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Japanese companies Idemitsu Kosan and Morisora Biorefinery have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of establishing a supply chain for 100% domestically produced ATJ1-SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) derived from bioethanol made from domestic wood resources. Source: Timberbiz By integrating domestically produced second-generation bioethanol derived from woody biomass (referred to as “E2G”) with the ATJ technology currently undergoing verification and evaluation by Idemitsu Kosan, the two companies will jointly explore the feasibility of establishing a supply chain that covers the entire process from feedstock development to SAF use within Japan. Morisora BR aims to produce E2G from domestic timber for use as a feedstock for SAF and other applications. The two companies will integrate the domestically produced E2G planned by Morisora BR with the ATJ-SAF production that Idemitsu Kosan is exploring for verification purposes and will conduct a comprehensive study covering the entire process from feedstock development to SAF use. Specifically, the companies will proceed with planning the logistics connecting the E2G production facility and the ATJ-SAF production plant in Japan, while also exploring ways to disseminate information about domestically produced ATJ-SAF and examining the institutional frameworks and enabling environment necessary for its social implementation. Through this initiative, they will work to identify and resolve challenges related to establishing a supply chain for domestically produced ATJ-SAF. In the aviation industry, the societal implementation of SAF is seen as an effective means of achieving decarbonization. There are several types of feedstocks and production methods for SAF, and currently, SAF production using HEFA3 technology is leading the way globally. However, securing feedstocks is a challenge for the widespread adoption of SAF, and diversifying these feedstocks is also required from the perspective of energy security. ATJ is a technology that can contribute to the stable procurement and diversification of feedstocks by using alcohol produced from various biomass as a raw material for SAF, and Idemitsu Kosan is undertaking a pilot production project to verify its feasibility. If a supply chain for ATJ-SAF using domestically produced E2G derived from non‑edible resources represented by woody biomass as a feedstock is established, it will be possible to complete the entire process, from feedstock production to product manufacturing, domestically while avoiding competition with food crops. Going forward, the two companies aim to enhance the feasibility of establishing a 100% domestically produced ATJ-SAF supply chain and contribute to decarbonization and energy security in Japan’s aviation sector.

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The new H820 harvester and 820 feller buncher models are the simplest, most compact, and lightest weight carriers in the Tigercat-TCi lineup. Source: Timberbiz The 820 feller buncher is best suited to the 5400 felling saw and best applied to small diameter timber and first thinning applications. It is equipped with a lighter weight ER boom with less lift capacity compared to the 822E feller buncher. The H820 harvester is equipped with a simple, conventional 10 metre boom system, best suited to the TCi 544 harvesting head. The H820 is an good solution for cost effective harvesting in small diameter timber stands and thinning applications where powerful lifting capacity is not a primary concern. The long-reach boom results in reduced machine travel for improved fuel economy and track component life. The lighter weight, lower capacity boom sets for both machines require less counterweight. This reduces the overall weight of the machine for improved fuel economy and track life, contributing to lower overall cost of ownership. Both boom systems offer a tight tuck for excellent performance in thinning applications. The 820 series machines will be marketed under the TCi brand in Europe.

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Long-term collaboration, industrial scalability and future-ready materials are driving the next chapter in sustainable panel production. Source: Timberbiz When Koskisen launched its Zero product family together with Stora Enso’s NeoLigno binder in 2022, the ambition was clear: to challenge conventional wood panel production with a safer and more sustainable alternative. Today, as the wood products industry prepares for increasingly stringent formaldehyde regulations and growing customer expectations around healthy materials, that early decision looks more relevant than ever. The collaboration between Koskisen and Stora Enso has now entered a new phase with the launch of Zero Flooring board/construction board — a new board within the Zero family designed for more demanding applications while maintaining the same formaldehyde-free profile. Unlike conventional fossil-based binders, NeoLigno is a bio-based binder derived from lignin, one of the main components naturally found in wood. The resulting Zero panels are free from added formaldehyde and other harmful compounds, offering a future-ready alternative for furniture and interior applications. “What makes this collaboration unique is that it has moved far beyond innovation pilots. Together with Koskisen, we have demonstrated that formaldehyde-free panels can work in large-scale industrial production while meeting high performance expectations,” said Tuomo Heikkinen, VP, Head of Bio-Based Chemicals at Stora Enso Biomaterials. For Koskisen, the launch of the original Zero Panel marked an important strategic step toward more sustainable and healthier material solutions. Since then, market interest has continued to grow as awareness around indoor air quality and upcoming regulation increases. “We saw early on that the market was moving toward safer and more sustainable materials. With Zero, we wanted to offer customers a genuinely different alternative — without compromising on quality or performance. The continued development of the Zero family shows that this direction is here to stay,” said Riitta Ahokas, RDI Manager at Koskisen. The introduction of Zero Flooring board/construction board demonstrates how the collaboration continues to evolve through product development and shared innovation ambitions. It also reflects a broader shift within the industry, where manufacturers are increasingly looking for renewable and lower-emission material solutions. As regulatory pressure grows across Europe, both companies believe the transition toward formaldehyde-free materials will accelerate further.

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Biological control in forest plantations can confound even the scientists designing it, and a new NSW study has delivered a striking example. Source: Timberbiz A cryptogenic nematode strain, not the Kamona inoculant deliberately released by researchers, was responsible for collapsing a Sirex wood wasp outbreak in an un-thinned pine plantation, according to a peer-reviewed study in the latest edition of Australian Forestry, co-authored by A.J. Carnegie, M. Nagel, D. Sargeant, K.N.E. Fitza and H.F. Nahrung. The study tracked a Sirex noctilio outbreak in an un-thinned Pinus radiata plantation in NSW from 2015, when the attack was first detected, through to 2020. The plantation was 11 years old at discovery and carrying between 3,000 and 6,500 stems per hectare, stocking levels far above commercial norms, driven by years of ineffective pine wildling control. Beginning in 2016, researchers inoculated naturally struck trees with the Kamona strain of the nematode Deladenus siricidicola. By 2019, a total of 16 million nematodes had been released across the site. By 2020, the outbreak had effectively subsided. Ground plot surveys showed 40% of trees had been struck by Sirex, with suppressed trees and wildings accounting for the overwhelming share of attack. The parasitic wasp Ibalia leucospoides contributed to control, parasitising roughly 30 per cent of Sirex larvae. Nematode parasitism climbed from under 5 per cent at the outbreak’s outset to 95 per cent of all emerging female sirex by 2019. Taken at face value, that trajectory looked like a biocontrol success. But molecular analysis complicated that conclusion entirely. None of the nematodes recovered from emerging Sirex was Kamona. All belonged to a newly identified strain, Lineage D, a cryptogenic organism whose origin and arrival pathway remain unresolved. Control had been achieved through what the authors describe as adventive classical biocontrol: the action of a naturally occurring exotic natural enemy, not the deliberate inoculation program scientists had designed and monitored over four years. By 2020, a reduction in susceptible host trees, particularly suppressed wildings, had also likely contributed, though the stand still carried a substantial number of vulnerable stems. The authors set out to separate the weight of natural enemy pressure from host tree availability in regulating the outbreak. The answer cut across both. “This study shows that biological control in forests and plantations can be complex and sometimes unexpected. It gives useful insights for improving Sirex management in Australia,” according to Dr Mohammad Ghaffariyan, managing editor of Australian Forestry, who is based at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The paper was accepted in January 2026 and appears on pages 178–187 of Australian Forestry — the 100-year-old journal for Forestry Australia, the authority for Australia’s 1,100 forest scientists and forest growers. For more information: Carnegie, A. J., Nagel, M., Sargeant, D., Fitza, K. N. E., & Nahrung, H. F. (2025). Did a cryptogenic nematode strain control a sirex wood wasp outbreak? Australian Forestry, 88(4), 178–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049158.2026.2627706

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The City of Hobart is calling on the Tasmanian community to come out of the woodwork and apply for a piece of the two giant sequoias that were removed from St David’s Park. The two trees, which stood at 30 and 32 metres tall, were removed in April after multiple attempts to revive the dying trees. Source: Timberbiz One of the four largest pieces has already been earmarked for a special City of Hobart project, which will see local carver Andrew Evans, also known as the Constant Whittler on Instagram, turn one large sequoia barrel into a unique, large-scale sculpture for one of Hobart’s parks. An open day to view the timber will be held on Thursday 18 June. Mr Evans, pictured, will be seconded from the City’s tracks and trails team to work on this project. The timber will also be used to create new interpretive elements for the Hobart waterfront to share Palawa and other local stories. The bulk of the timber, which was sealed to protect it from weathering as soon as it was taken out of St David’s Park, will be given to local artists and community groups to use the wood for creative or community projects through an Expression of Interest process. For makers who prefer to work with milled wood, there is a store of milled elm timber from a mature tree in Franklin Square that was sadly vandalised and subsequently removed in 2005. “While many of us are still saddened by the loss of these two trees from St David’s Park it will be exciting to see how local artists can turn the sequoia timber into something special,” Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said. “The beautiful soft red wood is durable and easily worked, and it’s extremely rare to see so much timber of this nature released into the local artisan community, let alone for free. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for our makers to turn the sad passing of these beautiful trees into something special that will last for generations to come and properly honour the loss of these trees.” Timber available includes: Large trunk sections, suitable for substantial sculptural or structural projects. These sections range from approximately 1 to 8 metres in length, with diameters of up to around 1.5–2 metres at the base, depending on the piece. Medium trunk and limb sections, suitable for individual artworks or functional pieces, generally measuring up to approximately 1 metre in length, with varying diameters. Smaller cut sections and offcuts, suitable for smaller creative works, community projects or collaborative uses.   Final timber allocation, sizing and suitability will be confirmed as part of the Expression of Interest assessment process. The timber catalogue can be viewed online. Applications for pieces of the giant sequoias can be made through an Expression of Interest process. To apply visit: www.hobartcity.com.au/giant-sequoia-EOI

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Following the success of last year’s New Zealand event, which saw close to 300 delegates dive into the latest bioeconomy innovations, Residues2Revenues 2026 is expanding. For the first time this premier technology event will be held in Australia. Source: Timberbiz This is an event that caters for the forest owner, wood processor, government planner, bioenergy user, or technology provider, and provides a blueprint to transforming wood residues into profitable biofuels, bioenergy, and renewable bioproducts. Turnout to Residues2Revenues 2025 in Rotorua, New Zealand event was combined with the inaugural Bioeconomy Innovations 2025 Conference and saw close to 300 delegates take in the latest innovations and technologies for extracting energy and value from wood fibres. The program for the Australian event has been released which will be held in Brisbane on 23-24 September 2026. An early bird offer is currently open but ends Friday 26 June 2026. The program will benefit: Forest owners and managers Harvesting and log cartage contractors Wood processing and manufacturing operations Wood fuel suppliers Regional and District Council planners Government policy staff Wood chip, biomass and wood pellet users Energy heat plant users and manufacturers Researchers Equipment, product and service suppliers to the industry   For more information visit: https://innovatek.co.nz/event/residues2revenues-2026/

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