Agile and versatile, the new John Deere 910G and 1010G Forwarders provide loggers with a reliable solution designed with their needs in mind. Equipped with ultra-comfortable cabs and available with a variety of boom, load space, axle and cabin options, the 910G and 1010G machines can be customized for different worksites or operational needs.

“With the addition of the new 910G and 1010G Forwarders, we are rounding out our forwarder product line to offer a solution for every logging operation,” said Niko Solopuro, product marketing manager WCTL Forwarders and Automation. “Compact in size, these versatile machines deliver power and productivity, even in the most demanding conditions. When in the woods, it is critical to have reliable equipment that ensures operators can efficiently finish jobs, no matter what they may face.”

Available in a six-wheeled or eight-wheeled configuration, the 910G and 1010G models are ideal for early-to-late thinning operations and smaller end final felling applications. Both machines feature an improved design, including a shorter frame in front of the engine to reduce overhang, making operation easier in challenging terrain. Balanced bogie axles, rigid front axles on the six-wheel model, and an unbalanced front bogie axle option offer increased durability. Additionally, the 1010G is designed for improved, terrain-friendly operation and performance in soft soil, and available with a low-ground pressure rear bogie axle option. The models can be equipped with one of two large load space options, narrow and wide, and the headboard offers better visibility to the load area.

The 910G and 1010G models are available with a fixed or rotating and leveling cab. The rotating and leveling cabin helps the operator maintain the correct working posture to prevent stress on the back and shoulder areas, even on uneven terrain, and reduces vibration during operation. A cab rotation of 290 degrees provides a better view of the boom and grapple, while large windows allow for virtually unrestricted all-around visibility. Equipped with comfortable ergonomic armrests, a fully adjustable air-cushioned seat and automated climate-control system, the cab reduces operator fatigue and increases productivity throughout the day.

All booms come standard with precise boom control, and the CF5 boom is available with optional Intelligent Boom Control (IBC). The IBC feature simplifies boom operation, automatically controlling the lift, slew and the extension of the boom based on the location of grapple, increasing accuracy, productivity, and, ultimately, the number of loads per each work shift. With IBC, the operator no longer needs to control each independent boom joint movement separately, instead controlling the boom tip directly.

Both models are designed to enhance drivability and productivity, featuring a transmission with high tractive force and Adaptive Driveline Control (ADC). A first in the forestry industry, ADC improves drivability and productivity by allowing the operator can select the desired RPM setting (Eco, Normal, Power) for the operating conditions. Once selected, the system automatically adjusts the engine’s RPMs to correspond with the engine load. In high-load situations, driveline control ensures that the diesel engine runs smoothly and uses the available maximum tractive force efficiently.

The 910G and 1010G models feature the TimberMatic™ control system, which includes a configurable user interface, cruise control and inclination display. MECA control modules, simple CAN busses and a streamlined electrical system improve the efficiency of machine functions. Additionally, the machines are compatible with the TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager technology offerings, which provides a streamlined software solution that enhances machine connectivity and communication. An extension of the control system, the TimberMatic Maps solution utilizes a mobile network to share real-time product information between machines, such as harvester and forwarder, as well as with the managers in the office. This data can be accessed using the TimberManager web-based solution, which allows the managers to follow progress of the work site, offering total visibility to the operation from the land harvest to the machines at work.

To learn more about the 910G and 1010G Forwarders, as well as the rest of the John Deere forwarder line, visit your local John Deere Forestry dealer or www.deere.com/forwarders.

The international championship competition for PONSSE mechanics was completed in Junein Iisalmi, Finland. This year´s winner was Facundo Leal from Ponsse Uruguay service team. This year mechanics from 13 different countries from all over the Ponsse network took part in the challenge.

The other prizes in the two-day competition went to Russia. The second highest scores got Andrey Izyurov who is working as a mechanic at Ponsse´s dealer OOO Lespromservis in Komi region and the third highest scores got Nikolay Kovalenko from Ponsse Groups subsidiary OOO Ponsse. The yearly competition is open for each Ponsse subsidiary and dealer and is organised by Ponsse Global Service in cooperation with Ylä-Savo Vocational Collage (YSAO).

The winner of the International Ponsse Mechanics’ competition Facundo Leal regarded the challenges and tasks very difficult, especially the technical part. “Unbelivable feeling to win, one of the best experiences in my life! This is completely different experience than anything else and was fun to share it with everyone from around the world”, Leal tells about his experiences. “When I was younger I wanted to be an architect but there was a work shop in front of our house and I ended up working there. After that I told my parents that I wanted to study engineering instead”, Facundo Leal says.

The first prize is a trip for two to any Ponsse site in the international Ponsse network.

The competition for mechanics contains both theory related and practical tasks

The competition measures a wide range of skills. It measures the mechanics’ knowledge in theory and skills with practical exercises. The exercises are connected to the technique, service and troubleshooting for PONSSE models.

The purpose of this vocational skills competition is to raise the profile of this important profession. Today, the mechanics’ work is extremely diverse and the mechanics have to be proficient in mechanics, hydraulics, and in information systems, says Global Service Manager Terho Tanskanen who is in charge of the arrangements of the competition.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
Terho Tanskanen, Service manager Global Services
tel. +358 40 504 9789, terho.tanskanen@ponsse.com

Borregaard has decided to invest NOK 131 million ($15.4 million) in a project aimed at increasing the use of bioenergy from production residuals at the Sarpsborg site in Norway.

When completed in 2021, the bioenergy produced as a result of this project will be approximately 20 GWh per year, representing a reduction of CO2 emissions of 1,200 tonnes. Longer term there is a potential to increase production to 34 GWh per year, and a corresponding reduction of 1,400 tonnes CO2 emissions.

Enova SF, a state enterprise under the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, has decided to support the project by a grant of NOK 46.2 million ($5.4 million), thus reducing Borregaard’s project cost to a net amount of NOK 85 million ($10 million).

Borregaard owns one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable biorefineries. Borregaard produces advanced and eco-friendly biochemicals.

Norske Skog to invest Euro 72 mill in energy boiler at its mill in Austria. The board of directors in Norske Skog AS has approved a Euro 72 million investment in a new 50MW wide range energy boiler at the Norske Skog Bruck mill in Austria.

The investment will improve the carbon footprint, further strengthen the mill’s profitability and create new business beyond publication paper. The new revenue streams will be derived from utilizing refuse derived fuels and paper production residuals.

Sven Ombudstvedt, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Norske Skog, commented: “This investment fits perfectly with our long term green diversification strategy. This energy plant will represent a step-change in our Bruck mill competitiveness as a publication paper producer and will generate significant cash flow from the start-up in 2022. ”

Norske Skog’s long-term strategy remains to improve the core business, to convert certain of the Group’s paper machines and to diversify the business within the bioenergy, fibre and biochemical markets.

The boiler project fits well with Norske Skog’s strategy of doing attractive energy investments and further increasing the Bruck mill’s cost competitiveness, along with increasing the Group’s exposure to revenue streams beyond publication paper.

The energy cost saving will come from reduced consumption of gas and no need of purchasing CO2 allowances; thus, the mill’s carbon foot print will be substantially improved. The boiler project will mainly be financed by external loan from Austrian banks at very competitive terms.

Photo: Sven Ombudstvedt, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Norske Skog

Longer log trains between Waingawa and Wellington will deliver clearer roads and lower greenhouse gas emissions, KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Greg Miller says.

Yesterday KiwiRail announced it has increased the number of wagons on its daily trains transporting logs from Masterton to CentrePort.

“Last year KiwiRail moved 267,000 tonnes of export logs from the Wairarapa to CentrePort. Increasing the number of wagons from 30 – 45 a day, we will be able to move up to 370,000 tonnes a year. That’s about a 40 per cent increase in capacity,” Mr Miller says.

“Our log trains already avoid about 16,000 log truck journeys into Wellington each year. The additional rail capacity will avoid a further 6,000 truck journeys each year on the Remutaka Hill Road, the Hutt motorway and the pinch-point of Aotea Quay.”

“Not only does this help reduce congestion on the highways, it also reduces road maintenance costs, and transport emissions – given rail has 66 per cent fewer emissions per tonne of freight carried than trucks.”

“This is a great example of taking a multi-modal approach to transport. Trucks transport logs from the forest to the Waingawa hub but rail covers the distance to CentrePort. It shows how rail and road can work effectively together to create economic and social benefits for the people of the wider Wellington region.”

Given log harvests in the lower North Island are expected to see a sustained increase in the coming years, KiwiRail is working with CentrePort and the forestry industry on the potential of further capacity increases from the Waingawa hub.

KiwiRail is also currently developing a log hub at Wairoa, to transport logs on the recently reopened Napier-Wairoa rail line to Napier Port and the Government has announced potential funding for another log hub in Dannevirke.
To go to KiwiRail click here.

Vida Nössemark is investing in a continuous drying kiln from Valutec. This will increase the annual drying capacity at the sawmill by 70,000 cubic meters (29,700 MBF).

Nössemark, in the province of Värmland, Sweden, produces planed structural lumber with a good deal being exported to Asia. Today, the sawmill produces 150,000 cubic meters (63,600 MBF) but has plans to eventually expand to 250,000 cubic meters (106,000 MBF). Investing in a continuous drying kiln from Valutec will increase the drying capacity by 70,000 cubic meters (29,700 MBF), while the quality of the wood will also increase.

The continuous drying kiln is of FB type and has heat recovery. It will be used exclusively to dry 2.45 metre spruce planks to a moisture content of 18 per cent.

The kiln comes with Valutec’s new Valmatics 4.0 control system. This is the only control system that combines adaptive control simulator technology and enables optimisation of capacity, quality and energy consumption at the same time. The delivery also includes a switch to Valmatics 4.0 on two existing compartment kilns from another supplier.

Installation of the kiln and replacement of the control systems will commence in January 2020 and the facility is expected to be operational in April next year.

In January-May, log imports to China from Russia declined 26.2% y-o-y to 3.6 million m3 with import value dropped 27.2% to $439.8 million, according to China Customs data. U.S. log exports to China fell 39.5% to 1.6 million m3, export value decreased 44.6% to $338.4 million. Share of Russia in Chinese log imports slid 4.97 pp to 14.3% and share of U.S dropped 4.16 pp to 6.5%.

From January through May, log imports to China from New Zealand expanded 15.4% to 7.4 million m3 with import value surged 13.2% to $1.04 billion. Australian log exports to China jumped 29.9% to 2.5 million m3, while average price declined 18.5% to $109 per m3. Log exports from Germany to China soared 243.0% to 959.0 thousand m3, average price fell 39.8% to $153 per m3.

Total Chinese log imports slid 0.59% to 24.9 million m3, while average price decreased 12.1% to $169 per m3.

Henrik Nieminen, currently the Deputy CEO of Tornator Oyj, has been appointed as the new CEO. He has been working for Tornator since it was founded in 2002.

The Board of Directors and the current CEO, Sixten Sunabacka, have mutually agreed that he will step down from his current position. The change has the full backing of Sunabacka, who will continue to work for Tornator as Senior Adviser until the end of 2019.

Tornator is the leading company in Europe specialised in responsible forestry with own forests in Finland, Estonia and Romania.

Photo: https://esaimaa.fi/uutiset/lahella/dbfe3ecb-e3a1-4ce9-aaac-888c0dc30df5

Mark the dates into your diary – if you’re a local sawmiller. Two years ago – over two weeks – the WoodTECH conference series run by the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) achieved a record turnout of sawmilling companies.

They were drawn from throughout Australia and New Zealand. Over 400 delegates from all major sawmilling companies in the region in addition to leading technology providers from throughout Australasia, North America and Europe converged on Melbourne, Australia and Rotorua, New Zealand.

Two years later, in September 2019, WoodTECH 2019 will again be attracting scanning, sawing, saw and mill maintenance technology specialists, innovators and leading practitioners from around the world into Australasia. The two-day independent programme will again provide New Zealand and Australian sawmills with a unique opportunity to learn about the very latest in technologies and operating practices from around the globe.

“This will be achieved through a series of tailored presentations, practical workshops and on-site exhibitions that have been set up with the industry”, says FIEA Director, Brent Apthorp. “It’s expected again to be the largest gathering of sawmilling expertise yet seen in this part of the world”.

Practical workshops set up for local sawmills
“What makes the 2019 event stand out is the series of workshops that have been set up for local mills” says Mr. Apthorp. “Following on from the success of the 2017 event, a series of practical troubleshooting workshops have been designed for a much wider cross section of sawmill production and operational staff. They’re going to provide a unique insight into how sawmills can extract the best performance out of their saws, machine centers and sawing operations”.

Workshops of between 60-90 minutes are being given on; primary breakdown and machine alignment and maintenance techniques to improve machine reliability, real-time quality control, condition monitoring, saw and guide alignment and trouble-shooting saw guides. In addition to the workshops, presentations throughout the two days in each country have also been geared towards sawmill production staff.

A series of presentations on technology advancements with robotics and automation in the saw shop, some of the new equipment and operating practices drawn from throughout Europe, North America and Australasia together with tips and tools from respected saw doctors will be of real benefit to those working in the saw-shop.

On sawing machine centers, new non-contact, real-time saw temperature monitoring systems will be outlined by leading tech providers out of North America. Saw performance monitoring systems can accurately measure, in real time, the performance of the saw when in the cut for both circular and band saws. This provides real-time feedback of saw performance data to the user which can be used within the mill to evaluate the effect of varying sawing parameters.

“Based on feedback from the major sawmilling event in 2017 and more recent discussions with local mills, we’ve rejigged the two-yearly tech update in both countries. The change in focus is to encourage sawmill teams – management, mill production, saw-doctors and maintenance staff – to take advantage of the line-up of world class international specialists being brought into the region” says Mr. Apthorp. “This will ensure that teams can collectively put the practical learnings into practice once back on site”.

Registrations to both events in the series are now open and can be accessed via the event website, www.woodtech.events. Details of the programmes for both countries likewise can be viewed on line. The series runs in Rotorua, New Zealand on 11-12 September and then again in Melbourne, Australia on 17-18 September 2019

From January through April, UK pellet imports surged 32.4% to 2.7 million tones, import value jumped 35.8% to €436.0 million, according to Eurostat. Imports to UK from U.S. expanded 10.0% to 1.5 million tones, imports from Canada increased 23.3% to 509.5 thousand tones, imports from Latvia jumped 342.6% to 331.9 thousand tones and that from Estonia soared 554.3% to 102.2 thousand tones. Total pellet imports to UK expanded 32.4% to 2.7 million tones, with import value rocketed 35.8% to €435.0 million.

Denmark’s pellet imports fell 33.6% to 1.1 million tones, average price of pellets exported to Denmark jumped 13.5% to €154 per ton. Italy decreased 22.9% pellet imports to 414,6 thousand tones with import value declined 26.0% to €82.0 million.

In first four months 2019, pellet exports from U.S., the biggest supplier of pellets to EU, slid 2.99% y-o-y to 2.0 million tones with export value was up 2.3% to €330.8 million. Canada’s pellet exports to EU declined 11.7% to 527.6 thousand tones with export value dropped 7.36% to €80.9 million. Pellet exports from Russia surged 22.7% to 487.6 thousand tones, export value jumped 35.8% to €73.3 million.

Total pellet imports to EU slid 3.38% to 5.4 million tones, average price for pellets imported to EU  dropped 7.59% to €166 per ton