Forest Products Industry

The first Ponsse Mammoth Road Show event in Brazil highlighted the qualities of this robust forwarder for the high-demand work. After weeks operating in Bahia, owned by Veracel, the equipment is now heading to another challenge, in Minas Gerais, at Cenibra. Source: Timberbiz The PONSSE Mammoth is the brand’s largest forwarder, with a capacity of 25 tons, and has proven to be very efficient for the high production demands of Brazilian companies. The Road Show consists of a traveling event organized by Ponsse, which visits several of the company’s clients and aims to put this giant to the test in the different realities of transloading operations found in Brazilian companies. The challenge is to operate for a few weeks in each of these companies in order to observe its performance in different situations. This was the first time that Veracel hosted an event like this. Veracel’s Operational Excellence Coordinator, Pedro Paulo Almeida, highlighted the high performance of the equipment on the flat lands of Bahia. According to him, the gains in productivity and energy efficiency, compared to the PONSSE Elephant King (20-ton forwarder), were 20% to 30%. “This is a solution that allows us to think about optimizing not only the harvesting process, but also the supply chain, such as roads, timber transportation and land use by forestry companies,” Mr Almeida said. Ponsse Brazil Sales Manager Rodrigo Marangoni said that since its launch, they have seen that it would have a high level of acceptance in the Brazilian market due to its characteristics. “We already have other results that indicate that it really allows for better planning of the entire forestry chain, adding reliability, efficiency and productivity. Not to mention greater safety and ergonomics for operators,” he said. In the next challenge, in Minas Gerais, the Ponsse Mammoth will encounter operational situations that are different from those in Bahia, such as steep areas. “Our goal is to test the equipment from different perspectives so that we can have comparative elements and thus prove that it can adapt to the different realities of our country,” Mr Marangoni said. During the test period of a few weeks, the company will receive full support from the Ponsse team, from technical training to maintenance service support, as well as comprehensive data management. At the end of this period, a field day will be held at each customer to share the results obtained, providing detailed analysis and valuable insights into the performance of the Ponsse Mammoth.  

The carbon dioxide generated by pulp mills is a valuable, largely untapped side stream that could be captured and used as a raw material for products replacing fossil-based materials and fuels as the technology and markets develop. Source: Timberbiz “Carbon capture offers Finland a major opportunity to build a new industry – and to undertake significant climate action, as the use of wood-based carbon dioxide reduces fossil raw material consumption and the related carbon dioxide emissions. It also promotes the EU’s climate targets,” says Kaija Pehu-Lehtonen, project director of Metsä Group’s carbon capture project. Metsä Group is a forerunner in capturing carbon dioxide generated by pulp mills. Its production units generate around 12 million tonnes of wood-based carbon dioxide annually, and the company is increasingly focusing on exploring its large-scale capture. According to Pehu-Lehtonen, Metsä Group aims to develop its mills in accordance with the bioproduct mill concept. This means making ever greater use of pulp mill side streams to resource efficiently convert wood into increasingly valuable bioproducts. Harnessing carbon dioxide as a raw material is one example. This autumn, Metsä Group and ANDRITZ, a technology company, completed their first survey examining what the capture of some four million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the flue gases of a mill the size of the Kemi bioproduct mill would mean in terms of technology and energy. Carbon capture requires a great deal of heat energy. To account for this, the survey specifically explored ways to integrate carbon capture into the bioproduct mill as energy-efficiently as possible. According to Pehu-Lehtonen, the survey demonstrated that it is possible to capture all the carbon dioxide generated by a large bioproduct mill but that it requires major investments and developments in the related technology and market before it can result in a profitable business. “Twenty percent of the heat energy required for carbon capture can be obtained from the bioproduct mill’s current heat flows. New technological solutions are needed for the remainder,” Pehu-Lehtonen explains. Metsä Group is proceeding stage by stage in the carbon capture project and will pilot carbon capture next summer at the Rauma pulp mill with ANDRITZ. The pilot stage will be followed by plans for a potential demo plant. If carbon capture proves viable, it will provide the forest industry with a new high-volume wood-based raw material giving rise to investments, workplaces and tax revenue – not to mention climate impacts.

Combilift has been awarded Company of the Year at the prestigious Business & Finance Awards 2024, in association with KPMG Ireland. This remarkable achievement marks Combilift’s 9th major award in the last three months. Source: Timberbiz The Company of the Year award, presented to Combilift’s CEO Martin McVicar by Seamus Hand from KPMG at the 50th Business & Finance Awards ceremony held in Dublin, is a testament to the company’s significant impact on both the Irish economy and the global market. “This award reflects the bold vision and relentless drive that has been at the heart of Combilift since Robert Moffett and I started in 1998,” Martin McVicar, CEO of Combilift, said. “Every forklift, every innovation, and every milestone, reflects our commitment to pushing boundaries and transforming material handling worldwide. This moment belongs to our employees, our dealers, and our customers, who rely on us to deliver quality material handling solutions to optimise their warehouse space.” Winning this award places Combilift among an elite group of previous winners, including industry giants Glen Dimplex, Kingspan, Primark, Google, and Intel. As a homegrown Irish business with a global footprint, this latest recognition serves as a powerful reminder of the company’s ongoing success and its critical role in shaping the future of the material handling industry. Combilift, with annual revenue exceeding €500 million, has continued to thrive with its export-focused business model, with 98% of its operations serving international markets. Since its founding in 1998, Combilift has built a global reputation as the largest manufacturer of multi-directional, articulated, and sideloading forklifts, as well as large material handling equipment such as straddle carriers, with over 85,000 units in operation across 85 countries. The company’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and research and development has been pivotal to its exceptional growth, making it a true leader in the material handling industry.

The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has been preparing for summer with upgrades to Australia’s largest firefighting helicopter, including increased water-holding capacity and new night-time capabilities. Source: Timberbiz The CH-47 Chinook helicopter can now hold 11,000 litres of water in an internal tank, making it an even better asset in firefighting efforts. With the tank upgrade, the helicopter can fill faster, deploy more effectively, and conduct night-time operations when fire intensity is typically lower. Previously, the Chinook had a bucket that made it too dangerous to be used at night-time or over densely populated areas. Added to the RFS aerial fleet last year, the Chinook has been instrumental in firefighting efforts in NSW and is one of only a few Chinook helicopters in use for firefighting activity globally, with the heavy transport helicopter mostly used by defence forces. NSW has the most aerial firefighting aircraft of any state and territory in Australia. In addition to the Chinook, the fleet this season includes the Boeing 737 Large Air Tanker ‘Marie Bashir’, two Cessna Citations, one King Air fixed-wing aircraft and six Bell 412 helicopters. The new tank was fitted out locally and is a permanent solution that replaces a temporary 10,000-litre bucket. It allows the Chinook to carry the largest water payload of any firefighting helicopter in Australia and second only to the ‘Marie Bashir’ in the RFS fleet. This expanded capability builds on the RFS’s strategic partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, with the aircraft operating out of RAAF Base Richmond. Operating from bases across the state, including Richmond, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour and Cooma, the RFS fleet is further supported by more than 200 additional aircraft available on an as-needed basis through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) and other agreements. “We can never be too prepared for summer and the upgraded Chinook makes the RFS aerial fleet even stronger in the fight against fires,” the Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said. “This new capability to safely conduct aerial waterbombing at night is a game-changer for our response, allowing for faster turnarounds and greater capacity to protect people and properties. “Our aerial fleet includes crucial assets that support our RFS volunteers and personnel on the ground to keep communities as safe as possible, and I thank them for everything they do for our state. “As we enter the warmer months and as the RFS and other fire agencies prepare, communities across the state should also do their bit by checking the readiness of their properties and their plan in the event of an emergency.” Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service Rob Rogers said the addition meant that the Chinook can directly attack fires with precision when conditions were typically more favourable such as at night. “The RFS is prepared to deploy our robust and versatile fleet wherever and whenever needed to protect communities and respond swiftly to fires across NSW,” he said.

Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy has been appointed as the new chair of the Climate Change Commission, the independent Crown entity that provides the Government advice, monitoring and reporting to support New Zealand’s transition to a climate-resilient, low emissions future, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. Source: Timberbiz “I’m pleased that Dame Patsy is joining the Commission. As former Governor-General, she will come to the role with an extensive and distinguished career in law and governance,” Mr Watts said. Dame Patsy was the 21st Governor-General of New Zealand from 2016 to 2021. In 2014, she became a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts and business and in 2016 she was made a Dame Grand Companion of the Order for services to the state. She is currently Chair of the New Zealand Rugy Union and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Foundation. She is also a trustee of the Malaghan Institute and the Aspen Institute New Zealand. Dame Patsy’s appointment will take effect in February 2025. In the meantime, Commissioner and Deputy Chair Lisa Tumahai will be acting chair. Dame Patsy’s appointment follows the conclusion of Dr Rod Carr’s term, which ends in early December. Mr Watts has also appointed Felicity Underhill and Devon McLean as Commissioners from December 2024 until September 2028, replacing Catherine Leining and Professor James Renwick. “Ms Underhill has worked in the energy industry for over twenty years and will bring significant experience in decarbonisation of the energy, transport and industrial sectors. She has also been actively involved in future fuel transition programmes around hydrogen,” Mr Watts said. “Mr McLean has had a long executive and governance career in the forestry and conservation fields. The Commission Board will benefit from Mr McLean’s forestry industry experience and governance expertise. “I want to thank Dr Carr, Ms Leining and Professor Renwick for their service to the Commission, and welcome Dame Patsy, Ms Underhill and Mr McLean.”

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has raised concerns about changes to the Government’s new skilled visa program. Source: Timberbiz While AFPA welcomes the addition of some forest sector roles to the Skills in Demand Visa list, the decision to leave critical industry occupations including Forest Science/Forester off the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), is baffling, according to AFPA Chief Executive Officer, Diana Hallam. “Like many Australian industries, the supply chain for forestry and forest products is experiencing skills shortages across numerous jobs and occupations that are critical for us. Therefore, importing those skills from overseas is essential to keep our operations functioning properly,” Diana Hallam said. “The Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Council has released an updated CSOL which informs access for temporary skilled migration. Unfortunately, several roles that AFPA advocated for and are necessary to fill skills gaps haven’t been included – Forest Science/Forester, Saw Maker and Repairer, Saw Technician and Aquaculture, crop and forestry worker. “Of greatest concern is the removal of Forest Science/Forester from the list. With no undergraduate forest science degree currently on offer anywhere in Australia, the decision to remove this occupation from the CSOL is particularly confusing. “Without foresters, there is no forestry and if Australia’s tertiary institutions are not producing the next generation of forest scientists, then we have no option but to source them from overseas. Any model that suggested it was appropriate to exclude skill 234113 from the CSOL is clearly broken. “We know there are genuine shortages of these critical skills in the local workforce and many forest sector operations need these gaps filled through migrant visa holders. Saw Makers and Repairers for example are critically important to processing facilities ensuring equipment runs efficiently. Furthermore, many of these in demand jobs are located in regional areas which adds to the difficulty in filling them. “While we were pleased that Production Manager (Forestry) and Other Spatial Scientist are on the list, and Wood Machinist has been added to the list, the exclusion of the other professions will mean adverse impacts for industry. “AFPA will continue to work with the Albanese Government to highlight the problem these shortages create for a sector so important to the Australian economy and environment and will advocate to get more critical roles included on the visa list for skilled migrants,” Diana Hallam concluded.  

The final fire tower on the Limestone Coast at Penola has gone fully operational in time for the 2024-25 bushfire season. Source: Timberbiz This is the final leg of a partnership between the State Government and the forest industry which has seen an investment of almost $5 million in landscape level fire detection. This will help protect the forest estate and over 21,300 direct and indirect jobs it supports, and importantly, the community and landscape in the South East. To celebrate the occasion, Minister for Forest Industries Clare Scriven travelled up the 13-storey tower to formally declare the fire tower open. The Penola tower completes the State Government’s $2.346 million election commitment, including 8 new fire detection camera systems and an upgrade of the Green Triangle’s fire tower network to provide a landscape level fire detection program. The new tower, which has been constructed using local businesses, has been delivered in collaboration with the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub (GTFIH) and OneFortyOne Plantations, with a total cost of $1.1 million. It follows upgrade works and repairs undertaken in the lead up to the 2023-24 bushfire danger season at Comaum, Mount Burr, Mount Edward, Furner, and Mount Benson. The staffed Penola tower will complement the eight new AI-powered bushfire detection and monitoring cameras located at Comaum, Mount Benson, The Bluff, Furner, Mount Burr, Carpenter Rocks, Lucindale South, and Cave Range, installed to work in conjunction with the upgraded fire tower network. Powered by Pano AI, the monitoring system is Australia’s first fully integrated bushfire detection platform utilising ultra-HD 360-degree panoramic cameras and aimed at improving the early detection of fires. The initial cameras commenced operations in the Green Triangle during the 2023-24 fire danger season, with the system detecting 25 unplanned fires in the region, along with providing real time intelligence to aid fire suppression activities. The Limestone Coast network of eight cameras, overseen by the Green Triangle Fire Alliance (GTFA), strengthens the region’s extensive fire management and surveillance measures in place, ensuring ongoing protection of the Green Triangle’s forestry assets and communities. With the additional government investment in aerial appliances, fires can be detected earlier, with locations pinpointed more accurately, and responded to swiftly, helping reduce the risk of small fires escalating into catastrophic events. The Limestone Coast system contributes to a broader 15-camera station detection network managed by the forestry industries throughout the wider Green Triangle region into Victoria.