AS Hekotek has signed a contract for the supply of equipment to the sawmill of Atlant LLC located in Jantal village, Irkutsk region of Russia.

Hekotek is to supply a set of own-manufactured equipment for this new sawmill complex, including lines for log sorting, log in-feed, sawn timber sorting, as well as conveyor system for collecting and removal of sawdust. The sawline itself is to be supplied by USNR.

With respect to the legislative rule in Russia prohibiting round logs export starting from beginning of 2022, the construction of the new sawmill facilities is an important step, – comments Dmitry Gidenko, Atlant LLC project manager. – It ensures maintaining jobs in the region’s forest sector, as well as local processing of Siberia’s high-quality logs.

The first rail-cars with the equipment are to be shipped to Siberia already this summer, while the start-up of the whole sawmill complex and reaching of the project capacity are planned for the summer 2022.

Looking back, it’s worth mentioning Hekotek first supply of sawmill equipment implemented to the village of Jantal for the local company JantalLes in 2002. After some years of successful operation, this sawmill got through the period of several owner changes, and its production volumes remained low. The current owner, Atlant LLC, acquired the sawmill several years ago and has by now made a significant step forward to develop the sawmill, including strong well-timed investments in expanding its production facilities.

FAE is expanding its line of forestry mulchers for excavators with Bite Limiter technology with the new BL4/EX/VT. The new model is perfect for tackling and removing vegetation in wooded areas, especially for jobs that require a large shredding capacity and speed.

The BL4/EX/VT can mulch logs up to 30 cm in diameter, is compatible with 18-25 ton excavators, and comes in two working widths, 135 e 160 cm.

For the BL4/EX/VT, the biggest innovation is the rotor with Bite Limiter technology. Steel limiter rings limit the reach (bite) of the teeth, reducing the amount of power needed, guaranteeing constant working speed and excellent performance. The heat-treated forged-steel BL blades are made to last and can be sharpened to keep operating costs lower. The BL4/EX/VT has a Variable Torque (VT) motor for noticeably better performance, increased torque when needed, and minimal risk of rotor stalling.

The sturdy steel frame is built to last, and the Poly Chain belt drive transmission guarantees optimal power transfer and reliability.

The BL4/EX/VT can include the optional Sonic system, which keeps the operating machine and the FAE mulcher perfectly aligned by automatically calibrating and constantly regulating the mulcher’s hydraulic parameters for a significant increase in productivity.

ABOUT FAE
FAE is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of heads for tractors, excavators, skid steers, special vehicles and tracked vehicles for forestry, agricultural, road and demining operations.

With a range of more than 90 products and 400 models, FAE is capable of satisfying the most diverse customer demands. FAE’s range of heads includes forestry mulchers, cutters, stump cutters, stone crushers, stabilizers and multifunction heads. Our line of tracked vehicles includes tracked vehicles with cabs and radio-controlled tracked vehicles.

FAE focuses on technological innovation and build quality to ensure that its machines offer the greatest performance and reliability.

FAE was founded in 1989, and the company’s main office is still located in the town of Fondo, in the province of Trento in the north of Italy.

Production, sales, after-sales service and distribution of spare parts are handled by our 4 production sites, main office, 6 commercial branches and a network of authorized dealers all over the world. FAE has more than 250 employees worldwide.

www.fae-group.com

Contact Information
FAE Group Marketing Team
Francesca Carlet – Press Relationship   Mob. +39 342 743 9709
fcarlet@fae-group.com

Elia Grando Mattiazzi – Marketing Manager   Mob. +39 328 742 8661
egrandomattiazzi@fae-group.com

John Deere announces the release of Smooth Boom Control for its M-Series Tracked Feller Bunchers and MH-Series Tracked Harvesters.

Developed in global collaboration between the John Deere Wheeled Cut-to-Length and Full-Tree Forestry teams, Smooth Boom Control ensures full and responsive hydraulic function actuation, improving overall machine reactiveness and controllability.

Smooth Boom Control is available as a standard feature on new tracked feller bunchers and harvesters or as an upgrade for existing M- and MH-Series machine owners.

Further enhancing the machine operation in demanding forestry applications, John Deere adds its Smooth Boom Control (SBC) technology to its M-Series Tracked Feller Bunchers and MH-Series Tracked Harvesters. Developed in global collaboration between the John Deere Wheeled Cut-to-Length and Full-Tree Forestry teams, the SBC system instantaneously responds to operator input while smoothing out the acceleration and deceleration of hydraulic functions on the machine, improving overall control.

“Machine response is important to efficient machine operation, especially when working in challenging conditions day in and day out,” said Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager, John Deere. “With SBC, we’re improving machine functionality, making operation easier on both the operator and machine. As a result, operators can control the machine movements more effectively, especially when reversing motions. SBC delivers a smoother experience for the operator and less wear and tear on the machine over time.”

The SBC software further refines the motion of the boom, swing and travel functions using advanced signal control to keep the machine ready to go. This results in a significant improvement in overall joystick and foot pedal response, reducing the signal delay at the start and end of each operator command. “One operator told us during our evaluation, it made a really good machine even better,” said O’Halloran.

The SBC software is now available as a standard feature on new tracked feller bunchers and harvesters or as an upgrade for existing M- and MH-Series machine owners. To learn more about Smooth Boom Control as well as the John Deere lineup of forestry equipment, visit www.JohnDeere.com or your local John Deere dealer.

Contact:
Amy Jones, imre
Email: amyj@imre.com
Phone: 410-821-8220

Washington, D.C. and Ottawa, ON —The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) has developed new standards to support SFI’s leadership in offering solutions to some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. SFI certification is a powerful tool to ensure healthy forests that mitigate climate impacts, are resilient to fire threats, and support a diversity of communities.

“SFI has the scale to make a difference with more than 375 million acres/152 million hectares certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard, and tens of millions more certified to the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard,” says Kathy Abusow, SFI’s President and CEO. “Because the standards require independent, third-party audits, organizations that use them are responding to the ESG expectations of investors, customers, and communities.”

Requirements for a new SFI Climate Smart Forestry Objective are one of the highlights of the new standards. Forests play a central role in the carbon cycle and with proper management, can be one of the most effective nature-based solutions to the climate crisis. SFI-certified organizations will now be required to ensure forest management activities address climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.

“Our hopes to mobilize forests for climate will depend on influencing forest practices across as many acres as possible, helping to infuse them with science-based approaches to achieve resilient carbon sequestration and healthy forests for our future,” said Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests. “Forest certification is the dream device to make this connection with landowners across North America, and SFI has done an outstanding job of assuring that this new SFI standard will help catalyze the climate-smart forestry we need.”

SFI is elevating its role in addressing fire by introducing a new SFI Fire Resilience and Awareness Objective. Forest fires have long played a role in the evolution and function of natural ecosystems, but we are now seeing an increase in catastrophic fires that have dire consequences for our forests, wildlife, and communities. SFI-certified organizations are now required to limit susceptibility of forests to undesirable impacts of wildfire and to raise community awareness of fire benefits, risks, and minimization measures.

An important component of the SFI standards is Objective 8, Recognize and Respect Indigenous Peoples’ Rights. The SFI standards promote respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, representative institutions, and traditional knowledge, and are aligned with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Specific measures require that SFI-certified organizations are aware of traditional forest-related knowledge, such as known cultural heritage sites, the use of wood in traditional buildings and crafts, and flora that may be used in cultural practices for food, ceremonies, or medicine.

“The SFI standard requires organizations to recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and traditional knowledge,” says Lenny Joe, President, Scw’exmx Tribal Council. “SFI’s programs and certification requirements are unique in that they focus on relationship building that creates trust. This is important to many Indigenous communities like mine and a reason for SFI’s earned respect and growth.”

SFI’s standards are built on mutual trust and engagement. They help SFI-certified organizations meet societal expectations by ensuring that important issues such as civil rights, equal employment opportunities, gender equality, diversity inclusion, and anti-discrimination and anti‑harassment measures are addressed.

SFI revises and updates the SFI standards to incorporate the latest scientific information, respond to emerging issues, and ensure continual improvement. This open and transparent process began in 2019 and included engagement with the conservation community, Indigenous communities, the forest products sector, brand owners, private forest landowners and public forest managers, government agencies, trade associations, landowner associations, academia, and the public. The SFI Board of Directors approved the SFI 2022 Standards and Rules at their April 2021 meeting.

About the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc.

SFI advances sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, non‑profit organization that leverages four interconnected pillars of work: standards, conservation, community, and education. SFI works with the forest sector, conservation groups, academics, researchers, brand owners, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments. Collaborating with our network, we leverage SFI-certified forests and products as powerful tools to help solve sustainability challenges such as climate action, conservation of biodiversity, education of future generations, and sustainable economic development. Learn more: forests.org.

Media Contact
Daniel Pellegrom
Vice President, Communications
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
202-596-3452 / daniel.pellegrom@forests.org

Standards Contact
Jason Metnick
Senior Vice President, Customer Affairs
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
602-374-6539 / jason.metnick@forests.org

Almost 750 hectares of prime commercial forestry in the Scottish Borders has come to the market for offers over £14 million. The sale of the Ramsaygrain East Forests, which extend to 745 hectares or 1,841 acres, are available as a whole or in three lots. The large scale commercial conifer forests are part of the renowned Teviothead Forest Complex.

The mid-rotation forestry comprises 92% Sitka spruce with a mix of age classes thereby offering a regular income.

Additionally, some native broadleaves improve biodiversity and add structural diversity to the landscape.

Goldcrest Land & Forestry Group, which has launched the sale, said the forests were ‘outstanding’.

“[The forests] include second rotation crops planted with improved seed stock, to the market,” said Jon Lambert, partner at the firm. “The results speak for themselves with exceptional growth rates and superb yields. They occupy a prime forestry location, benefitting from an excellent internal forest road network and access to major timber processors via agreed timber transport routes.” 

The launch of the Ramsaygrain East Forests comes at a time of continued buoyancy in the commercial forestry sector. The market continues to perform extremely well with demand far outstripping supply and a seemingly insatiable appetite for timber.

Source: Farming UK
Photo: The launch of the forests comes at a time of continued buoyancy in the commercial forestry sector

Antti Koulumies has been appointed Senior Vice President, UPM Timber as of June 1st 2021. He will be based in Helsinki reporting to Bernd Eikens, EVP, UPM Biorefining.

Koulumies holds a M.Sc., Industrial Management from Aalto University. He joins UPM from REEL International that acquired Metso Outotec Aluminium business this year. Prior to aluminium business leadership position, Koulumies led the business control, strategy and M&A at Outotec. Before joining Outotec he worked as a consultant at McKinsey and Company.

The position as Head of UPM Timber became vacant after Aki Temmes was appointed Senior Vice President, Business Control & Finance Operations at UPM as of 1 January 2021.

UPM Timber produces redwood and whitewood sawn timber for the joinery, packaging, distribution, and construction industries. Their sawmills are powered entirely by renewable energy. They use certified Nordic raw material and the latest sawmilling techniques to produce high-quality sawn timber that fulfills customer requirements. UPM Timber has four sawmills in Finland with a total annual capacity of 1.5 M cubic metres and its own sales network in Europe and Asia. UPM Timber employs around 400 people and has its headquarter in Tampere.

Antti Koulumies has been appointed Senior Vice President, UPM Timber as of June 1st 2021. He will be based in Helsinki reporting to Bernd Eikens, EVP, UPM Biorefining.

Koulumies holds a M.Sc., Industrial Management from Aalto University. He joins UPM from REEL International that acquired Metso Outotec Aluminium business this year. Prior to aluminium business leadership position, Koulumies led the business control, strategy and M&A at Outotec. Before joining Outotec he worked as a consultant at McKinsey and Company.

The position as Head of UPM Timber became vacant after Aki Temmes was appointed Senior Vice President, Business Control & Finance Operations at UPM as of 1 January 2021.

UPM Timber produces redwood and whitewood sawn timber for the joinery, packaging, distribution, and construction industries. Their sawmills are powered entirely by renewable energy. They use certified Nordic raw material and the latest sawmilling techniques to produce high-quality sawn timber that fulfills customer requirements. UPM Timber has four sawmills in Finland with a total annual capacity of 1.5 M cubic metres and its own sales network in Europe and Asia. UPM Timber employs around 400 people and has its headquarter in Tampere.

Forest, within the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, which were affected by the tree disease Phytophthora ramorum. The two-day operation involved an 18-strong Forestry England team and a contract harvesting team working alongside Swiss and Scottish operators, brought in for their expertise in helicopter felling – a forestry technique common in Switzerland but used only once before by the same team in the UK.

A stand of 150 diseased larch trees around Whinlatter Forest’s Wild Play and Go Ape high-wires course needed to be lifted vertically to avoid damaging the play equipment and climbing infrastructure. Helicopter felling was the most cost-effective approach to remove each tree, as conventional felling techniques would have led to extensive damage, costly rebuilding and loss of access for visitors and families wanting to enjoy the area.

The felling operation involved several steps and careful co-ordination between ground and climbing teams, and the helicopter pilot. First, the climbing team assessed the weight of the tree, dividing it into sections weighing no more than two tonnes – the maximum weight that the helicopter could lift – before securing a rope to each section. The specialist KMax heavy lift helicopter hovered overhead, lowering a steel cable to the ground which was attached by rope to a section at a time of each tree and pulled taught as the helicopter rose vertically. A cutter, communicating by radio with the pilot, then cut the tree by chainsaw and the helicopter flew the tree stems away over the forest to an area a kilometre away where another team processed the wood with a harvester. Because the helicopter was faster between lifts than a climber, three climbing teams served the helicopter in turn in a non-stop operation which successfully removed the larch trees and left the play and high-wires infrastructure undamaged and ready for reopening.

Kevin May, Forestry England Forest Management Director for North District, says;

This was a complex forestry operation which needed meticulous planning and co-ordination between ground, climbing and flying teams. It was vital we removed these diseased larch trees to stop the spread of P. ramorum in the forest but we were determined to also protect the facilities which so many visitors enjoy each year. The whole operation had to be COVID secure with special permission needed from the UK and Swiss governments to bring in the specialist team to work alongside us. Fair weather and good visibility in Whinlatter Forest Park– England’s only ‘mountain’ forest – meant the whole job was done seamlessly, felling and extracting approximately 300 tonnes in two days with public safety maintained at all times.

We now have the opportunity to look ahead and ensure Whinlatter Forest is as resilient as possible in future decades supporting our people, nature and economy outcomes. The cleared site will provide a valuable open habitat for many wildlife species in the short term, and we have a detailed replanting plan to replace the felled larches with a mix of species resilient to changing climate conditions and future pests and diseases. The felling operation is the beginning of a new and exciting phase for this wonderful landscape, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back.

You can watch the helicopter felling operation in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VT3XhXTWFY

Raumaster Oy and Raumaster Paper Oy have signed major contracts to deliver process machinery to Metsä Group’s Metsä Fibre Kemi new bioproduct mill in Northern Finland.

Raumaster Oy delivers significant share of wood chip and bark handling area machinery as well as conveyor systems for gasifier and recovery boiler and main part of lime, caustic sludge and causticizing conveyors. Raumaster Paper Oy delivers automatic pulp bale unloading and loading systems for Kemi Ajos harbour. Degree of Finnish origin for these deliveries is ca. 70 %.

When commissioned in second half of 2023, Metsä Fibre Kemi new bioproduct mill will be the most efficient and productive wood processing plant in Northern Hemisphere. The Kemi bioproduct mill will be the global leader in environmental, energy and material efficiency.

“Raumaster and Raumaster Paper are pleased about the opportunity to participate in an important Finnish project such as this. Raumaster’s solid insight into customer needs, as well as its machinery and process competence and reputation as a reliable Finnish machinery supplier and partner helped it secure the agreement. The value of the deliveries and the contribution to employment in design, production and installations are significant to both companies”, state Petri Lounasaho, Manager, Wood handling Division, Raumaster Oy, and Pekka Leino, CEO, Raumaster Paper Oy, with one voice.

“We have set high targets for the material, energy and environmental efficiency for the Kemi bioproduct mill. Only the best available technique is being procured for the mill. This is why we require our partners to supply technically reliable solutions and have understanding of our production needs. The solutions provided by Raumaster Oy and Raumaster Paper Oy meet these requirements. We are well positioned to build together an efficient and reliable bioproduct mill in Kemi,” says Jari-Pekka Johansson, Director of the bioproduct mill project at Metsä Fibre.

As an independent internal development project, Raumaster is investing in its’ Sampaanala workshop in Rauma. This project will improve competitiveness of the workshop. Based on the contract with City of Rauma, the workshop and warehouse lot is expanded which provides additional storage areas and room for further workshop investments, allowing also improvement of the functionality of the area.

“All mentioned contracts and projects are important for Raumaster and Raumaster Paper. They reflect high customer confidence for Raumaster’s competence manufacture and supply machinery and processes for demanding targets with high availability and excellent run over the planned lifecycle. Sustainability, environmental efficiency and environmental friendliness are essential part our total delivery”, says Raumaster’s CEO Kari Pasanen and continues, “by investing in Rauma workshop we secure our competitiveness and sustainable operations.

HASSLACHER Group, one of the world’s leading producers of glulam and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), invests in TC continuous kilns from Valutec. The deal means the well-known timber industry group becomes the first in Austria to own the groundbreaking lumber kiln. This is also a new prestigious order for Valutec, which strengthens its position as a global leader within the field of continuous kilns.

“We want to increase the drying capacity at our sawmills in Preding and Sachsenburg and saw that TC kilns were right for us. They offer a combination of high capacity and flexibility, without compromising on quality,” says Michael Fercher, CTO at HASSLACHER Group, which has seven sawmills in three countries.

The investment in TC continuous kilns is the third order where Valutec has earned the confidence of family owned and lead HASSLACHER Group.

“We are extremely happy and proud that HASSLACHER NORICA TIMBER will be first in Austria, also when it comes to TC kilns. Both because they prioritize quality, just like us, and because they have such a fantastic reputation in the sawmill industry.”

Five years ago HASSLACHER Group became the first company in Austria to use Valutec’s OTC continuous kiln technology, when they invested in two OTC continuous kilns for their sawmill in Sachsenburg. The following year, yet another order for the same type of continuous kiln for their sawmill followed.

“We are attracted by Valutec’s continuous kiln technology. It is superior from a capacity perspective. Adding to that, it delivers high quality and requires less material handling than traditional batch kilns, at the same time as its continuous operation is gentler on the boiler,” explains Fercher.

Clear trend

With its investment in the TC kilns, HASSLACHER Group follows a clear trend in the sawmill industry. During the past year, the new generation of TC kilns from Valutec have been sold to sawmills around the world and the company has reached new markets.

“Behind the technological advance lies thousands of product development hours, where we studied, evaluated, tested and invented new things in all parts of a type of kiln that was used, in its first form, back in 1927,” says Larsson.

The TC continuous kilns for delivery to HASSLACHER Group have eight drying zones and will solely be used to dry siding boards.

The maximum annual capacity is approximately 75,000 cubic meters (31,783 MBF) per kiln. The kilns are built from stainless steel and are equipped with pressure frames for minimal deformation of the uppermost layer of lumber, heat recovery system and the Valmatics 4.0 control system.

Together with the investment, two batch kilns in Preding are being upgraded with Valmatics 4.0. This is the only control system for lumber drying combining simulator technology with adaptive control, and allows for simultaneous optimization of capacity, quality and energy consumption.

The new kilns and the control system upgrades are planned to begin in the fall.

Facts about TC continuous kilns. TC is the abbreviation of the Swedish for “cross circulation”. The principle is based on the lumber package being fed lengthwise through zones where the air circulates laterally across the drying channel. This enables the separate regulation of the climate in different zones according to a schedule that comes very close to the ideal schedule of a batch kiln. The significant improvement relates to the way the temperature and the air speed are controlled individually in different zones by utilizing integrated simulator technology. Thanks to this development, the sawmill has greater freedom to mix the dimensions of the lumber it wants to dry, which is something that was previously impossible in a continuous kiln.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Eric Johansson
Marketing Manager, Valutec
+46 767 676968
eric.johansson@valutec.se 

The desire to increase the use of wood is the ultimate reason for Valutec’s existence. We have been combining Nordic expertise in lumber drying for almost 100 years with a deep understanding of the challenges facing our customers. Our goal is to expand opportunities not only for value-adding lumber dry kilns, but also in intelligent control systems. The Valutec Group is a part of Addtech Industrial Process and has offices in Sweden, Finland, Russia and Canada and has an annual turnover of around EUR 40 million. With more than 6 000 lumber drying installations delivered, we are a world leader. Find out more about our corporate philosophy “Good for wood” at www.valutec.ca.

The softwood timber harvest in Germany is likely to reach almost 50 million m3 in 2020, about ten million m3 more than a typical year before the spruce bark beetle-infestation in 2018. In addition, Germany has harvested 6-7 million m3 of hardwood species annually for the past five years. The total timber harvest in 2020 will be the highest since 2007, when the cyclone Kyrill swept in over Central Europe and damaged approximately 45 million m3 of timber.

Practically all of the additional ten million m3 of annually harvested softwood roundwood the past three years was exported, either in the form of logs or domestically processed lumber. In 2020, the estimated log export volume was 11.5 million m3 , up by 54% from the previous year and more than four times as much as 2016, according to Wood Resource Quarterly. With the dramatic increase in export volume, Germany has become a net exporter of logs (an estimated six million m3 in 2020), a reversal from having been a net importer of 4-6 million m3 annually during 2010-2018.

Lumber exports from Germany have also gone up due to the large volumes of beetle-killed and storm-damaged timber. However, the increase has been more modest than the spectacular rise in logs flowing out of the country. Lumber exports in 2020 reached an estimated 9.5 million m3, six percent higher than the previous year and 34% higher than in 2016.

The total value of German softwood log and lumber exports has surged by 63% the past five years from 1.5 billion Euros in 2016 to just over 2.5 billion Euros in 2020, reports the WRQ. The log export value has gone up more than three-fold since 2016, practically entirely driven by increased shipments to China. This destination has rapidly become the largest market for logs exported from Germany, surging from almost non-existent in 2017 to account for just over 65% of the total export value in 2020. Other significant destinations included neighboring Austria (14% of total export value) and Belgium (5%).

Are you interested in worldwide wood products market information? The Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ) is a 70-page report established in 1988 and has subscribers in over 30 countries. The publication tracks prices for sawlog, pulpwood, lumber & pellets and reports on trade and wood market developments in most key regions worldwide. For more insights on the latest international forest product market trends, please go to www.WoodPrices.com

Contact Information Wood Resources International LLC Hakan Ekstrom, Seattle, USA info@WoodPrices.com