Friday Offcuts – 11 February 2022
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! Ever had that conversation about those truck-loads of logs that are heading down to the port and whether they should be processed locally instead of being exported? And more recently, if you’re a forest owner, you’ve more than likely had a very similar conversation on why those export logs (admittedly, the piles on wharf have been smaller than usual over the last few months) aren’t the principal reason that timber prices on the building site or down at the home builders’ depot have been climbing. Marcus Musson, Director at Forest360 has penned a small piece in our lead story this week with a few salient points that forest owners might like to throw into these conversations, if and when they arise.In wood processing news this week, a start has been made on Timberlink’s AU$63 million Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing plant at Tarpeena, South Australia (co-located with their updated sawmilling and wood manufacturing complex). And in New Zealand, Norske Skog has announced that they plan to sell their wood pellets business, Natures Flame to a NZ based business, Talley’s Group. Talley’s has already indicated their interest in growing the current production of the plant from 90,000 tonnes to 150,000 tonnes per annum. A more sobering note out of Europe this week was new research on the potential for job losses by automating manufacturing operations. Note, to date academic forecasts of jobs that could be lost to automation have varied widely. This particular research is suggesting that 12 million jobs could be made redundant in Europe because of the increasing adoption of automation. That’s up to one third of all jobs over the next 20 years as companies battle to increase their productivity and try to fill the skills gaps that are being created by an ageing population. They’re projecting 30 million fewer people of working age (think about that number for a while) will be around in 30 years’ time. As well as the aging workforce, the recent pandemic has also been having a major impact on businesses as they automate their work processes. More work of course is being done remotely, and some of those more routine tasks are being automated. Automation is certainly a lever for change and you can bet that the changes occurring as a consequence are going to be significant. Alarming – but certainly worth a read at the end of your working week. And finally, of a more general but more uplifting nature – but obviously piquing the interest of forestry folk out there. Last week we included a piece on some 80–100-year- old Radiata pine logs, the largest of which weighed in at about 12 tonnes, that had just been delivered to Port Chalmers for export. As anticipated, this is one of those “mine is bigger than yours” occasions, with a bit of friendly rivalry thrown in by readers. This week we’ve been sent an image of a monster redwood log from a 149-year old tree felled in South Canterbury a couple of years ago. It was too good not to include. It measured 3.1m in diameter at the large end with the 6m log weighing in at a very respectable 21.5 tonnes. Any advances? It has to be recent and of course you’ll need photographic evidence? And that’s it for this week. Enjoy.
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This week we have for you:
If a tree falls in the forest, should it be exported?
Opinion: Marcus Musson, Director, Forest360Exporting primary products from New Zealand has long been celebrated and underpinning of our economy and way of life. We all hail increased dairy and meat exports, are more than happy that the best fruit and crayfish go offshore but throw our toys out of the cot about log exports. Most elections will see some ill- informed politician standing in front of a wharf full of logs pontificating about supporting our local industry and keeping the logs in NZ. Builders and home handypersons are pointing the finger squarely at forest owners for increased lumber prices and supply issues assuming that issues are caused by the exporting of logs rather than supplying local mills. To put some perspective around the issue, think of trees the same way as sheep and cows, basically they get cut up into different products for different market requirements. Your favourite restaurant in Parnell isn’t likely to serve you up a medium rare sheep bladder and the pet food factory probably doesn’t have much demand for a lamb rack. Logs are no different except, unlike the fruit and fishing industries, we keep most of our good product here for our domestic sawmills and export bladder and brains grades of logs. One tree may have as many as 10 different log grades within one stem and generally quality and hence value diminishes the further up the tree you go. NZ sawmills cannot make money out of sawing the lower grade logs, whereas export markets such as China have much lower production costs and therefore can afford to spend more time reconstituting the lower grade logs into usable products. To put forestry’s valuable export earnings into perspective as well as its importance in reducing emissions, it’s essential to understand how the forest industry works, its regional benefits and why log exports are a vital part of its functioning. As with the sheep and beef industry, you need a solution for the whole animal, you can’t just sell medium rare bladders to Parnell and throw the lamb rack away. It’s easy for Joe Average to get a slanted view on log exports as our industry differs from many others in that logs are very visible on trucks, trains and in ports, timber is not. Timber is delivered to retailers dry, wrapped in plastic and transported in curtain sider trucks which are indistinguishable from those that carry cornflakes. Log exports are just part of a much more diversified set of products that just aren’t that visible to people in port cities. Locally manufactured wood products are, however, a big part of many of our daily lives whether we notice it or not. If you write on it or wipe on it, build with it or burn it, wood products from our radiata pine forests around the regions are generally taken for granted. In addition, the use of engineered timber panels is growing rapidly in the building of multi-storey commercial buildings and apartments, prized for their carbon sequestration as well as earthquake and fire resistance. So next time you’re listening to someone spout off about all our logs going offshore and a lack of framing timber in NZ, you can rebut their ill-informed opinion with the following fun facts: 1. The NZ supply shortage of timber is due to lack of domestic sawing and kiln drying capacity, not log exports. There is no way the entire NZ log production could be sawn locally. 2. Log exports are just one part of the log (usually the top half or less) that is produced and sold in the market. 3. Forest owners, like every other private business, have the right to sell what they own to whoever they want, they are an investment not a public good item. 4. Logs produce all kinds of products, some are solid wood which continue to store carbon over their lifetime; others of lower quality are valued by Chinese buyers for a range of uses, but mainly as formwork in the construction of high-rise buildings in China. 5. Logs are valued by manufacturers in China because of the versatility of radiata and because countries like Russia have imposed export tariffs on log exports – something that our small and vulnerable government would never consider in a market economy and out of our control in NZ. 6. Forest and wood products are a vital piece of the NZ landscape and fit well into our ways of earning a living for rural communities and respective forest owners, large and small. Source: Forest360, WoodWeek Setting the course for a low carbon futureRenewed Policy Statements Call for Collective Action to Reach International Climate Action Through Sustainable Forestry and Forest ProductsOn 28 January, the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) published three new policy statements defining the role that global forests and forest products can play in our collective pursuit for climate solutions. Developed in collaboration by forest sector representatives from 28 countries around the world, the statements outline innovative solutions for governments and businesses to better leverage the carbon-capturing power of forests and forest products while supporting more sustainable economies across the globe. “The global forest products sector is uniquely positioned to provide practical, low-carbon solutions that can help address the complex environmental and economic challenges of today,” said ICFPA President Derek Nighbor. “Climate policies that make use of the carbon capturing benefits of sustainable forest management, the innovative use of wood in the built environment, and the abundance of potential in the growing forest bioeconomy can help chart the course towards post-pandemic economic growth and a lower carbon future for all.” Adapted to reflect forest sector successes and recent shifts in global markets, ICFPA’s latest policy statements offer detailed guidelines to help drive a circular future rooted in renewable forest resources. To read the new ICFPA Policy Statements, visit: • Climate Smart Forestry and Forest Products • Carbon Neutrality of Biomass • Commercial Forest Plantations For more information about the opportunities, sustainability, and solutions of the global forest and forest products sector, visit the ICFPA website. The ICFPA serves as a forum of global dialogue, coordination and co-operation. Currently, the ICFPA represents 18 pulp, paper, wood and fibre-based associations that encompass 28 countries, including many of the top pulp, paper and wood producers around the world Source: ICFPA 
Nature’s Flame wood pellets company sold
Norske Skog has entered into agreement with Talley’s Group, a New Zealand based dairy, fishing, produce and food company, to sell the Nature’s Flame pellets company for NZD 47.8 million. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2022. “Nature’s Flame is a company producing high quality and sustainable energy pellets from wood residues, and thus the sales process generated significant interest. Under Norske Skog’s ownership, they expanded the capacity from producing some 20,000 tonnes when acquired to currently 90,000 tonnes. The company is very pleased that Talley’s has indicated interest to continue the ongoing project to further expand the capacity to 150,000 tonnes. Following the closure of the Tasman mill in 2021 and the sale of the Nature’s Flame business, the Boyer industrial site at Tasmania is now Norske Skog’s only operational asset in the region. The Boyer industrial site will continue to service the regional publication paper markets and develop its industrial footprint within energy and bio products”, says Sven Ombudstvedt, CEO of Norske Skog. Norske Skog acquired the Nature’s Flame business in 2015 for NZD 6.7 million, and has invested an additional NZD 7.8 million to expand the capacity to 90,000 tonnes. The sale is expected to close during the first quarter of 2022. Source: Norske Skog -revised-dates-July.jpg) New program to grow future forestry leaders
Forestry Australia has launched its new 2022 Mentoring Program, which aims to foster the professional development of the nation’s future forestry leaders. Forestry Australia CEO Jacquie Martin said the program would pair recent graduates, early career professionals and those seeking to develop their careers with experienced forestry mentors through a unique and personalised program – calling for both mentees and mentors to apply. “We’re extremely excited to launch our new Mentoring Program, which represents an investment in both our future Australian foresters and forest professionals, and the future of forestry in Australia,” Ms Martin said. “The program builds on the success of our 2021 Conference Mentoring Program, which showed us just how powerful a mentoring relationship can be, delivering personal and professional benefits for both the mentor and the mentee. “The program has been developed around a framework and tool kit of resources which will support participants to ensure effective and sustainable knowledge transfer, skill acquisition and maintaining momentum for all participants. “Mentees and mentors would be asked to invest at least one hour a month to meet plus additional time to prepare for each meeting including goal setting, pre-reading, planning and reflection activities. “If you are looking to further your forestry career, and are interested in developing goals and strategies with an experienced professional who has been where you are now, we’d love you to apply. “We are never too young or too old to have mentoring relationships in our lives – people at any age and any stage of their professional careers can still benefit from the offerings of the Forestry Australia Mentoring Program. “On the other hand, if you are forester or forestry leader looking to share your knowledge, invest in the future of the sector and help others we encourage you to consider becoming a mentor in our program.” The Forestry Australia 2022 Mentoring program is supported by Leadership Grant funding from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Applications for the program are open until Friday, 25 February 2022. The program is exclusive to Forestry Australia members, with no fees or charges for participants. To find out more and apply, visit www.forestry.org.au/mentoring/ Source: Forestry Australia .jpg) Construction starts on AU$63 million plant
Construction has started on a AU$63 million state-of-the-art timber plant at Tarpeena in the South East which will revolutionise South Australia’s timber manufacturing industry and create local jobs. Timberlink’s NeXTimber facililty, which has received AU$2 million from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, will be Australia’s first combined Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing plant. “Timberlink’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Tarpeena will be a game-changer for South Australia’s timber industry and it’s very exciting to see construction now underway,” Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham said. Timberlink Chief Executive Officer Ian Tyson said Timberlink has recently completed a major multi dimensioned investment at the Tarpeena mill which largely has completed their timber manufacturing modernisation, creating a world class timber manufacturing facility. “The co-location of a CLT & GLT Plant on the same site makes this facility unique in Australia,” Mr Tyson said. In further exciting news for the South Australia’s forestry sector, South East Pine Sales has unveiled their new automated steam generation plant which will add nearly 1,000m3 of additional capacity. “The Marshall Liberal Government was pleased to provide nearly AU$90,000 from the Regional Growth Fund towards this AU$300,000 project.” Photo: Timberlink. Timberlink’s CEO Ian Tyson breaking ground with David Basham MP and Cr Shirley Little Source: Government of South Australia Monster Redwood from South Canterbury
This log is from a Sequoiadendron giganteum. The tree’s common name is either Giant sequoia or Sierra Redwood. It has also been given a nick name, “Wellingtonia” with history suggesting a man by the name of John Muir gave it this title in memory of the Duke of Wellington. Giant sequoia is one of three of the last remaining closely related Redwood family of trees. It is also one of the oldest living trees on our planet with one in the USA having been calculated to be over 3,200 years old. It was able to evolve through the eons as it developed the very thick. This enabled the tree to survive fire where the heat could not boil the vital food carrying cambium layer on the outer edge. This log came from a tree planted in 1870. It likely started as a plant bought over on a sailing ship or as seed imported from the USA. The tree was planted at Albury Park, Albury in South Canterbury, by Richardson, an engineer who it is understood was gifted Albury Park by the Government for having designed the Lyttelton Rail tunnel. The tree had to be felled in April 2019 when it was 149 years of age due to deterioration in tree health. It was estimated to be 43 metres in height. It was generously donated by Albury Park owners, Andrew and Rachael McGregor. Cook Logging Ltd from Pleasant Point had to blow the dust off an old bar for this one! A butt log was cut at 6 metres long and was 3.1metres diameter at the large end. The log weighed 21.5 tonnes when it lifted by a fifty-tonne crane on to a transporter and taken to Bushtown in Waimate where it will remain on display for many years. Source: Laurie Forestry _(1).jpg) NZ forest description stats published
The just released year to 1 April 2021 NEFD report records New Zealand’s plantation forest estate area is 1.74 million hectares. This is the largest the estate has been since 1.75 million hectares in 2009. Contributing to this expansion were an additional 34,000 hectares of new planting in 2020 and a revised addition of another 52,000 hectares in calculations for that year. New Zealand’s net stocked planted production forest covered an estimated 1.739 million hectares as at 1 April 2021. The total planted forest standing volume was estimated to be 532 million cubic metres with an average age (area weighted) of 18.3 years. The provisional new planting estimate for the year ending 31 December 2020 is 34,000 hectares. This number may be revised in the 2022 NEFD. The previously published 2020 forest area and standing volume statistics have been revised upward by 52,000 hectares. The decrease in area as age increases beyond 28 years indicates harvesting. Of particular note is the large area of forest between 23 to 26 years old, planted between 1995 and 1998. This forest has begun reaching harvest age. The full NEFD report is available to download here. Source Forest Owners Association Automation's impact on manufacturing employment
Up to 34% of jobs risk being lost to automation by 2040. But technology will also create new workforce opportunities. Up to a third of job roles in Europe could be made redundant by automation over the next 20 years as companies battle to increase productivity and fill skills gaps created by an ageing population, according to Forrester. The tech analyst's latest Future of Jobs Forecast estimates that as many as 12 million jobs could be lost to automation across Europe by 2040, primarily impacting workers in industries such as retail, food services, and leisure and hospitality. Mid-skill labour jobs that consist of simple, routine tasks are most at risk from automation, the report said. These roles make up 38% of the workforce in Germany, 34% of the workforce in France, and 31% of the workforce in the UK. In total, 49 million jobs in 'Europe-5' (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK) could potentially be automated, according to Forrester. A combination of pressures is prompting businesses to ramp up their investments in automation, particularly in countries where industry, construction and agriculture are big business. While small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with up to 50 workers capture two-thirds of European employment, their productivity lags that of larger corporations, according to Forrester. In manufacturing, for example, 'microenterprises' are 40% less productive than large companies. A five-year study of robot adoption at French manufacturing firms found that robots lowered production overheads by reducing labour costs by between 4% and 6%. Business leaders also see automation technology as a means of filling the gaps created by Europe's ageing population, which Forrester describes as "a demographic time bomb." By 2050, Europe will have 30 million fewer people of working age than in 2020, the analyst said. Productivity lost to the pandemic is seeing organizations look to machine processes to recoup efficiency, while industries that were already using automation to grow their revenues have invested even more heavily in the technology to increase service delivery and mitigate pandemic restrictions. More >> Source: zdnet.com 
China softwood log inventories updateFEA industry sources in China report that softwood log inventories at the country’s main ocean ports totalled 5.3 million m3 on 21 January, a decline of 6% (-354,000 m3) from the previous month, as follows:• Radiata pine log inventory volumes from New Zealand and South America amounted to 3.15 million m3, a drop of 10% from a month earlier and comprising 59% of overall log inventories (versus 62% in December). • North American Douglas-fir and hemlock log volumes totalled 646,000 m3, a slight decline of 1% from the previous month and accounting for 12% of overall log inventories. • European spruce log volumes were 1.19 million m3, a slight increase of 1% from a month earlier and comprising 22% of overall log inventories. • Softwood log inventories from other countries, including Russia and Japan, totalled 315,000 m3 (-7%). Moreover, in January, most production mills stop production in the second half of the month for the coming Spring Festival, leading to the lower average daily off-take volume of around 45,000 m3 in the month. For more information on FEA’s China Bulletin where this data is reported monthly, please click here, or contact Dave Battaglia at dbattaglia@getfea.com Source: FEA Hobart’s Forestry dome to be reborn
The iconic domed former headquarters of Forestry Tasmania in Hobart is set to be transformed into learning spaces for the University of Tasmania, under a development proposal submitted to the city council. The multi-award-winning building on Melville Street comprises two original 1930s warehouses with a 22-metre-diametre glass dome designed by Circa Morris-Nunn Chua Architects in 1997. The restoration project received the RAIA Tasmania Recycled Buildings Award in 1998 and is also now listed on the state heritage register. Forestry Tasmania vacated the building in 2017 and the building was almost partially demolished under a Tasmania Police proposal to alter the premises for its own headquarters. The University of Tasmania purchased the site in 2018. Woods Bagot are working closely with architect Robert Morris-Nunn on new designs to restore the building, which includes plans to replant an urban forest that once stood underneath the dome. “Seeing the building fall into disuse over the last few years has been really sad, so to know that the University is planning to restore it, and even reinstate the forest under the dome, is amazing news,” Morris-Nunn said. Source: architectureau 
Nominations open for 2022 SWC Forestry Awards
So, last year COVID-19, the associated lockdown and restrictions on mass gatherings played havoc with many Wood Council Forestry Training Awards right across New Zealand, and Australia. Unfortunately, most had to be cancelled or postponed. In 2022, the hope still is that the region’s once again will be able get together to celebrate local forestry training and business success. They’ve still the largest gatherings of local industry seen every year with forestry companies, forest contractors, log transport operations and wood products companies along with their crews and families from across each region attending. It’s a once in a year opportunity for anyone involved in or associated with forestry to come together to celebrate success. It’s the industry’s chance to recognise those who had achieved formal training qualifications over the year, to celebrate through a series of major industry awards, the top performers and to profile the real contribution that forestry and those working within the industry are making to the economic and social well-being of each region. The 2022 Southern Wood Council (SWC) Forestry Awards Programme run in conjunction with Competenz plan still to run this year at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin on the evening of Friday 27 May. For those in the South, mark the dates into your diary. Nominations for the SWC Forestry Awards close on Friday 25 March 2022. So, for those in Otago and Southland, start to give some thought as to who you can nominate in your or someone else’s company or crew. Who’s made a difference? Who’s really stood out this year? Who deserves to be recognised for their efforts? Click here to download the 2022 Award Details and Nomination Form Further details can be found on the Southern Wood Council website. Producing clean hydrogen using wood chips
In the global race to curb climate change and reduce carbon emissions, hydrogen is considered a serious contender to replace fossil fuels. Although hydrogen ‘burns’ cleanly, with only water as a by-product, the current way of making hydrogen a reliable fuel alternative is energy- and carbon-intensive. Whether water is split with electricity or hydrogen is released from fossil fuels or other hydrocarbon sources, every step forward in making hydrogen is accompanied by at least two steps back in terms of associated CO2 emissions. In some processes, every kilogram of hydrogen is accompanied by almost 30 kilograms of CO2 output. Now, a Kyoto University-led team of international researchers has developed a novel hydrogen plant design that draws on fully renewable resources to produce the lowest amount of associated CO2 reported to date. They have published their proposal in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. “Solar energy is the obvious candidate for driving any hydrogen production, but the problem has often been that sunlight is too intermittent,” says author Shutaro Takeda. The team’s novel approach of using solar heating to gasify biomass looks to be the most effective and practical way of making hydrogen with a low carbon footprint. They are working on combining two different systems to create a new type of hydrogen facility called the solar-driven advanced biomass indirect-gasification hydrogen production plant, or SABI-Hydrogen plant. First, to effectively capture sunlight, they chose an arrangement of special mirrors, called heliostats, that focus light onto a receiver at the top of a tower structure. Under these conditions, a heat-transfer material in the receiver can reach temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. Next, this heat is transferred from the receiver to the gasifier part of the system, where a vessel containing wood chips as biomass is intensely heated in the absence of oxygen. Rather than burning by combustion, the wood chips are converted to a mixture of gases containing a large proportion of hydrogen. Takeda sees nature as our greatest resource and gives us everything we need to combat global warming. “Our modelling shows that using solar power and biomass resources from managed forests could allow us to make hydrogen sustainably and with a low environmental impact,” he concludes. Reference: “Low-carbon energy transition with the sun and forest: Solar-driven hydrogen production from biomass” by Shutaro Takeda, Hoseok Nam and Andrew Chapman, 22 December 2021,International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. For further details, click here Source: scitechdaily.com Jobs
Buy and Sell... and one to end the week on ... Disorder in the Court
These are from a book, "Disorder in the Court", and the story goes that these are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place. And on that note, enjoy your weekend. Cheers. Brand PartnersOur Partners & Sponsors Friday Offcuts is made possible through the generous support of the following companies.
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