Friday Offcuts – 30 September 2022
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! We feature this week several articles linked to the growing markets for wood residues. The production and the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) continues internationally to gain momentum. In the US, the world’s largest industrial wood pellet producer and a cleantech developer have just signed a major contract for the long-term, large-scale supply of sustainably sourced woody biomass (750,000 tonnes per year). The supply contract is designed to further commercialize supplies of SAF. Europe, the UK and most major airlines have already set themselves high targets for bringing in SAF with the objective of accelerating and scaling up the adoption of low-carbon transportation fuels.The US wood pellet producer, Enviva, in another article talks about record prices they’re receiving for their wood pellets with gross margins of US$43 a ton being achieved, up 14% over last year. The company now has US$1 billion in annual sales, a current stock market cap of US$4.65 billion, 10 pellet fuel plants operating with another 10 new plants planned to be set up over the next five years. Issues in Europe where natural gas prices have jumped ten-fold over the last two years has, according to John Keppler, Enviva’s co-founder and CEO. meant that “there’s never been a better time to be in the pellet business”. Another major contract, being described as a landmark agreement, has also been signed for the supply of a renewable biocarbon product. It’s a direct replacement for coal currently being used for power generation and it’s the largest yet seen for advanced biocarbon globally. The company, Aymium, produces biocarbon from recovered and unusable wood using its own patented non-combustion process. The deal’s meant that over US$350 million is being invested by the company to construct two more manufacturing sites to produce the biocarbon. They’re scheduled to be operational in 2023. And in other technology news this week, a mechanised planting system manufactured in Sweden (it’s different than the other systems used in Australasia with a planting head and traditional excavator) has already been put through its paces in Scandinavia, the USA and Canada and now appears to be heading to NZ for next year’s planting season. In wood treatment, Denmark’s IWT-Moldrup are working with NZ- based Tunnicliffe Timber to thermally modify Radiata pine and then pressure impregnate the wood with a proprietary resin. And finally, an eight-storey, mass timber office building in Tauranga has just been announced (which when complete will be the largest in New Zealand) with construction expected to start later in the year. And on that note, enjoy this week’s read.
This week we have for you:
New forestry hub for Fieldays 2022
For the first time ever, visitors to NZ’s Fieldays will have the opportunity to learn about the forestry sector from more than 40 sector organisations and companies under one roof. Under the theme of ‘Wood – our low-carbon future’, the Fieldays Forestry Hub will be a dedicated space at this year’s Fieldays event, giving visitors the chance to explore the many facets of the forestry and wood processing sector and how the sector has a vital role in mitigating climate change. At the hub visitors will discover engaging experiences on forestry growing, climate change, wood products, timber construction, biosecurity and biodiversity. There will also be two forestry simulators on site so visitors big and small can experience what it’s like to operate machinery in a forest. The hub is a collaboration between Fieldays and an advisory group comprising of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, Forest Growers Levy Trust, Scion, NZ Forest Owners Association, Red Stag, NZ Farm Forestry Association and Future Foresters. Farm Forestry Association president, Graham West, says FFA strongly supports the Fieldays Forestry Hub and has been heavily engaged in its design and development. “We wish to reach landowners with the message that farm forestry is working well for our members and is an important option for future sustainable land use in New Zealand.” Graham West says the farm forestry section of the hub will have practical experts and information available on multiple plantation species, with a focus on Redwoods, Eucalypts, Cypresses, Poplar and Willow, and Radiata pine. “We also support and facilitate the ‘Grow-a-tree’ competition for children.” Forest Owners Association president Grant Dodson also adds that forestry is an excellent land use opportunity for farmers. “The hub is all about sharing information, so that forestry is better understood and those farmers that want to can be better informed before investing. “We see integrated land use, with trees on farms, as a real opportunity to increase overall long-term returns for farming, while improving environmental outcomes, especially around climate change.” Featuring a new hub centred around forestry and wood-processing at Fieldays in 2022 was a no-brainer for Peter Nation, the CEO of the National New Zealand Fieldays Society. “This is the first time Fieldays has included something so specific to the forestry and wood-processing sectors, which is well-deserved as they continue to be such an important primary industry in our country,” Peter Nation says. About Fieldays: Fieldays is based on a 114-hectare site at Mystery Creek 10 minutes from Hamilton and is the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere. Fieldays draws people from around the globe – both as exhibitors and visitors. Fieldays 2021 saw 132,776 people visit the event, generating NZ$675m in sales revenue for New Zealand businesses. For more information head to www.fieldays.co.nz NZ UAV pilots, have you heard of this new tool?
RNZAF Flight Advisor Service (flightadvisornz.io) is a new tool developed by Aeropath for the NZDF. The primary function of this tool is two-fold: - Register and communicate low level hazards in uncontrolled airspace; - Notify other airspace users of your operation to enhance safety. Activities such as NZDF low level operations, RPAS, temporary hazards through NOTAM, permanent hazards (i.e., high wires, verified by Aeropath’s National Hazard Database) and any other airspace user can input of their low-level activities/plans so they can be visible to all, in real-time - for free. It even integrates upcoming UAV operations from the Airshare App, which is used by most NZ UAV operators to report their UAV operations. Flight Advisor includes spatial layers for satellite imagery, road maps and visual navigation charts (VNCs), 1:50 topographical maps and distance measuring ability making this an exceptionally useful tool for planning UAV operations. “The great thing with flight advisor is not just about the drones, but it's about any operations < 1000ft AGL. You see the latest info in one spot, no need to go to multiple locations to track it all down” - David Herries, GM/Director, Interpine Innovation A noteworthy feature is the ability to get notifications relevant only to your area of interest. You can define your area of interest and get text messages/emails if there are any other planned operations from other users within your set area, so you won’t be bothered with any unnecessary information. “Outside controlled airspace the low-level environment (<500ft AGL) has traditionally been the domain of the NZDF, agricultural and helicopter operators. Safety in this environment has always had its challenges and now with RPAS systems coming online those challenges are exacerbated. Flight Advisor was born out of an NZDF need to enhance situation awareness by creating a tactical picture that could provide one source of truth so air operations could be integrated safely.” “Flight Advisor provides a connection between the manned and unmanned aviation community that other applications simply do not offer.” – Flight Lieutenant Andrew Day, Flight Advisor Innovator, RNZAF. More >> Source: Tools for Foresters .jpg ) Swedish mechanised planting system planned for NZPlantma Forestry have developed a mechanised planting system that’s being used in Sweden and being trialled in both the US and Canada.During 2020 the machine was tested by 3 major forest companies in Sweden in a variety of conditions, types of ground, different seedlings etc. The Plantma-X proved to be a reliable machine and in the autumn of 2020 the machine planted its millionth seedling. Unlike other systems using a planting head and traditional excavator, the base machine of the unit is an Eco Log 574E. Details on the system can be seen below. The new planting system was outlined to local foresters as part of a presentation made at the last ForestTECH event by Stora Enso. A full presentation on the system and results from recent Swedish and North American planting seasons is planned as part of this year’s ForestTECH 2022 series running in Rotorua, NZ on 15-16 November and again in Melbourne, Australia on 22-23 November. Plantma Forestry has also announced that they have an agreement in place for a machine to be delivered to Pan Pac Forest Products New Zealand by the end of Q1 2023! “Given the need for forestry to be able to adapt and investigate new technology and with the proven success of this high efficiency planter in Sweden, US and Canada, Pan Pac is excited to partner and test the Plantma X2 into the NZ forestry environment.” Says Sean Wright, Forestry Manager at Pan Pac Forest Products. Source: Plantma Forestry .jpg) WIDE Trust supports forestry assessors
It is recognised that industry trainers and assessors are integral to the success of learners in the forestry and wood manufacturing sectors. In recent times, Competenz has been struggling to attract and retain good quality assessors due to market competition. With support from the WIDE Trust Competenz has developed a nationwide, professional development programme for assessors in these industry sectors. Additional to this, Competenz has also run Assessor Appreciation Days for forestry assessors in six key locations. The purpose of these events was to provide reward and recognition and to listen to the voice of the customer and understand what they would like to see covered in these workshops. To be truly customer-centric Competenz engaged with industry and welcomed their feedback. At the Assessor Appreciation Days all attendees completed feedback forms and were asked to indicate the areas in which they would like to upskill and the type of professional development they’d like going foward. This information informed the calendar of activity and positive results from their efforts in the assessor space. 58 assessors and nine Competenz Account Managers attended Workshop 1 that was run online earlier this year. The first workshops focussed on Problem Solving and Environment and Engagement. In the Problem Solving workshop the fishbone analysis tool was used to identify problems and work through solutions to aid assessors when working with learners with learning difficulties. In the Environment and Engagement participants were given a choice of techniques and aids for training. Businesses, students and others involved in studies and work to enhance the forestry and wood industry sectors in New Zealand are invited to apply to the WIDE Trust for a grant to support their efforts. Apply Online - www.widetrust.org.nz Photo: Assessor trainees wearing WIDE Trust/Competenz co-branded high viz Source: WIDE Trust  Australian forestry research proposals sought
Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) invites RD&E proposals to advance research of benefit to the Australia’s commercial forest growers, aligned with one or more of FWPA’s programs: Program 3 – Assisting value chain optimisation Program 4 – Increasing resource availability and reducing risk Program 5 – Impacting decision-making and industry capability FWPA’s forestry research, development and extension (RD&E) Investment Plans were developed in consultation with Australia’s commercial forest growers to inform investment in RD&E activities. From the investment plans, the Priority Topics were identified as the key targets for investment. You can find more information about how to submit your proposals on the FWPA website. Proposals are invited for projects of up to three (3) years’ duration, commencing in either 2022/23 or 2023/24. If it is demonstrated by the proposal that a longer duration is warranted, projects of up to five years may also be considered. To facilitate engagement with growers, a two-stage process will be used. Full proposals must be submitted by grants@fwpa.com.au by 12 noon (Australian Eastern Daylight Time - AEDT) on 16 November 2022. Review by the Scientific Advisory Panel – all full proposals will be evaluated by the Executive Committee of the Grower Research Advisory Committee and FPWA’s Scientific Advisory Panel. Applicants will have opportunity to respond to questions and comments from the Scientific Advisory Panel between early December and late January, which may include an invitation to meet virtually with the Panel if required. Applicants will be notified whether their proposal has been successful by early March 2023. If you would like to discuss this call for proposals, please contact FWPA’s Forest Research Manager, Jodie Mason, on (+61) 427 357867 or Jodie.mason@fwpa.com.au. Source: FWPA Northland’s forestry heroes celebrated at Awards
The 2022 Northland Forestry Awards have proved to be a huge winner in more ways than one. Not only did the annual event attract record nominations but it was close to a sell-out awards evening that celebrated all that was good about forestry and the region. Luke Rosewarne (pictured), from Rosewarne Yarding, was the supreme winner of the Skilled Professional of the Year (sponsored by Northland Forestry Health and Safety Group) and also walked away with the AB Equipment & Tigercat sponsored Harvesting Excellence award. The Rosewarne family companies had done very well in the awards, with Rosewarne Cable Loggers’ Sean Mete winning the Breaking Out Excellence category (sponsored by McFall Fuel) and Kerry Pellegrom the Woman in Forestry Excellence (sponsored by PF Olsen). Kerry was also runner-up in Outstanding Health and Safety Management (sponsored by Summit Forest NZ Ltd) division. Judges struggled to separate the Wilson family from Northpine and the Zielinski family from Silviculture Contractors, jointly awarding them the Forestry Family of the Year award (sponsored by Northern Forest Products). On one hand was the pioneering Wilson family, with generations involved over many decades in the industry. They have worked across multiple regions, are still committed to all aspects of the wood processing industry and are proud to call Northland home. On the other hand, was the Zielinski family who may not go back quite as far but in their decades of work, they have entrenched themselves as a huge asset to forestry. The company is led by brothers Craig and John, with the wider family also involved. Last year the awards were held virtually, due to COVID, so it was certainly exciting for the industry to gather at McKay Stadium in Whangarei to be entertained by MC Jeremy Corbett to toast forestry and those who make it what it is. Results: Skilled Professional of the Year (sponsored by Northland Forestry H&S Group): Luke Rosewarne (Rosewarne Yarding). Forestry Family of the Year (sponsored by Northern Forest Products): The Wilson Family (Northpine) and the Zielinski family (Silviculture Contractors). Contractor of the Year (sponsored by ISO): IK and SM Newey Transport. Outstanding Health and Safety Management (sponsored by Summit Forest NZ Ltd): Aztec Forestry Transport Development. Runner-up: Kerry Pellegrom (Rosewarne Cable Loggers). Outstanding Environmental Management (sponsored by Wise on Wood): Duane Doughty (DOC Livestock). Forestry Excellence (sponsored by Northland Forest managers): Kim Kire (JSB Construction). Roading Excellence (sponsored by Fortuna): Dylan Read (JSB Construction). Runner-up: Scott Johnson (Scott Johnson Contracting). Harvesting Excellence (sponsored by AB Equipment &Tigercat): Luke Rosewarne (Rosewarne Yarding). Runner-up: Stan Houston (The Tree People). Distribution Excellence (sponsored by PMG – Pacific Motor Group): Justin (Gus) Collins (Mike Lambert Ltd). Wood Processing Excellence (sponsored by Whangarei ITM): Paul Rupapera (Rosvall Sawmill). Breaker Out Excellence (sponsored by McFall Fuel): Sean Mete (Rosewarne Cable Loggers). Tree Faller Excellence (sponsored by Manulife Investment management): Edward (Blue) Lloyd (Lloyd Logging). Woman in Forestry Excellence (sponsored by PF Olsen): Kerry Pellegrom (Rosewarne Cable Loggers). Log Truck Driver Excellence (sponsored by Patchell Group of Companies): Wayne Thornton (Aztec FTD). Emerging Talent of the Year (sponsored by North Tec Tai Tokerau Wānanga and Te Pukenga): Journee Houston (Mid Northern Forestry Ltd). Runner-up: Harry Harrison (Wise on Wood). Trainee of the Year (sponsored by Competenz and Te Pukenga): Troy Wilson (Northpine). Training Company/Contractor of the Year: Wise on Wood. SnapSTAT - Export value of NZ forestry industry
Tauranga, home to NZ’s largest timber office building
Tauranga City Council’s new office building at 90 Devonport Road is set to be the largest mass timber office building in New Zealand and will target a net zero carbon footprint for the building’s construction process.Warren and Mahoney’s 90 Devonport, a 10,000m2, eight-storey, mass timber office building in Tauranga for property developer Willis Bond, is targeting a low-embodied-carbon footprint, with the use of a mass timber structure replacing traditional concrete and steel elements. “Warren and Mahoney’s goal is for all new projects to be net-carbon zero in operation, be 50 per cent more energy efficient and have 40 per cent less embodied carbon by 2030,” says architect Divya Purushotham, who is leading the project alongside principals Blair Johnston and Richard Archbold. “Against this benchmark, 90 Devonport achieves approximately 60 per cent reduction in upfront emissions when compared to the business-as-usual concrete and steel model.” “Mass timber construction enables the building to store more carbon than it emits during the construction phase,” adds Purushotham, “setting a significant benchmark, particularly for the Tauranga region.” Given the industry is in its early days in understanding the capacities of mass timber, Purushotham says it was critical that the building retained simplicity to achieve feasibility. “This enabled the team to achieve large structural spans at a significant height while remaining commercially viable. Simple forms, hybrid structural systems and familiar materials enabled a realistic pathway to achieve a low-embodied- carbon outcome.” The architects say the project has benefited from creative solutions and problem-solving offered by a large team, including the client, mana whenua, Dunning Thornton, Beca and LT McGuinness, amongst others, “all of whom challenged and encouraged different ways of thinking to drive innovation”. 90 Devonport is aiming for the highest 6 Green Star design rating. Construction is expected to commence in late 2022 and be completed before the end of 2024. In event news, strong interest is being seen by architects, engineers and specifiers across NZ for the November WoodWorks 2022 mass timber conference. Please note, early bird rates finish next Friday, 7 October. Many companies are registering large groups, so now is the time to register your team to attend. Registrations can be made here. Source: architecturenow A windfall for US wood pellets business
Environmentalists have doubts, but John Keppler’s faith in the energy source is rewarded by European customers willing to pay top dollar.On a crisp North Carolina morning, an eastern pine forest is being clear cut in a precisely choreographed hydraulic ballet. Pincers grab 500-pound, 30-foot tree trunks, run them through trimmers and auto-cutters and then stack the nearly uniform logs onto flatbed trucks which take them to mills to be cut into construction boards. Grappling claws scoop up the remains of the harvest—branches, limbs and scraps—and drop them into open-topped dump trucks headed for one of 10 plants run by Enviva, to be chopped, dried, pulverized and pressed into two-inch wood pellets. You could burn those pellets in your backyard grill—if you could buy them, which you can’t. “We’re already sold out,” boasts John Keppler, Enviva’s cofounder and CEO. Earlier this year, the Bethesda, Maryland-based company locked in take-or-pay contracts to sell German and other European customers millions of tons of pellets over the next 15 years at upwards of $250 a ton, a record price that now yields gross margins of $43 a ton, up 14% over last year. The pellets fuel plants that might have previously relied on Russian coal or natural gas. In Europe, natural gas prices have jumped ten-fold in two years to the equivalent of $60 per thousand cubic feet (versus $8.25/mcf in America). “There’s never been a better time to be in the pellet business,” Keppler says. While Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has produced a windfall for Enviva, it’s no overnight success. Keppler, 50, has spent 15 years building it into the world’s largest producer of industrial grade pellets, with US$1 billion in annual sales and a current stock market cap of US$4.65 billion. The company still runs a net loss after depreciation and interest but expects EBITDA to more than double this year to US$250 million. Keppler is aiming to build ten more plants over the next five years, doubling current annual output of 6.2 million tons of pellets. “Every ton we produce is a ton of coal that stays in the ground,’’ he says. More >> Source: forbes Japanese pulpmills increase wood chip importsJapan is the world’s second-largest importer of wood chips behind China, accounting for about one-third of the world’s total imports. While China is a relative newcomer in the overseas wood chip market, pulpmills in Japan have a long history of relying on imported wood fibre, with their first shipments arriving in Japan in the mid-1960s.The all-time high was almost 15 million odmt back in 2008, followed by a long period when total volumes averaged around 12 million odmt annually. The most significant y-o-y decline in 10 years occurred in 2020 when wood chip import demand in Japan fell to its lowest level since the first year of the COVID-19 epidemic (see chart). 
However, importation grew in 2021 and the first six months of 2022, with the total volume for 2022 on pace to reach the highest level in three years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. About 85% of wood chip shipments to Japan have been hardwood species, with the remainder being softwood chips, predominantly from the US and Australia. Deliveries of hardwood chips have increased from 8.2 million odmt in 2020 to an estimated 9.5 million odmt in 2021 and 2022. However, this volume is still lower than the annual average of just over ten million odmt during 2010-2019. The biggest suppliers during the first six months of 2022 have been Vietnam (45% of total imports), Chile (13%), South Africa (12%), and Australia (11%). During most of the past 30 years, a clear majority of hardwood chips imported to Japan have originated from Australia, Chile, and South Africa, all countries with vast areas of fast-growing plantations of higher-yield Eucalyptus wood fibre (HYF). Their share of total imports peaked about 15 years ago at 75%, and shipments from countries with lower-yield wood fibre (LYF) have increased their share, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The primary supplier of LYF to Japan is Vietnam, which in 2010 exported less than one million odmt and in 2022 is expected to supply over four million odmt or about 45% of total imports to Japan. Lower quality wood chips of Acacia and low-density Eucalyptus from Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia) have increased their share to almost two-thirds of the total fibre supply imported by Japanese pulpmills in 2022. The switch to LYF over the past decade has been driven by intense competition, a rise in the cost of higher quality hardwood chips, and the expanded availability of wood fibre from Acacia plantations established over the past 10-15 years. Source: forest2market, www.WoodPrices.com 
World’s largest advanced biocarbon contract for coal
More than 4 million tons of coal will be replaced with Aymium’s renewable carbon negative product, removing over 10 million tons of CO2. Aymium, a leading producer of renewable biocarbon products, announced that it has entered a long-term supply contract for its patented, coal replacement product with Hokuriku Electric Power Company and Nippon Steel Trading. The contract is the largest for advanced biocarbon globally and will support the first large-scale continuous utility use of advanced biocarbon to replace coal in power generation. Aymium produces the only demonstrated carbon-negative product for replacing coal in power generation. Each ton of Aymium’s product, when used in place of coal, results in a reduction of over 2.5 tons of CO2 as well as over 95% reduction in emission of other pollutants from coal generated power, including sulphur dioxide and mercury. The landmark contract and associated environmental benefits were celebrated by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel. Aymium’s renewable product is created through a non-combustion process that converts biomass to high purity biocarbon and biogas, recovers and recycles water from the biomass, and is powered by self-generated renewable energy. The product has been tested at power-plant scale by Hokuriku confirming suitability and advantages as a replacement for fossil coal. Aymium’s products are protected by more than 275 issued and pending patents globally and are engineered to immediately displace fossil coal in energy production — without the need for any type of plant modifications. Aymium’s patented process converts certified sustainably sourced renewable biomass into biocarbon using integrated thermolysis. Aymium is constructing two additional production facilities—one in Williams, California, and another in the Pacific Northwest—to produce advanced biocarbon for use by Hokuriku. Aymium anticipates investing over US$350 million to construct the facilities that are scheduled to be operational in 2023. About Aymium Aymium produces high-value biocarbon and biohydrogen products that can be used to immediately replace fossil fuels in the production of metals, energy, crops, and in the purification of water and air with no modifications to equipment or processes. Produced using sustainably sourced biomass – recovered and unusable wood – Aymium’s bioproducts are renewable, carbon-negative and they replace emission-heavy fossil fuels such as coal and coke. .jpg) Heat & resin treatment planned for NZ Radiata pine
A joint venture in New Zealand has been set up with the timber modification expertise and experience of Denmark’s IWT-Moldrup have combined with the timber processing acumen of New Zealand-based Tunnicliffe Timber. The process sees New Zealand radiata pine being thermally modified, using IWT-Moldrup’s equipment and then further modified by the introduction of a new, proprietary resin treatment of IWT-Moldrup´s packet solution BioBioWood. “IWT-Moldrup´s packet solution Biobiowood is a sustainable solution that can turn thermally modified NZ Pinus Radiata into the equivalent of a premium hardwood without the use of biocides,” said the company. “The Biobiowood process involves pressure impregnating the base timber with a resin. This protects the wood against termites and other insects, increases dimensional stability by approximately 50%, increases density by approximately 30% and increases hardness by approximately 300-500%. Biobiowood has already attracted interest in Japan and Europe and IWT-Moldrup’s assessment of test results on a first production plant in Germany with Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress, and radiata pine have been excellent, said the company. “The results show that Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress, and radiata pine are very compatible with the resin treatment.” A pressure impregnation plant dedicated to Biobiowood treatment will be shipped to the same site as the TMT plant in New Zealand at the beginning of 2023 and immediately put into operation. In other news, IWT-Moldrup is installing two large thermal treatment plants with an annual capacity of 6,000m3 each in New Zealand and Chile, to be used on radiata pine. Source & Photo: IWT-Moldrup Major contract to world’s largest wood pellet producer
In the United States (US), Enviva Inc., the world’s largest industrial wood pellet producer, and Alder Fuels, a cleantech developer have signed a contract for the long-term, large-scale supply of "sustainably sourced woody biomass" from Enviva to further commercialize the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The agreement would make Enviva an exclusive supplier of up to 750 000 tonnes per year of “sustainably sourced woody biomass” to Alder’s first Alder Greencrude (AGC) production facility, soon to be under construction in the southeastern United States. Backed by Honeywell UOP, United Ventures, Avfuel, Boeing, US Defense Logistics Agency, the US Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), AGC can be refined using existing infrastructure into low-carbon to carbon-negative SAF that matches petroleum-based equivalents on specification and performance. Major milestone The announcement represents a major milestone in the rapid acceleration and scaling up of low-carbon transportation fuels with the potential to fundamentally change the future of flying and other modes of transport over time. In March 2021, major US airlines committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which was reinforced by an announcement in October 2021 by the world’s airlines and aviation community. Recognizing the scaling up of SAF is critical to meeting such aggressive climate goals, the White House launched the “SAF Grand Challenge,” with goals to have 11.3 billion litres of SAF produced in the US by 2030 and augmenting to 132.4 billion litres by 2050. The recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law amplifies the US commitment to SAF by providing tax credits for every gallon of SAF produced based on lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction percentages. Further, the IRA extends and modifies the tax credit for the production of renewable energy from biomass and other technologies. Europe is pursuing similar policy initiatives such as ReFuelEU, with the European Parliament voting in support of draft rules to require SAF to account for at least 85 percent of European Union (EU) aviation fuel by 2050. Similarly, the United Kingdom announced the introduction of a SAF mandate, requiring at least 10 percent of jet fuel to be produced sustainably by 2030. Major US airlines have been seeking opportunities to collaborate with other industries to deliver commercial solutions to sustainable aviation at scale, with such initiatives accelerating over the past two years as they individually, and collectively, committed to becoming carbon neutral. United Airlines has already committed to purchasing 5.7 billion litres of SAF from Alder Fuels when produced to the airline’s requirements. United Airlines’ commitment represents purchasing more than twice as much SAF as the rest of the world’s airlines combined. More >> Source: Bioenergy International 
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... and one to end the week on ... new bank notes
The foreman on a large worksite noticed a new labourer one day and barked at him: "What's your name?" "John." The new bloke replied. The Forman scowled. "Look, i don't know what kind of wishy-washy worksite you were on before, but I don't call anyone by their first name. It's weak and wastes time. I call my employees by their last name only Smith, Jones, Baker, that's all. If I want a job done, I yell, Baker, get this or Jones, do that. Now that we have that straight, what's your last name?" The new bloke sighed. "Darling. My name is John Darling." The foreman paused briefly for a couple of seconds, then said quietly... "Ok John, the first thing I want you to do is.....!" And another short one sent in by a reader. What do you call a bee in America? A USB!  On that note, enjoy your weekend. Cheers. We welcome comments and contributions on Friday Offcuts. For details on advertising for positions within the forest products industry or for products and services, either within the weekly newsletter or on this web page, please contact us.
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