has decided on an investment in a new saw line for small diameter logs at Skinnskatteberg’s sawmill. The investment in the new saw line, including additional measures in other parts of the sawmill, amounts to approximately SEK 170 million. It is an important step in Setra’s construction strategy and enables an overall efficient production and a safer working environment on the small diameter log range in Setra’s southern raw material area.

– It will also improve productivity at other nearby Setra sawmills and enables a total increase in production of 150,000 m3 of sawn goods the next few years, says Katarina Levin, CEO of Setra.

-The investment will improve conditions to create business process flows. Our coworkers are very engaged in working improvements, and a new saw line will further improve that, says Mikael Romlin, Mill Manager at Skinnskatteberg.

The investment in ClearFlame Engine Technologies is in line with Deere’s strategy to integrate smart and sustainable technology innovations.

WATERLOO, Iowa (October 28, 2021) — John Deere has announced it has made an equity investment in ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a growing start-up dedicated to the development of clean engine technology. ClearFlame’s solution enables low-carbon fuels like ethanol to be easily integrated into compression ignition engines, offering a more sustainable solution without compromising engine performance.

John Deere’s investment is in line with its strategic vision to accelerate and lead the industry in low and zero carbon powertrain technology. John Deere will also supply an engine to use in conceptual testing, which will help validate the technology currently under development by ClearFlame.

“We made this investment to stay on the leading edge of developments in renewable fuel technology,” said Pierre Guyot, Senior Vice President, John Deere Power Systems. “ClearFlame’s compression ignition engine technology has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions while continuing to provide the performance and durability our customers expect from John Deere engines.”

“ClearFlame’s mission is to decarbonize the hardest-to-electrify sectors in a rapid and cost-effective way. Expanding our solution from heavy-duty trucking to agriculture and other off-highway markets delivers on that promise, offering significant sustainability and economic benefits that won’t compromise engine performance,” said BJ Johnson, ClearFlame CEO and co-founder. “We look forward to working together with John Deere and supporting its commitment to reducing net CO₂ emissions through providing renewable energy solutions.”

Using ethanol in place of petroleum diesel fuel in diesel engines significantly reduces carbon emissions and air quality emissions. In addition, ethanol is widely available and can offer a high-efficiency, liquid alternative fuel option.

John Deere understands the importance for renewable fuel options and is committed to exploring new solutions. “Compression ignition engines have a long life ahead — in terms of both the current source of diesel and a wide variety of alternative fuel types,” said Guyot. “John Deere already offers biomass-based diesel compatibility on our engines. These investments are the right thing to do for environmental, economic and rural-development benefits.”

Investments like this one are a critical component of John Deere’s vision to integrate smart and sustainable technology innovations with its legacy of manufacturing excellence.

About Deere & Company

John Deere Power Systems manufactures and markets industrial, marine, and generator drive diesel engines, as well as drivetrain components for use in a variety of off-highway applications. For more information, visit John Deere Power Systems at www.JohnDeere.com/jdpower.

About ClearFlame Engine Technologies

At ClearFlame Engine Technologies, we’re breaking the bond between the diesel engine and diesel fuel, accelerating the path to true emissions reduction for the heavy-duty and off-highway markets. Our technology meets global sustainability goals using decarbonized liquid fuels available throughout the world. It also lowers costs by negating the need for complex aftertreatment technologies without compromising the practicality or performance of traditional diesel engines. For more information, visit www.clearflame.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter (@ClearFlameEng).

Komatsu Forest is introducing the Komatsu X164E, a robust head specially developed for efficient eucalyptus harvesting. A high-performance feed system ensures high productivity which, combined with smart solutions for reducing maintenance time and costs, makes the X164E a profitable head. The standout feature is the fact that the conventional chainsaw is replaced by hydraulic shears, which also benefit production and safety, such as with the absence of a chain to maintain.

With its brand-new design, the Komatsu X164E has been specially developed to efficiently harvest eucalyptus. When developing this head, Komatsu Forest’s engineering team put aside all existing head designs for softwood trees and instead focused solely on the needs and conditions of eucalyptus harvesting.

“To minimise losses in production time, we established strict requirements for the debarking function. With the Komatsu X164E, the ambition is for at least half of the stems to need only be fed through once, from felling cut to the end of the stem, also known as one-pass debarking,” says Tobias Ettemo, Product Manager at Komatsu Forest.

The effective debarking is due in part to the head’s specially designed feed system, which has a very high degree of contact between the debarking knives and the stem. The design is based on four angled feed rollers which cause the stem to rotate inside the feed path, efficiently debarking and delimbing the stem at the same time. The head also shreds the bark into shorter lengths, minimising process disruptions at sawmills and greatly benefitting the growth of new stands.

The main difference compared to Komatsu’s other heads is that the X164E slices rather than saws through the stem. The head is equipped with extremely powerful hydraulic shears, with broad, sturdy blades, that easily and effectively slice through each stem.

“This solution reduces service and maintenance costs, including downtime, while the hydraulic shears also offer great advantages in terms of machine and operator safety,” says Tobias Ettemo.

For excellent reliability, the Komatsu X164E is equipped with several smart solutions, such as protected hose routing all the way from crane tip to head valve and from head valve to roller motors. This means less downtime and reduced spare parts costs, greatly boosting profitability. The underlying concept of using hydraulic shears instead of a saw bar also helps to keep maintenance costs down, as there are no chains, bars, sprockets or saw motors to replace, and no need for saw lubrication either.

The Komatsu X164E can be mounted on an excavator or a wheeled machine.

“All the development that we have put into this new head had had the primary focus to reduce the total cost of ownership, that is what really matters in the end. And we are very happy to say that we have seen proof of substantial reduction of TCO with the X164E.” Ettemo concludes.

With the Komatsu X164E, eucalyptus harvesting is taking an innovative step forward. New technology combined with a robust design and well-proven advantages result in a head that truly comes into its own in demanding plantation environments. Add to this the smart solutions for improved reliability, such as the protected hose routing, and the Komatsu X164E is clearly a highly profitable alternative.

The White Mountain Apache Timber Company (WMATCO) mill in Whiteriver, AZ is investing to update its small log line system. The mill is located within the Fort Apache Reservation, where nearly all the raw timber is sourced. The tribe operates both large log and small log mills.

This upgrade for the small log mill will install new hold down rolls and new spiked carry over rolls on the infeed of the line, and replace the worn components. These investments will bring the equipment up to current standards, improve reliability and throughput, and reduce maintenance.

The existing PLC controls and optimization platform will be replaced with USNR optimization, and will increase recovery and uptime. The new lineal scanning system will utilize 4 BioLuma 3900L sensors. The BioLuma 3900L delivers the highest speed UHD laser profiling for the most demanding lineal applications. The PLC controls system will be based on the ControlLogix platform, and will control the infeed from the merchandiser through to the log line outfeed separator.

This project is scheduled to be completed early in 2022.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (“West Fraser” or the “Company”) (TSX and NYSE: WFG) has announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Angelina Forest Products lumber mill located in Lufkin, Texas for approximately $300 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments.  The transaction is anticipated to close following successful completion of U.S. regulatory reviews and satisfaction of customary conditions.  Management will provide an update and further details about the transaction on West Fraser’s third quarter earnings call on October 28, 2021.  All dollar amounts in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars unless noted otherwise.

The new turn-key facility, which produces southern yellow pine (“SYP”) lumber products, began construction in 2018, commenced operations in late 2019 and is expected to progress toward full production capacity of approximately 305 million board feet over the next three to four years.  The transaction includes approximately $4 million of target working capital and approximately $24 million of supplemental tax attributes that are expected to result in a direct cash flow benefit to West Fraser.

Strategic Rationale and Synergies

The acquisition is another important step in West Fraser’s continued expansion of its U.S. lumber operations.  The new, highly efficient facility is expected to be a top quartile mill that will integrate with and support our existing East Texas lumber and OSB business.  Anticipated to be among the lowest cost operations in the Company’s lumber mill portfolio, the Lufkin mill is strategically located near low-cost and abundant fibre as well as large and growing end-markets and its additional lumber production will allow West Fraser to better serve the Company’s growing customer base in Texas and the southern U.S.  Upon completion of this transaction, West Fraser will have combined Canadian and U.S. lumber production capacity of approximately 7.0 billion board feet, with U.S. capacity of SYP lumber representing approximately 50% of the Company’s capacity.

“We look forward to welcoming the Lufkin mill employees to West Fraser.  The management team at Angelina Forest Products has done a commendable job developing the Lufkin team and operations, and we believe this modern, high-margin facility will enhance our existing U.S. platform of lumber mills and help us to better meet the growing demand for our lumber products in Texas and the U.S. South,” said West Fraser’s President and CEO, Ray Ferris.  “With this acquisition, we will be able to quickly capitalize on a fully-invested and high-quality manufacturing facility.  This includes a trained labour force and the local community and logistics infrastructure to support the mill’s supply chain, distribution and outlet for residuals.  Further, we are able to immediately reap the cash flow benefits of our investment while significantly reducing the associated risks of greenfield construction, execution and start-up.”

West Fraser intends to finance the acquisition with cash on hand.  Annual synergies of approximately $13 million are anticipated to be achieved within two years with minimal capital requirements.  These synergies are expected to be realized through continued capacity utilization improvement, implementation of best practices and the coordinated transportation, logistics and procurement benefits derived from West Fraser’s distribution scale and existing production facilities in the region.

It is anticipated that after the cash tax benefits described above, the post-synergy mid-cycle Adjusted EBITDA multiple at full production will be approximately 6.4x and the transaction is expected to generate an internal rate of return (“IRR”) of approximately 13%.  Based on recent industry announcements and West Fraser’s latest internal analysis, the cost to construct a greenfield lumber mill of the scale and quality of the Lufkin mill plus working capital investment and the foregone cash flows anticipated during the construction and ramp up phases are expected to exceed the purchase price for this top quartile facility.

The Company

West Fraser is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.  From responsibly sourced and sustainably managed forest resources, the Company produces lumber, engineered wood products (OSB, LVL, MDF, plywood, and particleboard), pulp, newsprint, wood chips, other residuals and renewable energy.

SP has announced that Lion Equipamentos has been appointed as authorized SP dealer for the Brazilian states of Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

Headquartered in Curitiba/PR, Lages/SC, and Guaiba/RS, Lion performs its activities with 20 years of experience in the forestry business.Within its varied areas of performance, Lion stands out in the forestry market by its high-quality technical assistance and fast spare parts supply. With a high focus on customer service and field maintenance carried out by highly skilled and experienced staff members Lion is able to offer a great level of customer support.

“We are very happy to welcome Lion to the SP dealer network,” says Anders Gannerud, SP International sales manager. “Lion is a perfect match for us and exactly the type of company and partner we are looking for when expanding our dealer network. Not only do they have a good experience from working with harvester heads and highly technical forest products, but they also share our commitment to putting the customer first by focusing on parts supply and customer support.”

To learn more about Lion visit, www.lionequipamentos.com.br

Barko Hydraulics (Barko), leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of innovative heavy equipment solutions for the forestry, vegetation management and material handling industries, has partnered with Minnesota-based Stearns Bank National Association to provide exclusive retail financing to dealerships across the United States.

“We are very excited to be partnering with such an incredible organization as Stearns Bank. Both Barko and Stearns Bank want to provide not only competitive financing to the retail market but also an incredibly personal level of service and customer experience,” said Barko President Justin Rupar. “Our combined goal is to make the financing experience easy and enjoyable so that our dealer partners can grow their business and capture a larger percentage of potential sales.”

Tree Planting – We are actively seeking full time staff.

Would you enjoy working outside as part of great team in a fast moving business?

We hold contracts with local authorities, major amenities and blue chip corporations and plant around 4-6000 trees each winter season.

Tree planting, stump removal, root pruning, tree pit creation and pathway works including resetting kerb stones and laying tarmac can be a daily task.

During the summer months it’s all about keeping those young trees alive with regular watering and young tree maintenance programs.

Imagine walking around your area in years to come and seeing the trees that you have planted reach maturity.

We regularly look to recruit new staff, with or without experience (we provide full training and PPE). You’ll be working on contracts and projects in various parts of the country.

If you are looking for a new challenge or something a bit different we would love to hear from you.

Please send your CV and a covering letter to joan.young@gristwoodandtoms.co.uk.
Full driving licence required. Van driving experience ideal.

Petra Westphal, Exhibition Director at INTERFORST, is pleased that, “we are fully on course with the figures and planning. As of now, there are even signs of a slight growth in internationalization. Under the current conditions even this can’t be taken for granted and proves that the industry will continue to need and use trade fairs as a platform in future.”

Another firm component of INTERFORST are the scientific as well as practical events and special shows. For 2022, the topics of “Forest Conversion / Climate Change,” “Forest Maintenance and Utilization Lines,” and “Forest Technology and Digitalization” are the center of attention in the congress and forum area.

Meanwhile, the green couch has been placed in B6, which will be used by the Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry and proHolz Bayern, as a meeting point for business, science and politics for lectures and discussions.

Because of the numerous postponed trade fairs in 2022, the dates for INTERFORST have been changed slightly for one time only. This time, the trade fair will start on a Sunday, as Westphal explains: “On this day, our supporting program is completely oriented toward small and medium-sized private forest owners. In addressing this clientele, we are supported in particular by the AGDW-Die Waldeigenthaber, its regional associations and the Austrian Forest Association.”

Sabine Wagner
PR Manager
Messegelände,
81823 München
+49 89 949-20802
sabine.wagner@messe-muenchen.de