FEA launches sawmill at Bell Bay, TasmaniaForest Enterprises Australia (FEA) launched its new AU$70 million sawmill at Bell Bay in northern Tasmania this week. Andrew White, FEA's Chief Executive Officer, said that the FEA sawmill was now a leading employer in the Northern Tasmanian region and would make an important contribution to the Tasmanian economy. When fully operational, the new mill will employ approximately 120 people and will provide significant additional employment and an economic boost to northern Tasmania.The new sawmill offers state of the art equipment with specialist Canadian technology chosen to process logs at speeds of up to 150 meters/min. The log saw line will give us the ability to cut small diameter plantation eucalypt as well as standard plantation pine products , said Mr White. He notes that, following commissioning, the capacity of the mill would be increased progressively with a 450,000 ton per year log input in Year 1 ramping up to 650,000 tons per year in 2011. Ultimately, the mill has a 1,000,000 ton per year capacity. In terms of throughput, Mr White said most of the plant would initially run with a single shift and, as capacity rose, additional hours world be worked. The opening of the new sawmill coincides with the launch of FEA's new branded softwood timber product, BassPine, a high profile Tasmanian brand which will sit next to FEA's other timber hardwood brand, EcoAsh. Forest Enterprises Australia Ltd was formed in 1985 and has established eucalyptus plantations in Tasmania and on mainland Australia. FEA Plantations Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of FEA, commenced its first managed investment scheme in 1993 and has issued a new woodlot project every year since then. In recent years, FEA has expanded its sawn timber products, EcoAsh and BassPine, as well as export woodchips under the SmartFibre brand. Following completion of current planting obligations, FEA will have approximately 52,000 hectares of plantation under management for approximately 9,000 growers. |
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