Technology transfer, information on innovations and communication of research results that can readily be adopted by forestry companies has until now been largely absent from New Zealand and Australia. In New Zealand, since the restructuring of the NZ Forest Service in the late 1980's, there has been very little available to update forestry companies on new forest management related technologies.
Several research co-operatives have provided regular technical updates to forestry companies. However, dissemination of results is generally restricted to Co-op members. Industry Associations and professional bodies also run annual conferences but the focus of these events is strategic rather than having a technical focus.
The industry has for some time been calling for an independent overview of new tools and technologies that will assist forestry managers make key operational, planning and strategic decisions. A newly developed programme, Forest-TECH 2007, will run in Rotorua, New Zealand on 13-15 March 2007. It's the first practical technology series of its type run in New Zealand or Australia. Interest from forestry managers, forest owners and forestry consultants is already very keen. You can check out more information on this new initiative in the story below.
On 1 December 2006, Carter Holt Harvey in a move that surprised many in the industry was made with the purchase of TDC Sawmills in Whangarei. The last of few large independent sawmills left operating in New Zealand had just undergone a major expansion bringing capacity up to 300,000 m
New tools & technologies for forest managers
A new programme, Forest-TECH 2007, has been designed with a wide cross section of the forestry industry. It is the first practical technology series of its type run in New Zealand or Australia and will run in Rotorua, New Zealand on 13-15 March 2007.
Innovatek Ltd Director, Brent Apthorp says, "the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA), a division of Innovatek Ltd, has since 1998 been running an extensive series of technical programmes for wood producers. The objective of the technology updates is to provide an independent forum where wood producers, largely distant from most major technology providers in North America and Europe, can evaluate a range of new product and process technologies suited to their own operations".
FIEA is recognised as now providing one of the most effective vehicles for technology transfer in the Australasian wood products industry. The skills developed in technology transfer for the wood products industry will be extended into forest management.
Forest-TECH 2007 will comprise an integrated series of practical workshops, managed exhibitions, demonstrations and field visits. The programme will cover; " new technologies for improving plantation silviculture " developments in data collection tools, forest management information systems and growth modelling " innovations in remote sensing for forest inventory and mapping, and, " scanning systems for determining internal log defects.
Further information on specific forestry technologies been demonstrated will follow in future issues of Offcuts. Full details on this new programme can be found on www.innovatek.co.nz
Longtime FIEA contributor dies suddenly
Alan Salter died suddenly on 12 January at his home in Rotorua. Alan was well-known to many FIEA members for his good nature and enthusiasm in bringing together members at evening meetings around the Central North Island for a number of years. He was also well-known to many in the sawmilling sector having been with SKF Bearings for many years, and participated in many FIEA technology events in recent times. However, Alan was probably most well-known for his prowess with a saw in New Zealand's internationally respected and very competitive woodchopping sports arena. Along with members of the Bolstad family and Jason Wynyard, Alan and his son Steven were NZ record-holders in sawing events. On behalf of the New Zealand wood products industry we express our condolences to Alan's family.
Wood-based building systems benefits quantified
In a recent study, NCASI worked with the USDA Forest Service to estimate the effects of using wood-based building materials on national energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The results indicate that houses with wood-based wall systems required about 15 to 16% less total energy for non-heating/cooling purposes than thermally comparable houses employing alternative steel- or concrete-based building systems.
The results for non-renewable energy consumption were essentially the same as those for total energy, reflecting the fact that most of the displaced energy was in fossil fuels. Net greenhouse gas emissions associated with wood-based houses were 20 to 50% lower than those associated with thermally comparable houses employing steel- or concrete-based building systems.
NCASI's analysis indicates that on an annual basis, the greenhouse gas benefits of using wood-based building systems amount to 9.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year. The corresponding energy benefit is approximately 132 million gigajoules per year. These figures represent approximately 22% of the energy and 27% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the pre-occupancy stages of the life cycle of residential structures in the U.S. (i.e., 22% of the embodied energy and 27% of the embodied greenhouse gas emissions in residential structures).
Book on early NZ foresters and sawmillers produced
A small book on the history of forestry companies has just been produced. NZ Foresters and sawmillers were sent to England in the Second World War to help produce timber for domestic use. They were involved in felling and cutting State and private forests, designing and setting up portable saw mills in Southern English counties, Italy and Algeria. A history of their activities has been extracted from Army records and personal papers, published with the help of the Ministry of Veteran Affairs. Many of the foresters and sawmillers returned to NZ to become senior managers in State and private forestry, and in the timber industry. The limited edition, 163 page A5 book may be obtained by sending $5 to David Field, 44 Dalbeth Road, RD2, Rotorua 3072, New Zealand.
IP sells wood plants to Georgia-Pacific
International Paper has agreed to sell five wood products mills to Georgia-Pacific for approximately US$237 million, subject to various adjustments at closing. The facilities included in the sale are three plywood and lumber complexes in Camden, Texas, Springhill, La., and Gurdon, Ark.; a plywood mill in Corrigan, Texas; and an engineered wood products mill in Thorsby, Ala. The mills employ approximately 2,400 people. The sales are expected to close in the first half of 2007. The agreement is part of International Paper's previously announced transformation plan to focus on uncoated papers and packaging, as well as xpedx, its North American distribution business. Proceeds from divestitures announced to date, including the above agreement, total approximately US$11 billion. Source: RISI Pulp & Paper
Fast drying vacuum kiln technology for red beech
The highly prized cherry colours of West Coast red beech will feature in more upmarket homes in the USA and Australia as a result of a new fast timber drying process due to begin in Hokitika in April. Forever Beech Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of the West Coast Development Trust in New Zealand, has announced the new vacuum kiln drying process will be operational within four months.
General Manager Jon Dronfield said the usual drying time for beech was 7-9 months, but the new process would cut that to just 15 days. The introduction of this technology was made possible by a $1 million capital injection from the West Coast Development Trust. More>>
PaperlinX orders gear for pulp mill overhaul
PaperlinX has ordered a process control system as part of a rebuild of the kraft pulping operations at its subsidiary Australian Paper's Maryvale mill in Victoria, Australia. The Maryvale mill houses five paper machines with a total capacity of 600,000 tonnes/yr of containerboard and printing/writing and kraft papers. The company has selected ABB to supply a distributed control system, switchgear and variable drives systems worth AU$6 million.
The revamp, which is due to be completed in 2008, is aimed at making the plant self-sufficient in pulp and enhancing paper quality and environmental performance. The AU$203 million project includes the replacement of the facility's bleach plant with a 210,000 tonne/yr elemental chlorine-free unit. The mill's power and chemical recovery equipment will also be rebuilt.
PaperlinX has also signed a contract with Gippsland Water for the supply of recycled water to the Maryvale mill. The firm, which provides water and wastewater services to the Gippsland region of Victoria, will build a treatment facility near the pulp plant, to provide up to 10 million litres per day of high-quality recycled water to the mill. Source: RISI Pulp & Paper
Prices for tropical logs surge ahead of those for other logs
Average FOB prices for China's imported logs rose 26% from US$104.6 to US$132 per m3 from January to October 2006, according to Customs statistics. However, price increases differed across top log suppliers, namely Russia, PNG, Malaysia, Myanmar, Gabon and New Zealand. Logs from Russia registered the smallest increase (10.6%), although Russian logs accounted for 69% of total log imports. Prices for Malaysian and PNG logs surged 19% and 15%, respectively while those for New Zealand logs rose just under 11%. Source: ITTO TTM Report 1-15 December 2006
Revised old growth forests paper released by VAFI
The Victorian Association of Forest Industries has had detailed input from a wide cross section of the industry and interested parties to a discussion document on the complex issues surrounding old growth forests and the timber industry. A revised paper was released just before Xmas. The PDF is attached here for your information.
Japanese timber demand expected to exceed supply
Japan's Forestry Agency released its forecast for timber supply and demand for the fourth quarter of 2006 and first quarter of 2007. Japanese demand for Southeast Asian logs is predicted to decline to 306,000 m3 in the fourth quarter, bringing the 2006 total to 1.26 million m3, down 12% from 2005. Demand for Southeast Asian lumber is estimated to fall to 125,000 m3 in the last quarter of the year, for a total 516,000 m3 in 2006, down 8% from 2005. In contrast, Japanese imports of plywood are predicted to rise to 1.16 million m3 in the fourth quarter, for a total 4.8 million m3 in 2006, up 7% from 2005. Overall demand for Southeast Asian log and lumber products is expected to exceed supply by 1.5% and 3.8% in 2006, respectively. Source: ITTO TTM Report 1-15 December 2006
Timber Treatment Trends - Asia
ACQ-treated wood is likely to dominate the market in Korea. With the use of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) treated wood likely to be restricted in Korea in the near future, the local timber industry sees ACQ-treated wood replacing 70 to 80 percent of the existing market for CCA-treated wood in the future. And in China, the Chinese Preservative Treated (PT) Lumber Committee recently confirmed that the Product Standard for PT Lumber and the Standards for Treatment Chemicals (CCA and ACQ) are still being drafted, however they expect to finish the first draft by the end of 2006. Source: NZTE, MarketNewZealand.com, 22 Dec 06
...and one to end the week on...no, Windows isn't a virus
No, Windows is not a virus. Here's what viruses do:
1. They replicate quickly. ... Okay, Windows does that.
2. Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so. ... Okay, Windows does that.
3. Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk. ... Okay, Windows does that too.
4. Viruses are usually carried, unknown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems. ... Sigh.. Windows does that, too.
5. Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware. ... Yup, Windows does that, too.
Until now it seems Windows is a virus but there are fundamental differences: Viruses are well supported by their authors, are running on most systems, their program code is fast, compact and efficient and they tend to become more sophisticated as they mature.
So Windows is not a virus. ... It's a bug.
And on that note, have a great weekend. Cheers.
Brent Apthorp
Innovatek
PO Box 904
Level Two, 2 Dowling Street
Dunedin, New Zealand
Ph: +64 3 470 1902
Fax: +64 3 470 1904
Web page: www.innovatek.co.nz
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