Scandinavian Worldforest News

Chile's wood pulp industry is on a rebound just four months after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck at the industry's center, severely damaging production facilities and halting production for nearly a month /automatedtrader.net.

The supply and demand for Eucalyptus logs in Brazil has been in balance the past year, which has resulted in stable log prices in the local currency, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. However, in US dollar terms prices were up 25% in the 1Q /prlog

Metso will supply a roll wrapping machine and conveyors to the joint-stock company JSC Solikamskbumprom for the company's mill in Solikamsk, Russia Papernet.se.

People have a last opportunity to sign up to a wood products industry tour to Russia and China /ttjonline.com.

There are three cartonboard companies - Iggesund, Korsnäs and Stora Enso - with relatively stronger brands than other companies, a survey by Opticom International Research shows /papernet.se.

Finland’s forests are a substantial carbon sink. In 2008 Finland’s forests sequestrated 35 million tons of CO2. In Finland strong emphasis has been put on the mitigation issues by promoting the use of wood /alphagalileo.org.

A Wellington company's joint venture deal to process pine timber in China will funnel extra investment back into New Zealand sawmills, a director says /stuff.co.nz.

The forest industry in B.C. is finding its way out of the woods, thanks in large part to the Chinese marketplace, according to Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell /bclocalnews.com.

Up to 15 trucks laden with illegally logged timber are being smuggled from northern Burma through army checkpoints into China every day, locals in Kachin state have said /dvb.no/news/army.

AbitibiBowater Inc. has completed the sale of several idle paper mills to two buyers for a total of $42.6 million — the latest in the Canadian pulp and paper giant’s restructuring efforts /money.canoe.ca.

The Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI), which is based on quarterly conifer sawlog prices in 19 key regions worldwide, increased from US$65.89/m3 in the 1Q/09 to US$76.77/m3 in the 1Q/10, a climb of almost 17% /Wood Resource Quarterly/Earth Times. Global sawlog prices up 17% the past 12 months with the biggest gains seen in Northern Europe and Oceania, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly

New research, conducted for M-real Consumer Packaging, has found that within the same grade, the carbon footprint of a cartonboard reduces at least in proportion to its basis weight /Papernet.

Chilean forestry and paper company CMPC (CAR.SN) said Wednesday a worker strike over pay had paralyzed its biggest sawmill in south-central Chile /reuters.com.

Digital newspapers have gained an increasing amount of ground and from an environmental perspective have been put forward as a better alternative to paper-based newspapers. But is the answer really that simple? /pulpapernews.com.

Kersti Strandqvist has been appointed Senior Vice President of the new corporate staff function for Sustainability and will also be a member of SCA’s Corporate Senior Management Team /pulpandpapernews.

The Board of Holmen has decided to invest in a new soda boiler and turbine at Iggesund Mill. The investment will total SEK 2.3 billion and also covers equipment for capturing and incinerating weak, sulphur-containing gasesThis equipment will further contribute to reducing the mill's emissions to air.
"The investment means an increase in energy efficiency and the opportunity for Iggesund Mill to become self-sufficient in terms of electricity, which is crucial to its profitability and competitiveness," says Holmen's President and CEO Magnus Hall.

The new soda boiler and turbine mean that the capacity of the mill to produce its own electricity will increase from today's 210 GWh to 520 GWh, and that annual pulp production can gradually be increased from 355,000 tonnes to 420,000 tonnes. The investment will provide the conditions for running the operation without using any fossil fuels or purchasing electricity externally.

The construction period is estimated at two years and will involve employing 1,000 people.

Ivar Palo
www.skogssverige.se

Korsnäs Gävle has built a new evaporation plant. Korsnäs Gävle has invested a total of SEK 570 M to enhance energy efficiency and cut emissions. The investments mean that oil consumption will decrease by nearly 50 percent, he investments mean that oil consumption will decrease by nearly 50 percent and that carbon dioxide emissions will therefore fall by the same amount, according to a press release from Korsnäs.

The plant was inaugurated on may 19 by Barbro Holmgren, the County Governor of Gävleborg and Christer Simrén, CEO of Korsnäs. Alongside the inaugural speeches, project participants and employees of Korsnäs Gävle who were present enjoyed cake and entertainment provided by a brass band.

The new plant has taken a number of years to plan and build, employing as many as 130 people. Tests of the plant have resulted in unanimously positive assessments. "This is an important investment for Korsnäs. It halves our carbon dioxide emissions and enhances the efficiency of our work," says Christer Simrén, CEO of Korsnäs.

The new evaporation plant is more efficient than its predecessor. Korsnäs Gävle expects to generate major savings with the new plant, which, in addition to being more beneficial to the environment, will also cut energy costs.

"Four evaporation units have now been replaced by one and we are now able to look ahead with confidence. Korsnäs Gävle can now continue to be a hyper-modern facility helping us remain competitive in a global market," says Ulf Eliasson, Production Director at Korsnäs Gävle.

Ivar Palo
www.skogssverige.se

SCA is fulfilling a promise to replant every tree they use by reforesting areas in Brazil /pulpapernews.com.

Normal production is restored at Norske Skog Bio Bio nill in Chile. The production has been halted since the earth quake in February /Papernet.se.