Australian Forests and Timber News

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May 2013 Issue 3 Vol. 22 • P: (03) 9888 4834 • E: l.martin@ryanmediapl.com.au • www.timberbiz.com.au

Biomass pellet production a first for Tasmania

Tasmania alone produces enough bio waste just in sawdust to create domestic heating for the entire Australian population

By Rosemary Ann Ogilvie

I

N A first for Tasmania, Island Bioenergy is setting up a pelletmanufacturing operation onsite at McKay Timber. “McKay is providing the land, which we will rent from them, and the raw feedstock in the form of dried sawdust shavings, which we will buy from them,” says managing director of the company, Rob Douglas.

“We provide the capital for the plant and the manpower, and produce the pelletised product from this waste material.”

Douglas has accumulated considerable experience in the biomass industry, having operated his Hobart-based business Pellet Fires Tasmania (part of Island Bioenergy) for 10 years, initially importing the pellets from New Zealand, and more recently from a mill in Ballina NSW. “The domestic heating business

in Tasmania has matured to the point where we can afford to invest the capital to create a plant to supply the local demand,” says Douglas. “McKay is just one of many sawmillers with a waste problem. Our aim is that once we’re able to consume all of Bernard’s (McKay) waste, we’ll look for more sites and build other pellet mills strategically around the State.”

The biggest thing with pelletising, says Douglas, is to put the mill where the source is to avoid transporting a large-volume product like sawdust. “Pelletising compresses it into very dense small pellets, and the reduced volume allows sawdust to be transported much more cost effectively.”

Pelletising technology is basically the same whether the product is wood pellets, animal feed, or – on a giant scale – iron ore. “Many companies throughout the world manufacture these

machines,” says Douglas, “Ours came from China as this is the only country that manufactures smaller equipment for smaller plants.”

Tasmanian sawmills are all relatively small by world standards.

“A pellet mill in Canada, for instance, could produce 20 million tonnes a year as it’s an entirely different scale of operation,” says Douglas. “With McKay, we’re looking to about one and a half thousand tonnes a year, so that’s very, very small. However, there are probably 20-odd similar sites around Tasmania, so if each produces a similar amount, it will be more than sufficient to meet our needs.”

Zero biomass waste In countries where all the dried shavings are consumed, green sawdust is dried and pelletised, but this adds an extra cost to the production. “Much more green

 Liebherr machines were specially chosen for front line work at the new Dongwha Timber Mill, Bombala, southern New South Wales. The newly arrived machines (an A934C HD Pick & Carry 35 tonne excavator and an L566 Industrial Linkage wheel loader) will be used for - but not limited to - unloading arriving log trucks, stockpiling logs awaiting processing and loading the log deck at the green mill. Dongwha’s newest mill is now up and running and will be officially opened this month. The Bombala project is the result of a series of alliances that were formed during its progress. Local, State and Federal Government politicians and departments worked with the Korean owners to enable the project to be considered a sound business decision by the board of Dongwha. See pages… for more on Dongwha, Liebherr and other crucial suppliers to this multi-million dollar project.

sawdust is available in Tasmania – and every other State – than dried sawdust,” says Douglas. “So, in regions such as Scandinavia where pellet heating has become the major source of heating, all the wet waste is consumed: they clean up the forest floors and take all the municipal waste to pelletise and transform into electricity.

Some countries actually have zero biomass waste and need to import waste from other countries.”

He believes Tasmania alone produces enough bio waste just in sawdust to create domestic heating for the entire Australian population.

“And every single State in Australia would have a similar amount.”

The pellets produced at the McKay plant will be for domestic heating only, says Douglas.

“However, some industries use raw sawdust for fuel, and there are opportunities to use pellet fuel for industrial purposes, such as creating electricity.”

 Rob Douglas.

continued on page 28.

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Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 3

The country’s leading advocate for forest growers, harvesters, and manufacturers of timber and paper products right across Australia believes that the main challenge at times is not convincing parliamentarians of the need to utilise Australian timber but encouraging them to act. In a special piece for Australian Forests & Timber News, the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) gives an insight into the way this industry-wide organisation views the industry and the problems it is facing.

Nothing of substance is likely to happen before the federal election A

T THE heart of everything that it does is an understanding that the forest, wood and paper industries are based on a biological resource that is natural, renewable and recyclable. At times it is easy to lose sight of these facts when negotiating the finer details of regulations for carbon and climate change, water and chemical use or lobbying to encourage investment in new plantations.

We know that the environmental benefits of forest product industries include the low fossil fuel energy inputs when compared with alternative materials such as steel, aluminium and concrete. Other benefits include biodiversity, water cycling, the carbon stored over time in forests and harvested products, and the high propensity for recycling and reuse of wood and

Historic time TUESDAY, 2 April 2013, will go down in history as a special day for two of the nation’s contractor organisations. It marked the beginning of the official alignment between the Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) and the Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association (TFCA).

AFCA chief executive officer Colin McCulloch said the merger was a victory for common sense with the contractor members of both organisations “now being on the same page as our industry moves forward”.

“We have already got off to a very positive start with our first workshop for contractors in the Launceston area. The information on compliance and business development that was delivered was very well received, and the whole process has been strongly supported by industry which is a positive indicator for the future.”

Colin is arranging for this road show to travel across the country.

paper products. Sadly, many other interest groups either don’t know the truth or have some other agenda.

The real focus of our attention, and the ones we speak to most often are the bureaucrats and politicians who drive the political agenda and establish the regulatory and economic conditions in which our industry exists. The broader policy environment for enabling opportunities to be realised fully is yet to be developed and in many cases is impeded by the existing regulatory environment in Australia.

The sector has been facing serious competitive pressures exacerbated by global market conditions, high exchange rate, and relatively high capital, labour and energy costs in Australia.

Support from Government has been improving mostly from State Governments.

Queensland in particular has helped the industry by re-assessing previously multipleuse managed areas declared in the dying days of the Bligh Government and it is hoped that NSW will remove the ban on using natural forest waste for electricity generation. In Victoria, the law has been strengthened to allow forestry workers to conduct their work safely and without activists impinging on their workspace.

There are, however, challenges that need to be faced in the next 12 months. Tasmania remains problematic and uncertain as argument over the forests agreement continues and yet activist groups such as the Huon Valley Environment Centre and Markets for Change have indicated that they will continue their protests with no regard for laws or agreements.

Federally, the Government should be focused on facilitating the sustainability and growth of the industry but nothing of substance is likely to happen before the federal election. AFPA has staked its claim by producing a well-researched forward looking policy initiatives document called ‘A Renewable Future’.

AFPA spreads itself quite thinly, trying to be across all the issues that affect our broad industry supply chain but following are three issues of particular importance:

Procurement Back in February the Prime Minister announced that any projects in Australia worth $500 million or more must have an Australian Industry Participation Plan to ensure local Australian firms have a better chance of winning work on the projects. This ‘buy Australian’ push will be backed by legislation.

AFPA has been suggesting that the Government show some leadership by backing Australian primary producers and valueadding organisations by specifying Australian made paper. Using timber sourced here in Australia will also help to stimulate the local economy in regional and rural areas of the country which must be an objective of parliamentarians regardless of their party. The challenge at times is not convincing them of the need but encouraging them to act. On associated issues relating to illegal logging and anti-dumping the current Government has been active and while they are important issues, we need to be more proactive in procurement.

Carbon and Bioenergy Australia is lagging well behind much of the world by failing to adequately recognise forestry’s role in the carbon cycle and climate change mitigation. One such example is to make use of forest residues in energy (electricity and heat) production. Overseas experience from environmental benchmarks such as Sweden and California recognise the enormous sustainable contribution that woody biomass can make as economies transition to low carbon emission energy sources.

The Californian 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan has multiple goals including a reduction in cost to the community from wildfires as well as unlocking a potential 25 million

New CEO takes the helm at AFPA As this publication was going to press Ross Hampton, formerly currently General Manager of Australian and New Zealand public sector business development for Cisco, was scheduled to take up his appointment as the new CEO of AFPA. He replaces Dr David Pollard (pictured),the inaugural AFPA CEO who has retired.

“David has done a very good job bringing together NAFI and A3P as a single national association and producing our roadmap of key issues for public policy makers and industry leaders,” said AFPA chairman Greg McCormack. “He leaves the organisation well positioned to take full advantage of timber and paper products competitive strengths and renewability against other materials.

“Mr Hampton brings to our organisation a unique blend of global expertise in environmental policy at this crucial time,” McCormack said. “He is highly respected in the most senior levels of the public service in Canberra, and across the States, as a professional operator who understands the interplay of policy processes and politics.”

Hampton has a Masters in public policy, majoring in the environment, from the ANU Crawford School of Economics and Government as well as a Bachelor degree from Curtin University. He serves on a number of Government Boards – positions which he will be relinquishing to accept the AFPA role.

(dry) tonnes of forestry per year for bioenergy sources.

There are currently over 400 000 tonnes of hardwood sawmill residues in NSW alone and AFPA is working with Governments at all levels to redress the regulatory impediments and actively promote opportunities to making the most economical, and environmentally responsible use of this resource.

Manufacturing Worldwide there is a push to make more use of wood in buildings both residential and commercial, recognising its important role as the only carbon neutral structural option. Timber building materials have great advantages including

sustainability, low embodied energy, good thermal performance and those that are prefabricated off-site, can provide significant cost savings in construction costs.

Although wood has been used in buildings for centuries, engineered timber products such as cross-laminated timber has brought engineers and architects a natural, sustainable alternative with consistent performance qualities to traditional building materials such as concrete and steel.

A relatively new engineered wood product Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is not yet made in Australia but as demand for this product increases there will be more opportunities for innovative manufacturers to meet the demand.

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4 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

ISSN 1444-5824

May 2013

21 years and there’s plenty more to come from ATTA

By David McElvenny ATTA Secretary

Aboriginal partnership logo shows the past, the present and the future.

Read more on page 8.

Features Residues to Revenues............................. 5 IFA Conference........................................ 6 ForestWorks............................................ 9 Dongwha’s new world quality mill...10-16 Crank-up & Woodchop.....................16-17 Forwarders.......................................18-24 Waste Management........................ 25-29

MEDIA

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Postal Address:

PO Box 1006, Prospect East, South Australia 5082 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 Advertising: l.martin@ryanmediapl.com.au Melbourne Office (03) 9888 4834 Trader classified: l.martin@ryanmediapl.com.au Melbourne Office (03) 9888 4834 Editorial: j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9512 Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9522 Accounts: Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9555 General Manager: Elizabeth Bouzoudis Editor: John Hudswell Advertising: Laurie Martin Subcription rates One-year (8 editions) $55 Two-years (16 editions) $95 Production: Nathan Grant Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins Suite 103, 486 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria, 3127, phone (03) 9888 4822

T

HIS YEAR’S Australian Timber Trainers Association (ATTA) Annual Workshop is a special one. It’s 21 years since timber industry trainers from around Australia first came together under the ATTA banner to share their experiences and talk about the issues that concerned them.

Now, two decades later, the need for a strong national association representing trainers, assessors and RTOs in the industry is more important than ever. Over the last couple of years there have been some significant changes in the VET system, and with a federal election looming, there is likely to be much more to follow.

The timber industry has also been undergoing huge changes in recent times. In particular, the forest growing and harvesting sectors are facing some enormous challenges, with direct flow-on effects for the trainers and assessors working in these fields.

Against this backdrop, ATTA is celebrating its 21st anniversary, not with a sense of nostalgia, but with renewed purpose. As a group of long-standing professionals in the industry, we have seen government policies come and go, companies rise and fall, and funding for training initiatives shift between different priorities.

What hasn’t changed is our own belief in the essential role that high quality training plays in the success of every business, especially in times of change. We also know that in order to stay upto-date and improve our own skills as professional trainers, we need to work together – sharing our knowledge and learning from each other. This is the principle that has seen us through the last 21 years, and the conviction that will carry us into the future.

This year’s Workshop The 2013 Annual ATTA Workshop will be held on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland,

Conditions: Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editor/publishers; information is published in good faith and we do not accept responsibility for damage which may arise from any possible inaccuracies. All rights reserved, none of the contents may be used in any other media without prior consent from then publishers. Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd. Print Post No. PP 767324/00002

Australian Forests & Timber News is a member of Circulation Audit Bureau (CAB).

 Study indoors.

 Study in the field.

29-31 July (with optional activities on 1 August). The theme will be ‘Looking ahead’, and there will be various sessions designed to explore the directions that VET and the timber industry are going in.

There will also be a wide range of presentations and workshop sessions on current issues, including Training Package updates, assessment validation, the role of ASQA, the purpose of the ACSF, and emerging technologies in the way training is delivered. As always, our loyal sponsors – Stihl and ForestWorks– will host the three dinners and give presentations on their activities and plans for the future.

The lead organiser is Tim Isaacs, current ATTA president and general manager of Fitec Australia. Tim and his staff at Fitec will coordinate the main venue arrangements and the field trip excursions.

These excursions will include tours of HQ (Hancock Queensland) Plantations near Caboolture, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve at Maleny, as well as talks from local experts on fire management,

forestry practices and sustainability programs.

The conference venue is the Ramada at Marcoola Beach. We have negotiated special accommodation rates for workshop attendees. All meals are covered in the workshop registration fee. For those who want to bring their families, apartment style accommodation is also available.

As the name of the venue suggests, the conference centre is right on the beach, with 180-degree views of the coastline. Some domestic airlines fly direct to the Sunshine Coast Airport at Maroochydore, which is five minutes drive away. Alternatively, you can fly to Brisbane and organise a hire car or other transport to the venue.

The Workshop registration fee is $450 for ATTA members and $650 for non-members. Note that the ATTA membership fee is $75, and non-members are welcome to join up prior to registering. The fee will cover the main three-day conference plus the optional fourth day.

All attendees of the main conference will receive a certificate

 Tim Isaacs, current ATTA president and general manager of Fitec Australia.

of attendance. This will list the topics covered over the three days and provide excellent evidence of continuing professional development and industry consultation.

To see the current draft version of the workshop program, go to the ATTA website at: www.atta.org. au. You can also register on-line by following the links.

For more information about the workshop, please contact the Secretary at: secretary@atta.org. au.

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 5

residues to revenues

Perhaps biomass is too biodiverse A

RE RESIDUES now ready to be turned into revenue?

A recent conference in Melbourne run by the Forest Industry Engineering Association shed some light on these emerging technologies.

Five years ago the Residues to Revenues conference was said to have marked a big shift from talking and planning to action and production in the wood pellet scene in Australasia.

Perhaps that was a little optimistic as the action and production has moved forward but it is far from full steam ahead – if you’ll pardon the pun.

As with other years, the biennial event focused on markets, processes and emerging technologies but the diversity has pointed to another indicator that must be addressed in the near future - multiplicity.

According to the organizers delegate numbers have grown since the conference inception in 1999. Perhaps it is time to stream these participants into areas of interest, as the vast array of information was insightful but at times overwhelming.

Originally the event focused on turning wood waste such as sawdust and bark into valuable revenue streams but now the scope has widened to include other waste including council waste streams.

On top of this there is a wide range of bio areas to chose from – bioenergy, bioheating, biofuels, biochemicals and biochar. Each competes for audio space, they want to be heard and without doubt each has a good story to tell but which is most relevant for the forest industry? It’s hard to differentiate.

According to Simon Penfold of Australian New Energy, wood and wood waste has eight or nine pathways open for its use. But how do you choose?

As an example when is the wood waste, wood waste? Seems simple enough but one project is taking waste paper and turning it into bioenergy. It was once wood and with the process employed by Recycling Technologies Group it is turned into a type of briquette to be burnt for energy.

Some companies are making pellets and others biochar from forest floor residues, some talk about sawmill by-products and others chipping logs for bio-use.

The options make your head spin

because as yet there is no clear indication in Australia of the most viable uses for these waste streams.

Bioheating is certainly a good option and has gained a following in the agricultural industry with hectares of greenhouses heated year-round by bioheating.

It is a good alternative to coal and if planned wisely could see forestry industries teaming up with agricultural industries by providing in simple terms fuel to fire the furnace. If the two operate in similar regional areas the synergy works very well.

Biochar is another option that seems a reasonable way to reduce the waste on the forest floor while opening the door to providing a valuable byproduct for agriculture.

As an agricultural product biochar can be added to soils to improve soil function as it helps soil retain nutrients and water, it can help to increase crop diversity and lower the use of chemical fertilizers.

Earth Systems Australia has made good inroads with this technology having developed a mobile oven - for want of a better word - that can be transported to any area that has the feedstock.

Then there’s biofuel, which is being hunted down by the airlines because they are desperate for alternatives in this fuel hungry world. Perhaps this will flourish despite its difficulties simply because it will have the push and support of airlines like Virgin and Qantas. With their significant finances and influence with Government it may just give it the momentum it needs.

Who knows? Certainly not Government, and by the looks of things they don’t want to. Or perhaps in an election year this is not a topic they want to get mixed up with as environmental crusaders may hit the streets.

Albeit they don’t always have the numbers, the small gathering of around 30 that staged a very short and peaceful crusade outside the Residues to Revenues conference left quietly and quickly – the 30 odd people represented 11 organisations!

What they and many other environmental groups seem to miss, among other things, is that foresters and anyone working in the industry is looking after the trees and not destroying them.

As keynote speaker Brooks Mendall of Forisk Consulting said: “You can shear a sheep a hundred times but you can only kill it once. You can harvest the same forest over and over again but really you can only whack it, convert it to something else, once.

“Forest professionals - they care about the resources like I do, and we care that it’s a longterm business,” he said.

This year’s Residues to Revenues conference was held over two days in Melbourne and had a 21 speakers covering emerging technologies, case studies and developments, clean energy and future opportunities.

It provided a local, New Zealand and global perspective and brought together representatives from the whole supply chain.

 Living Energy ... Tim Evans and Rob Mallinson.

 Recycling Technologies Group ... Wayne Carrosher, Mats Sjostrand and Tony Esplin.

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 3 0 odd people represented 11 organisations at protest.

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6 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

Upcoming

IFA conference

timber events If you would like to promote a forthcoming event, please email details (including contact numbers, email, etc) to: editorial@forestsandtimber.com.au or phone 08 8369 9500

2013 6-10 May LIGNA Hannover. www.ligna.de/home 8 May Global Softwood Log & Lumber Conference. Vancouver, BC, Canada /www.woodmarkets.com/conf_ conferences.html 14-16 May Esri Forestry GIS Conference. Esri Headquarters, Redlands, CA. www.esri.com/events/forestry/index.html 16-21 May 3rd International Congress on Planted Forests “Planted forests on the globe, renewable resources for the future”.

Estoril, Portugal And Other Locations. www.efiatlantic.efi.int/portal/ events/2013_icpf 17-18 May Timber and Biomass Expo. Vidalia, GA 17-18 May Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo. http://www.nefpexpo.net/ 19-23 May FFP 2 - Second Forests for People Conference. Traverse City, Michigan, United States Contact: Robert C. Burns robert.burns@mail.wvu.edu 21-22 May Nordic Baltic Bioenergy 2013. Radisson Blu Hotel, Oslo, Norway. www.bioenergy2013.no 27-31 May Joensuu Forestry Networking Week 2013: Options to meet the increased demands for forest biomass in Europe. Joensuu, Finland. http://www.efi.int/portal/news___ events/events/jfnw2013/ 27-31 May FORTECHENVI 2013 - Brno, Czech Republic www.fortechenvi.com/ 26 May – 1 June Tree Biotechnology 2013 Conference Forest Biotechnology: Meeting the Needs of a Changing World. Asheville, Nc, United States http://forestbiotech.org/news/wpcontent/uploads/2012/07/Save-the-dateIUFRO-Tree-Biotech-2013.pdf 2-5 June Forest Operations in mountainous conditions (IUFRO conference) - Bergen, Norway. www.skogoglandskap.no/ konferanse/forest_operations_in_ mountainous_conditions 2-9 June Primeval Beech Forests: Reference Systems for the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity, Forest Resources and Ecosystem Services. Lviv, Ukraine. brigitte.commarmot@wsl.ch 5-8 June 2013 – Elmia Wood - Jonkoping, Sweden. www.elmia.se/en/wood/ 10-12 June Baltic Sea Region Conference: Interdisciplinary Research for Higher Socioeconomic Value of Forests.

Salaspils, Latvia. www.nbforest.info 17-18 June Extraordinary meeting of the ECE Timber Committee with the FAO European Forestry Commission. Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. www.unece.org/forests.html

Australia needs viable wood products industry I

F WE don’t produce our own wood, and instead focus on locking our forests up for conservation, we will forego the economic benefits, employment and security that can be derived from Australia maintaining a sustainable wood industry.”

That was the clear message from IFA President Rob de Fegely when addressing the national conference of the Institute of Foresters of Australia.

“This will simply encourage unsustainable timber imports and promote the use of alternative products such as plastic and aluminum that use more energy and actually emit carbon into the atmosphere, instead of capturing it. Rob adds that the clear message emerging during the conference is that it is not about maintaining lines on maps, but about integrating agriculture, forestry and conservation at a landscape level.

When opening the conference, Senator Richard Colbeck, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry, said it was ironic that forests in Tasmania managed sustainably for wood and

fibre production over many decades had recently been nominated by the Australian Government for World Heritage Listing. “The fact that they have been considered suitable for nomination is a testament to the work of the forestry professionals who have managed them,” he said.

Internationally acclaimed forest scientist Dr Sadanandan Nambiar also argued at the conference that the sustainable use of forests and conservation were not opposing values, but that they are mutually supporting objectives at large scales.

Despite these opportunities and plenty of good science to back this, he fears that the absence of this recognition, myopic vision and politics are driving States such as Tasmania towards needless economic and social pain.

“Tasmania has one major advantage, the forestry advantage.

Tasmanians should and can use their natural and renewable resources sustainably to re-build their future,” he says.

Dr Nambiar was doubly honoured at the IFA National Conference in Canberra. He was presented

With the right carbon policies forests can deliver on c/change IFA PRESIDENT Rob de Fégely believes science shows clearly that forestry can contribute most strongly to climate change mitigation in Australia through carbon stored in timber.

Speaking at the national conference of the Institute of Foresters of Australia in Canberra he warned that while activities under the Carbon Farming Initiative enjoyed bi-partisan support, the whole scheme would make little impact while it largely precluded registration of projects where timber is harvested.

He says long-term investment is required to develop forest carbon projects and this investment should not be held hostage to the ‘policy of the day’.

“What we need is a robust forest carbon industry and to achieve this we need robust bi-partisan policies for the long term.”

Speaking at the conference, Dr John Raison, an internationally recognised forest scientist, agreed that the potential contribution of Australian forests to climate change mitigation was poorly represented in current Government policies and programs.

He recommended actions that would enable forests to make a positive contribution to mitigating climate change including sustainable harvesting and replanting of forests, replacing energy intensive materials with harvested wood products, and using forest biomass for production of bioenergy.

Leading carbon expert Zoe Ryan has seen first-hand how carbon can deliver significant benefits to landowners, and says that in south western Queensland carbon revenues already supplement onfarm income. Zoe warned that  IFA President Rob de Fégely current market uncertainty meant ... “we need a robust forest carbon was only the “cherry on top” and not the “whole pie”. carbon industry”.

with the Norman W. Jolly Medal and presented the Maxwell Ralph Jacobs Memorial Oration.

Dr Nambiar is an eminent forest scientist internationally recognised as a leader in research on sustainable productivity and management of forests.

His multi-disciplinary approach to this complex science and committed advocacy to sustainability has had a profound impact upon efficient, sciencebased plantation management in Australia and overseas.

Through his work Dr Nambiar promotes the sustainable management of Australian forests as a balancing act that needs long term goals, and attention paid to soil and water health, biodiversity and landscape values.

Internationally, Dr Nambiar has been a tireless advocate of the potential of man-made forests, agro-forests and woodlands as land use systems that can foster both economic prosperity and environmental benefits for society.”

Dr Nambiar is widely recognised as a science leader and a generous mentor by colleagues in Australia and internationally. He remains an active Honorary Fellow in CSIRO Ecosystems Sciences in Canberra, spending significant time supporting forestry in developing countries championing sustainable forestry to promote rural development and poverty alleviation.

Dr Nambiar has previously received a number of prestigious

 Senator Richard Colbeck, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry.

awards – in the USA, from the Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA) and from the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) which recognised Dr Nambiar as a “pre-eminent Australian forest scientist of contemporary times”.

He was also recently awarded a Medal by the Government of Vietnam for his service to their forestry and rural development.

 Dr Sadanandan Nambiar … doubly honoured.

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South Australia Mt Gambier West Mob: 0488 711 102

Tasmania 11 Midland Hwy Brighton TAS 7030 Mob: 0409 711 117

Western Australia 12 Sherlock Way Davenport WA 6230 Mob: 0439 906 125

Queensland Philip Turnbull Territory Manager Mob: 0418 472 839

8 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

New directions for an old timber town

By Rosemary Ann Ogilvie

A

S A Mayor, as a leader, I’m trying to de-dramatise things, and to lift public morale,” says Bertrand Cadart, Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor. “We have several projects in the pipeline, including a possible new function for the chip mill site, but it’s too premature to discuss it at the moment.”

The Triabunna woodchip mill has been dormant since it was sold to a company owned by Jan Cameron and Graeme Wood in June 2011. “And it is likely to remain so until we know whether or not we’ll be able to cut trees, and process excess wood,” says Cadart. “So on that front, I don’t forecast an easy or short-term solution, and I’m not alone. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see this, and to see the meandering and the hesitation of the legislative chamber.”

Fishing blow Traditionally the town has relied solely on forestry and some fishing. The latter industry also received a major hit when the Federal Government passed legislation banning the Dutch-owned super trawler Abel Tasman (renamed from Margiris) from fishing for two years until further research is conducted into the potential impacts on the fishery.

A cloud now hangs over the future of the Seafish Tasmania processing plant, which invested millions in bringing the 9500t, 142m trawler to Australia. The company planned to use the profits from the trawler to expand its fish-oil business. In an Australian first, Seafish Tasmania is extracting raw omega-3 oils from the waste produced from Tasmania’s three salmon farms: the fish heads, skeletons and intestines, which were previously buried, for use in nutritional supplements. Around 100 tonnes of salmon waste is processed daily, producing 50 tonnes of oil weekly.

The raw oil is being exported as animal feed until the plant can be expanded so the oil can be refined to pharmaceutical grade.

Fish oil supplements sold in Australia now are imported from overseas, primarily from the west coast of Peru or the eastern coast of South Africa, often from mixed sources.

There’s a market clamouring for a local product from a single source, but it can’t be accessed until the plant is completed.

Triabunna’s challenges don’t stop there: Tasmania’s east coast has been dealing with an algal bloom problem, which has affected the oyster and mussel farms, and the lucrative lobster and scallop harvests.

“So Triabunna is in the doldrums,” Cadart admits. “However, on the positive side, it has woken up. Even the staunchest, most traditional, most diehard forestry people who at the beginning of all this drama were determined Triabunna was the heart of forestry and would never be anything else have now – albeit reluctantly in some instances – come to terms with the fact that Triabunna has to diversify.”

Cadart continues: “I am very, very proud as a Councillor and a Mayor to have been extremely instrumental in this change.

When we held the first public forum and were interviewed on the ABC in front of the crowd in the local pub, I said, well I’m sorry but towns that rely on one industry only, towns that have only one egg in one basket, are doomed to face major dramas sooner or later, so we have to diversify. You know, I was almost booed because of that remark.”

A different town He has not abandoned all hope that the woodchip facility might again be operational at some time in the future. “But this will be only one activity in Triabunna.

Experts tell me that for the next 10 to 15 years, we simply won’t be able to compete with Asia with woodchip. We’re just too expensive. So when I hear things like that, it’s one more reason for me as Mayor to say, okay, if that’s the case, if it will take a generation before the market may or may not come good again, we have no choice but to reinvent our township.”

To this end, they’re currently attempting to resuscitate the $130m Solis project, shelved as a consequence of the GFC. The project, which involves a golf course, tourist and residential development at Louisville Point near Orford, will eventually have four or five hundred dwellings, making it as big as Triabunna. The sticking point at the moment is infrastructure issues relating to sewerage and water that need to be resolved.

Consulting on the golf course is Greg Ramsay who was involved in the concept and creation of the Barnbougle Dunes links course, which has gained the reputation of being one of the best links courses in the world. A links course has been mooted for Bridport, but community resistance has delayed progress.

However, the marina concept designed to attract boat owners from the mainland’s south-eastern coastline first proposed several years ago has progressed to the point of a feasibility study, and Cadart is confident this will pan out. “My favourite site on the causeway between Triabunna and Orford, at the very bottom of Spring Bay as you’re coming in to Triabunna, where there was an oyster farm that failed,” he says. His vision is to have up to 400 berths on floating pontoons, with a little yachtie village on the reclaimed land with cafés, and shops selling nautical clothes, and boat-related items. And in Triabunna itself, specialised workshops for boat repairs, which hopefully would bring a large industry of tradespeople.

“So that’s basically what we hope to

B ertrand Cadart, Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor.

create on a large industrial area on the road that goes to chip mill,” says Cadart.

He stresses that the terminal facility will not be dismantled in case the woodchip market starts again one day. “If it does, Triabunna will be a completely different town.”

Treasury paints grim picture

Tasmania’s Treasury Department has admitted the chances of the $2 billion pulp mill ever being built at Bell Bay are ``highly uncertain’’ in a report that paints a depressing picture of Tasmania’s economic decline over two decades. The Structural Change in the Tasmanian Economy report, prepared by the Treasury Department, takes a long-term view of the State’s economic woes. It describes the prospects for a pulp mill going ahead or the reopening of the Triabunna woodchip, owned by environmentalists Jan Cameron and Graeme Wood, as ``highly uncertain’’. However, a spokesman for Premier Lara Giddings said the ``information paper’’ did not reflect the Government’s position. – The Examiner

Aboriginal partnership logo shows the past, the present and the future A NEW award-winning logo will be used by the Forestry Corporation of NSW to acknowledge Aboriginal

partnerships and its work with indigenous communities.

Saretta Fielding from Lake

S aretta Fielding holding her winning Aboriginal Logo design, with Deborah Swan, Aboriginal & Cultural Heritage Officer, Forestry Corporation.

Macquarie was the winner of a corporation competition to develop a logo in acknowledgement and respect of management of the forests by Aboriginal people in the past, present and future.

“Ms Fielding embodied the spirit of the competition with her thought provoking artwork titled Wakool, which means “One” in Awabakal language,” said Forestry Corporation’s acting chief executive officer Nick Roberts.

Saretta is chief executive officer of Yarnteen in Newcastle, a not-forprofit company that aims to provide Aboriginal people with training and employment opportunities to provide relief from unemployment.

Her work was chosen from 14 finalists in a field of more than 70 entries. Her niece Carissa Paglino was also one of the finalists.

Ms Fielding received her $10,000 prize at a special event at the Forest Visitor Centre in Cumberland State Forest.

“I am a Wonaruah woman. I was born into the Wonaruah nation. I have enjoyed the benefit of growing up within my large and close-knit

extended family and much of my work is influenced by my family connection and country,” she said.

“This artwork highlights that for tens of thousands of years Aboriginal people have lived and cared for country, their existence intertwined with, and connected to all Baiyami (creator) entrusted to us to partake of and care for.

“It aims to evoke that special link through the interwoven lines of an Aboriginal man, woman and tree, demonstrating the shared dependency between man and country.

“With outstretched arms the figures in the piece take on the form of the trunk and branches, upholding the tree, and symbolizing their oneness and dedication to management of forests, as a natural way of life.

“The tree, in turn, shows its place in providing for the needs of Aboriginal people, demonstrated by the large root of the tree supporting the man’s knee and providing balance.

“The red dot art around the perimeter of the artwork depicts the

F orestry Corporation acting chief executive officer Nick Roberts.

past, present and future generations across time, all sharing the same culture link to country, which is passed onto future generations as we continue to share our cultural heritage.”

The 14 finalists were part of an online exhibition through the corporation’s website www. forest r ycor porat ion.com.au and a physical exhibition at the corporation’s Forest Visitor Centre in Cumberland State Forest from 21 March to coincide with World Forestry Day.

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 9

forestworks

Skill set paramount to future-proof industry F

ORESTWORKS, a not-for-profit advisory organisation for skills and workforce development in the forest, wood, paper and timber products and related industries across Australia, is renowned for its pro-active and meticulous approach in ensuring workers have access to some of the most comprehensive training systems ever seen.

It was no surprise then that ForestWorks was “on the case” even though the ink was hardly dry on a media release about the major cellulose fibre chain study in South Australia which outlined (among other things) the need for the development of an advanced workforce.

ForestWorks chief executive officer Michael Hartman said funding for the study by both the SA Government and the Federal Government (a tad over a million dollars in all) recognised that innovation was vital if the South Australian industry was to remain viable and that getting skills up to scratch was an essential part of developing that capacity.

“There is no doubt that the industry in South Australia - and across the country - needs to be able to innovate in order to compete into the future, and innovation is only possible when people have the right skills across all levels of a business,” Hartman said.

“This means developing a strong foundation of ‘core’ skills, which are robust enough to form a platform on which to build high-level technical skills. These, in turn, support innovation skills.

“It is widely acknowledged that Australia’s industry displays world’s best practice in forest management. We now need to match that capacity with our skills in other areas of the industry at all levels, including at all levels of management.”

ForestWorks Research Officer Dr Georgiana Daian, who has being carrying out research on skills, knowledge and their relationship to innovation both in Australia and internationally, says “In business, building up innovation capabilities is an innovation in itself. The skills necessary to foster innovation are now well understood. The skills required to be innovative are needed in high-level leadership, operations management and product and service development,” Dr Daian said. “Also required are advanced interpersonal skills, communication and collaboration skills, knowledge and application of new technologies, and knowledge of flexible supply chains,” she said. “While these skills need to be pursued,

organisations also need to communicate consistently and broadly to their employees about the importance of innovation, including communicating the business innovation vision and facilitating bottom–up innovation.

They need to learn to embrace the innovation concepts and the new methodologies of people management to leverage workplace creativity and innovation. These concepts and methodologies keep changing and continue to impact on how we deal with the key challenges.”

And, while the ForestWorks focus is firmly on the future, it is also good to have a quick glimpse into the past, especially in the case of this somewhat unique organisation.

The Forest and Forest Products Employment Skills Company (FAFPESC) was formed in 1994 from a restructure of the National Forest Industries Training Council. Over the next 13 years, the role of FAFPESC evolved as the industry and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system changed.

It all started way back in 1994.

In 2005-2006, as part of its ongoing commitment to the provision of responsive services the industry and Government, FAFPESC conducted a full review of its operations and structures. The review resulted in a new organisation with new governance and consultative structures, a broader membership base and a new name – ForestWorks Ltd. ForestWorks Ltd has demonstrated leadership and expert capacity to lead a wide range of skills and workforce development initiatives for the industry, and with strong industry support and membership.

Since 2008, ForestWorks has also been contracted by the Federal Government to carry out the role of one of 11 national Industry Skills Councils (ISC). In this role, ForestWorks ISC facilitates a national network of industry skills committees and training provider forums to provide national skill standards and qualifications structures on behalf of the industry. These include quality training packages and support materials, responsive workforce development activities, up-to-date industry intelligence and advice, and support for the National Training System.

Good news and bad news SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S timber capital Mount Gambier has been the subject of both good news and bad news of late.

On the good news side, Mount Gambier sawmill operator NF McDonnell and Sons officially opened stage one of its $2 million sawmill redevelopment. Managing director Ian McDonnell said the company has invested in the future of the industry and plans to take advantage of markets overseas and domestically.

This followed the State/Federal Government announcement that funding for a major study into the future strategic needs of the forestry industry in SA’s south-east had been boosted to more than $1 million.

The Cellulose Fibre Chain Study - part of the State Government’s Manufacturing Works strategy - involves working with local industry to identify short, medium and longer term sustainable and achievable market opportunities.

Plans by a statewide timber manufacturing organisation to build a new $7m facility on Mount Gambier’s fringe has hit a stumbling block after the proposal failed to receive vital Federal Government funding, according to The Border Watch.

Despite the setback Orana, which provides employment for people with disability and the disadvantaged, has vowed to explore all other options to try to get the project off the ground.

The proposed project that would see an 8000 square metre manufacturing centre built was expected to employ 150 people and provide a boost for the South East timber sector.

The organisation already operates a timber manufacturing plant in Mount Gambier that makes timber pallets that are used by regional abattoirs and wineries for export shipments.

As can be seen ForestWorks has built a solid reputation as a key provider to the many-faceted industry and it has all been through the efforts of a talented and dedicated staff.

We take this opportunity to highlight some of those people:Michael Hartman, ForestWorks CEO: Michael’s 27-year career of providing direction, expert advice and leadership within adult education, learning, vocational education and training systems, is highlighted by a personal dedication to improving skills of employees while maximising organisational efficiency.

Under his leadership, ForestWorks has significantly increased its national role and capacity, enhanced and expanded its programs and continues to increase industry’s access to skills development and training. Michael has a passion for overcoming barriers to development for regional Australia via enhanced and practical understanding of socioeconomics, industry and skills. He holds a Diploma of Management (Community Services), Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and trade qualifications.

Dr Georgiana Daian, ForestWorks Research Officer: Dr Daian’s experience is in the ‘knowledge’ sector of the forest and wood products industry. In her research role at Forestworks, Georgiana carries out activities that strengthen the organisation’s knowledge about innovation, with the aim at continuing to investigate ways by which this knowledge can be applied to practical solutions for enterprises in our industry. In addition to her other research functions, Georgiana is responsible for updating the annual Industry Skills Scan with the latest intelligence that reflects the current issues and challenges in the forest and timber products industry. She also researches the current and emerging skills needs of the industry. Georgiana holds a PhD (Materials Science), two Masters (Economic Engineering and Economic and Management Sciences) and a Bachelor of Science (Economic Engineering).

Jane Bartier, ForestWorks Deputy CEO: Jane has an extensive career in the vocational education and training sector in Australia.

Jane’s role at ForestWorks is to work with the industry to ensure that its skill, training and future job role requirements are conveyed in a timely and effective manner to Government.

This industry advice and Jane’s understanding of Government policy directions has led to successful outcomes from a range of projects.

Jane engages with national and State-based industry representatives to develop responses to Government directions – such as the role of workforce development, manufacturing, models to support workers affected by closures and reviews of training systems. Jane holds a Masters in Public Policy, a Bachelor of Arts Degree and Graduate Diploma of Education.

Antoinette Hewitt, Manager of ForestWorks Industry Skills Council contract: Antoinette’s career in vocational education and training spans training delivery and management roles in business, marketing, information technology (including design and multimedia), management and finance. In her role at ForestWorks, Antoinette oversees all key responsibilities related to the ForestWorks Industry Skills Council contract. This includes the provision of skill standards and qualification information and advice to government, the development and maintenance of both the Forest and Forest Products Training Package and the Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Industry Training Package. A significant aspect of her role includes working within the ISC network to produce a collective response on behalf of the industry in Australia. Antoinette holds a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Science (Mathematics/ Statistics) and a Diploma of Frontline Management.

 Michael Hartman, ForestWorks CEO.

 ForestWorks Research Officer Dr Georgiana Daian.

J ane Bartier, ForestWorks Deputy CEO.

 Antoinette Hewitt, Manager of ForestWorks Industry Skills Council contract.

10 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

Dongwha’s new world quality mill

The ‘big tree’ is up and running P

ROJECT NAMU (Namu means tree in Korean) has been some five years in the planning and construction but Dongwha’s newest mill is now up and running and will be officially opened this month.

The Bombala project is the result of a series of alliances that were formed during its progress. Local, State and Federal Government politicians and departments worked with the Korean owners to enable the project to be considered a sound business decision by the board of Dongwha.

The alliance between suppliers and contractors to the mill redevelopment enabled the project to proceed on time and to plan with minimum disruptions. The alliance between Dongwha and the local community enabled the project to proceed with strong local support and recognition of the mill as a valued employer in the region.

As such, this venture is a testament to what can be achieved when all the people who are affected by - or are directly involved in - a major infrastructure project are consulted, kept informed and are prepared to work with each other to achieve a result.

Project history The first business venture for Dongwha in Australia was the Tasco mill in Geelong. That mill was set up as the result of the founder seeing a good business model in using the technology of an R200 HewSaw line and a supply of relatively cheap logs that had usually been used for chipping to produce sawn boards for export to Asia. Two Australian companies and two Korean companies (one of which was Dongwha) saw potential in the plan so invested in it with the mill being set up in 1996-8.

The Asian financial crisis of 1998 saw Tasco’s target market suddenly dry up with contracts being cancelled.

In response to this sudden market downturn and looking to make use of its investment in a small log line, the company began to concentrate on an appearance grade, small end section market – predominantly decking under the Tasco brand.

By November 2001, shareholding in the company had been rationalised to the point that Dongwha took control.

Under Dongwha ownership, the business continued quite successfully due to its use of a simple line that was cheap to run and the ready supply of logs.

mill very hard. Approximately one third of that mill’s log supply was lost putting its viability in doubt so, after cutting burnt logs until they ran out and having to bring logs in from as far away as 300kms, the decision to close the Geelong mill was made in late 2010.

Prior to that, in 2009 the effects of the Global Financial Crisis were felt in the Bombala project as international banks pulled back from lending or offering to lend to new ventures. With no finance being readily available, the project was essentially put on hold with work only being done on essential things such as power supply for the sawmill

from the Federal Government, one a Regional Development Australia Fund $5 million grant for infrastructure development in the town of Bombala and the other being $8 million from Clean Technology towards technology being installed on site. The NSW Government also provided some $1 million in grants towards the project.

As is to be expected, there were considerable environmental hurdles put in front of the project that had to be overcome or negotiated. Millions of dollars have been spent on a water capture system that recycles all water from the site and puts it through a treatment plant. Emissions controls

To date, the company has spent just under $100 million on the project including the purchase of the existing business and some $74 million on new capital expenditure.

While looking to expand their operations in Australia, Dongwha was introduced to Willmott Forests who had acquired a small mill in Bombala to develop for their MIS business.

In 2008 after securing a parcel of logs, Dongwha entered in to a joint venture with Willmott buying 50% of the Bombala sawmill with a view to upgrading it. They then registered the proposed mill upgrade as a significant project in NSW meaning that planning approvals were handled by the State rather than Local Government.

The log parcel that was secured by tender in 2007 from Forests NSW (now Forestry Corporation of NSW) was a 20 year supply of 250,000 m3 (270,000 tonne) per annum which gave the owners the comfort they needed to commit to the substantial upgrade of the Bombala mill.

The Black Saturday fires in 2009 hit the log supply to the Geelong

should it eventually go ahead.

After two years (and $4.5 million) of working on getting planning approval to build the sawmill project, the NSW Government gave its development consent in 2010 – the same year Willmott Forests went into receivership.

After securing agreement from Dongwha in Korea for an additional $40 million, the Willmott shareholding in the mill was bought from the receivers in 2011 making it a wholly owned Dongwha project.

The construction work was undertaken in 2012 including lowering by six metres the hill the mill is sited on. The dry mill was relocated from Geelong and installed in September and a new treatment plant was built and has been running since December.

Also in 2012, Dongwha was successful in getting two grants

and other requirements such as bunding systems around treatment sheds have all been met in line what is now expected of all new timber processing plants.

To date, the company has spent just under $100 million on the project including the purchase of the existing business and some $74 million on new capital expenditure. The capacity of the mill is being expanded from 100,000 to 300,000 tonnes per year with a solid emphasis on appearance grade and treated structural product.

The company’s log supply agreement allows them to ramp up gradually over the first three years rather than having to take the full quota each year. This will allow the company to slowly build its operating performance levels while also avoiding flooding the market. Their goal is to be at 270,000 tonnes per year by 2016.

Dongwha was founded in the late 1950s as a sawmill in Korea. Quickly seeing the potential for panel board, the founder built what is thought to be the first particle board factory in Korea. The Chairman, who is from the family that owns the company, is based at the head office which is now in Hong Kong.

Currently the organisation employs approximately 2,000 people worldwide with half being employed in Korea. The company has an annual turnover in the vicinity of $1 billion but has aggressive growth targets over the next four years looking to push that turnover closer to $2 billion per year.

In Korea, the company has three panel plants producing MDF and particle board, is the dominant player in the laminated floor market, has a housing business in joint venture with Sumitomo Forestry and manufactures chemicals for use in particle board and MDF production.

A decade ago, the only investment the company had outside Korea was Tasco in Australia. The company is now the largest producer of panels in Malaysia with three lines and a chemical company. It also owns an MDF plant in New Zealand and recently opened one in Vietnam. It also has trading offices in the US and other countries.

Dongwha is the fourth company to try to build a timber manufacturing plant in Bombala over the past 15 years. To show good faith with the local community and retain workers, they have been operating the existing small mill in Sandy Lane for the last few years despite it recording losses of around $2 million per year. With Bombala having a population of around 1,500 people, Dongwha knew that if they lost the local workforce they would be in trouble trying to replace them.

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 11

Dongwha’s new world quality mill “Getting skills, particularly in country areas is really challenging.” said Bart Crawley – Managing Director, Australia, referring to the fact the new mill required definite up-skilling of the existing workforce as attracting workers with an existing level of higher skills is not as simple as just offering them money. With the lack of employment opportunities for new-to-the-area workers’ partners in Bombala and understanding the impact of relocation on school age children, Dongwha recognised that retraining existing staff and adapting systems so they can be operated by those workers with limited computer literacy were important considerations for the mill’s ongoing successful operation.

Without the upgrade, the mill would not be able to run profitably and without the mill some 80-odd direct jobs would be lost. The flow-on effect for the local economy would be such that serious pressure would be placed on the longer term viability of the town itself.

The Bombala project The rationale behind the project was to introduce the best technology to service the global market based on a reliable, 20 year supply of logs from forests located reasonably close to the mill. With the technology being deployed in the upgraded mill, it will be capable of producing four times the volume of the current mill

with the same number of (or fewer) workers.

“We’d like to think we’re starting to set a new benchmark in the timber industry in Australia and we’d like to think that, over time, Bombala will evolve as a new timber precinct.” said Crawley.

“Of course cost competitiveness is essential in any manufacturing if you’re going to survive. If you’re not cutting edge with efficiencies and making sure you’re keeping your costs to a minimum, you’re gone. And that’s certainly with the challenges in international markets and the imports coming into our country.”

During the construction process there were some 140 jobs created which were certainly welcomed in the local town particularly by those people with businesses supply accommodation, food and general supplies.

“What comes off a project like this is it also facilitates future investment in regional Australia. We’ve got a base or hub there now … we’ve put a fair bit of money into the region… what that should do through ourselves but also through support businesses to assist our mill and other operations that come into the place, you’ve got yourself a future for regional Australia and, particularly, Bombala.”

Going into the project, Dongwha had a market for treated and appearance grade product that had

been developed over the preceding decade and a long term log supply.

However, the log supply consisted of trees that had been growing for 15-20 years while trying to attract investment in the area with, according to Mr Crawley, the resulting plantation resource being a “bit of a liquorice allsorts”.

“There are all sorts of things. You don’t know what you’re going to get.

We knew we had a 20 year log supply but we also knew they were going to go down as small as 19cm diameter up to 55. Anything bigger than that we don’t want because it doesn’t suit our product but you certainly need a broad product range to be able to do that.”

It was therefore imperative to the project that the line that went in needed to be able to handle that range of log diameters efficiently.

The selected system can go down to 2.4m lengths but the range length of product typically being produced by Dongwha is between 3.6 and 6m.

The mill also needs to produce product in relatively small batches.

“We’re slightly different to your typical sawmill that’s doing a structural type product. We need some flexibility in how we produce our products otherwise the model doesn’t work.”

The product mix includes boards from 19mm up to 100mm thick. As that product comes off the end of the HewSaw, it all has to be singulated which calls for a board handling

system that can separate all the different thickness product and avoid having things like 19mm boards being splintered by 100mm sleepers.

To achieve this level of sorting at high speed, a board handling system from Kit-Sell has been installed.

One of the key considerations for the project was ensuring commissioning could be managed and achieved within tight timeframes. Given the company’s $74 million capital expenditure investment, the cost of interest that needs to be paid on borrowed money is a pressure should the start of production be delayed.

To minimise the risk of commissioning delays due to problems of interfacing components being supplied by different suppliers, Dongwha undertook a review of other mill developments internationally with particular emphasis on discovering how different suppliers had worked with each other in the commissioning phase. Another consideration in selecting the final list of suppliers was ensuring such basic things as being able to work with a universal unit of measure across all equipment.

All the planning, attention to detail and open communication appears to have served Dongwha well with getting this project up and running.

After the international challenges they have faced during the past 15 years, it is hoped they will benefit from a growing international market in the next 15 years.

 Bart Crawley – Managing Director, Australia.

e

12 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

Dongwha’s new world quality mill

Cost-effective and environmentally friendly L

IEBHERR AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd delivered timber handling machines (pictured) for the Dongwha Timber Mill located in Bombala in southern New South Wales.

The machines were specially chosen for front line work at the new mill following extensive research into their capabilities and advantages as seen in several other sites around Australia and their domination in Europe in the timber mill industry. The newlyarrived machines will be used for - but not limited to - unloading arriving log trucks, stockpiling logs waiting processing and loading the log deck at the green mill.

The Liebherr A934C HD Pick & Carry is a specially-designed 35 tonne excavator, equipped for stacking timber stock piles high to ensure efficient use of the f loor space while also having the ability to carry logs in the 2.5m2 hanging log grapple over distance if required. The machine features prop up blades at the front and rear ensuring increased stability and a higher

 L566 at the Dongwha site driving with timber.

lift and reach capacity in stacking and unloading/loading situations. The high rise cabin, complete with guarding and many safety features ensure

the operator is always aware of surroundings and working in a safe environment.

The second Liebherr machine to join the new Dongwha

Timbers site is the Liebherr L566 Industrial Linkage wheel loader. This 25 tonne wheel loader is equipped with a specially made 2.7m2 Ensign

 L566 & A934 loading at the Dongwha site.

SAWMILL INTAKE

WOOD RESIDUE HANDLING

Fax. 0612-771738 www.nordautomation.fi www.nordautomation.fi Fax. 0612-771738

log grab made especially for unloading trucks, due to its robust design and configuration.

The latest emission Tier IIIB engine when coupled with the Liebherr Hydrostatic drive line ensures optimum power and performance is obtained, while saving as much as 25% on fuel use, reducing operating costs and environmental pollution.

A litre of fuel produces up to 3kg of carbon dioxide (CO2), therefore, by saving up to 5 litres per operating hour, up to 15,000kg less CO2 is produced in 1,000 operating hours. This means lower costs and active environmental protection.

Both machines are significantly quieter in operation than most so the site can ensure the best environmental and site sound limits are maintained at all times.

Liebherr offers a wide and varied range of earthmoving, construction, mining, cranes and specialised products for many applications worldwide.

LOG SORTING

Tel. 0612-771730 Tel. 0612-771730

www.nordautomation.fi

Tel. 0612-771730 www.nordautomation.fi Fax. 0612-771738 www.nordautomation.fi www.nordautomation.fi www.nordautomation.fi

www.nordautomation.fi

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 13

Dongwha’s new world quality mill

Impressive, sophisticated and reliable T

HE DECISION to build a new sawmill is not made overnight and many factors are thoroughly researched and examined before the viability of a new mill is confirmed, then the next decision comes – which technology is best to suit the customer’s purpose?

The technology from HewSaw is impressive and sophisticated, yet still robust and reliable.

Using a combination of precise measuring, positioning and monitoring systems, combined with stable and robust technology platforms ensures that HewSaw machinery is able to meet the immediate and long term demands of a modern, productive and profitable sawmill.

The sheer immense mass of HewSaw machinery is also testament to the sawline’s ability to reliably perform long term. HewSaw machinery such as installed at Dongwha in Bombala weighs over 280,000kg, and that is just the sawline itself. The log infeed and rotator weighs around 22,000kg, and the final RipSaw unit itself

is around 32,000kg. HewSaw’s credentials are impeccable, with many successfully delivered and operating projects in many countries from Russia to South Africa and New Zealand to Scotland.

Having the ability to deliver on a world scale is important, but so is the support at a local level.

Being the only international sawmill manufacturer to have its own service, sales and parts office in Australia is indicative of the commitment HewSaw has shown in the region to support customers and partners.

The utilisation of strong capable partners also ensures that when the HewSaw is delivered as part of a turn-key supply, a proven and close working relationship among the supplier network means fast and efficient installation, commissioning and startup.

In the application at Dongwha, it means that the sawline can handle the smallest to largest log, one after another in a true scan-and-set operation, producing anything from a

nominal 75 x 25 to a 300 x 100 in the same process. In this type of operation, the technology and resulting flexibility of the line means that a log sorting operation is not actually necessary, saving valuable storage area and reducing mobile plant requirements. The multifunctional nature of the HewSaw machine units also results in a small footprint for the sawline.

Again, this small footprint can offer many advantages. For example; a small log line can fit in alongside an existing large log operation; a new multifunction sawline can be built alongside an existing operation and integrated at the final stage minimising production interruptions during the building and commissioning phase; a new sawmill can be built with a smaller overall footprint, resulting in a more compact, less expensive building, shorter runs for services, more convenient personnel access, fewer maintenance issues and simpler connections and flows for residue and extraction – all significantly

reducing the overall capital expenditure of the project and minimising ongoing operating costs.

Utilising double arbour technology keeps saw kerfs down, curve chipping and sawing

results in greater recovery and flexibility, machine units that open for maintenance and tool servicing, extremely high sawing accuracy and even chip sizes are further examples of the HewSaw technology difference.

www.valonkone.com

VK-Debarkers VK8000 and VK5000 Series

Debarker specialist plays vital role in new system VALON KONE (VK), a pioneer in rotor debarking since the 1940s and now regarded as one of the world’s leading suppliersof rotor debarkers and reducing equipment used in conjunction with debarking, has installed a VK8000HD-Combi-3R debarker in the Bombala Mill project.

The machine features a reducing rotor for butt-ends and two Air Seal debarking rotors with pneumatic tool pressure (Ø 56 cm). The machine also features a new modular 8000HD machine frame which is the biggest in the VK product range. Besides Hyne Tumbarumba, the Bombala Mill is the only sawmill in Australia that has a full-scale VK butt-end reducing system together with debarking.

VK’s specialisation in rotor debarking technology and continuous investment in R&D have resulted in an extensive product range, which includes debarker models for different wood species and local debarking circumstances around the world.

VK’s selection includes models for small plants and large, high-speed production lines in the sawmill and plywood industry.

The latest VK product families are new VK5000 and VK8000 series, which have been designed for modern production needs for high-speed debarking in extreme conditions. VK5000 series is meant for small and medium size logs whereas the VK8000 series is used primarily for medium size and larger logs. The

machines feature a new modular construction which allows flexible step by step investment as customers needs change.

VK Combi concept – step by step investment The construction of a VK COMBI machine consists of one or two debarking rotor(s), centring infeed conveyor and feedroll modules. A fully automatic butt reducing module can also be added to the machine.

One VK Combi machine can debark as much as 1 000 000 m³ round logs in one year.

A debarker equipped with two counter rotating debarking rotors (double-rotor debarking) ensures that the debarking capacity is always optimal and that the woodchips produced from the logs are of high quality in all circumstances.

Valon Kone’s butt-end reducing combined with the debarker has become a standard among the sawmilling industry worldwide. The biggest advantage of an inline butt-end reducing is that logs do not have to be stopped while reducing - they simply move through the debarker, generally at debarking speed.

VK debarking rotors can be equipped with a pneumatic remote controlled tool pressure (Air Seal) or a fixed hydraulic tension tool pressure.

Debarking ring size Hydraulic Pneumatic Reducing ring size Feedroll size Minimum log length Debarker weight

VK8000 48, 62, 82 cm 56, 68, 92 cm 20–58 cm 86 cm 2,2–2,9 m 47,5–78,7 tn

VK5000 48, 62 cm 44, 56 cm 20–55 cm 58 cm 1,8–2,5 m 34,6–61,1 tn

• Designed for modern high speed production lines for all log sizes • Modular construction – step by step investment • Critical components in Heavy Duty (HD) or Basic category • FibreMax feedrolls with replaceable inserts • Hydraulic pressure system of feedrolls – pre-opening system available • Single- or double-rotor debarking • Butt-end reducing together with debarking • Hydraulic or remote controlled pneumatic debarking tool pressure

Valon Kone – Debarker Specialist

14 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

Dongwha’s new world quality mill

Meeting the requirements at Bombala mill T

HE CHALLENGE for Prologic+ at Dongwha’s Bombala Mill was to have its Log Sorter Scanner comply with the NSW agreement Code of Procedure even if the agreement between FNSW and Bombala mill had not been completed.

“Our job was to sit down with the operation manager Peter Haintz, (thanks to Mr Haintz who devoted a lot of his time with us) during the commissioning, to make sure that our scanner has

“We know that every lumber factory is unique and that it is very important to listen to customer needs. Our objective is to offer products and services tailored to each of them. In fact, one of our strengths is our ability of finding solutions to the challenges our customers have.

“Our view is that a happy customer is a repeat customer,” he said.

Founded in 1993 by Stéphane Morin, Prologic+ Inc. exclusively

The company has earned an enviable reputation in the industry. everything needed to respect the FNSW code of procedure. If some of the information was missing for FNSW, our highly qualified and experienced programmers customized our software to meet the FNSW’s expectations. Our job is to make sure that when we leave the site our system works as supposed even if additional details come after the initial sale,” explained Jonathan Prévost.

Equipment supplied by Prologic+ to the new mill included: 1. ProLogSorter | Certified Log Sorter/Scaling Scanner 2. ProLogScanner | HewSaw Log & Cant Scanner 3. ProTrimmer | Transversal Lumber Scanner Optimizer (For trimming)

dedicated its first years to research and development of specialised products for the lumber industry.

Focusing its efforts on products of advanced technology and impeccable quality while keeping a philosophy of flawless service, Prologic+ quickly became recognized and respected in the industry.

The St-Georges, Qc ,Canadabased company now has more than 25 employees with annual sales of over CAN$ 7 million.

Prévost says the company mission is simple … «By working as a team with you, we will assist you in

attaining maximum quality, output and efficiency in all your wood transformation factories.»

He said success had been built through a team of highly qualified and dedicated engineers and technicians and the boldness of its two leaders, Stephane Morin and Maxime Turcotte.

“The company has earned an enviable reputation in the industry.

Years dedicated to research and development, the quality of our products and the seriousness of our company has given us the ability to provide a fast response to customers who require a high level of service.

Our satisfied customers became our best salesmen and the success of our company began.”

Prologic+ will be soon implementing a new generation of scanning technologies with the new Gocater from LMI Technologies, obtaining higher data densities to improve optimization decision making early in the production stream. Binocular vision scanners provide true log shape, without data drop outs, on all log surfaces.

The same kind of sensors will also be used as automatic Prologic+ QC units to monitor the surface roughness, the predicted wane, the sizes and the position of the each individual boards at the out feed of each sawing machine on a sawline.

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 15

Dongwha’s new world quality mill

Keeping the logs up to the line N

ORDAUTOMATION IS an engineering company based in Finland that has built an international reputation for delivering log feeds and sorting solutions tailor made to deliver timber mill production requirements within the limitations of available space.

With their own mechanical workshop combined with their design, electrification and automation units, the company prides itself on being able to deliver high quality products to a fast and reliable delivery schedule.

Some of their solutions are a testament to how log feeding and sorting can be accomplished within difficult physical parameters while still taking account of their impact on the immediate environment.

In the case of one saw mill in Finland that was constrained by waterways, the solution included taking logs from a yard and carrying them on a line over water with sufficient height for boats to pass underneath before delivering those logs to a curved infeed that also provided for further sorting.

The resulting infrastructure not only delivered the desired production result, it also has a visual presence that doesn’t appear overbearing relative to its natural surrounds.

In the case of the new Dongwha mill at Bombala, the challenges were less about available space and more about supplying a safe and

Features • The sawmill infeed combined with log sorting • The residue handling • The conveyors for sawn timber from the Hewsaw line to the green sorter • Walkways around the sawmill and the infeed.

 The log infeed at Dongwha Bombala under construction.

reliable solution that would require a minimal number of operators and that the primary material of small logs could be effectively sorted with minimal breakage. There was also the requirement to handle residues from the mill so they can be well managed with minimum waste.

One component of the log sorting solution was to use steel covered concrete pockets with a lower drop

and a curved base to better protect the logs. This lower drop also had the further benefit of a reduction in noise impact.

“Noise is an issue.” said Bart Crawley, MD of Dongwha in Australia, “One of the big noises you get in a log yard is logs dropping and banging around. The constant movement of chains, etc. doesn’t seem to bother the neighbours but

that continual dropping of logs is a real issue.”

When asked about the ability for log sorting lines to increase in speed beyond the currently accepted maximum of around 200 metres per minute, Keijo Lamminen, Sales Director for Nordautomation suggested there may be opportunities to increase speed by about 10% but achieving

speeds of 300 metres per minute is still some way off.

Given their perception of Australia having huge forest resources, Nordautomation is excited about the potential for Australia to build a world class timber processing industry and is looking forward to working with more companies in the future to either upgrade existing mills or build new ones.

Adding the Fin-ishing touches to high-tech systems FROM ITS base in Kitee, Finland, the Kit-Sell company has been producing sawmill machinery for more than 40 years the product range is now vast and covers all aspects of processing timber from logs entering the sawmill site to finished timber products packaged and wrapped for delivery to the markets.

The company’s success has been a result of creating solutions for some of the world’s biggest sawmillers, pulp and paper manufacturers.

Kit-Sell has been described as a particularly innovative group able to design machinery and systems to meet the demands of what is now a very “hi-tech” business.

Forestry and timber processing contributes 5.6% of GDP to the Finnish total

of EUR247 billion so it is not surprising that Kit-Sell and many other companies in Finland have become world leaders in all aspects of processing and that technology is now worldwide business, Kit-Sell’s first delivery to Australasia was the log infeed system to the TDC Sawmill [now CHH Timber] in Whangarei, New Zealand, in 2004. Since then their visits to many timber processors in both countries identified the potential for upgrades for board handling machinery in sawmills.

After a long period of planning, negotiations and evaluations by Dongwha for its new sawmill project in Bombala, Kit-Sell was selected as the supplier for the dimension sorting, stacking and packing machinery.

The specifications required that the system had to operate at a maximum speed of 160 boards per minute. The machinery supplied has potential capacity of 180 boards per minute. All of the electrification and automation throughout the sawmill is fully integrated to provide a seamless control for every machine from a central control room.

When fully commissioned the dimension sorting plant will have only two operators - one positioned at the unscrambler/lug loading area for observation and the other at the sticking stacking area for the same purpose. As the plant operates fully automatically operator input is only required when broken or misshapen boards interrupt the flow.

This design and technology is the best available and will contribute to highly efficient low cost processing which results in very profitable sawmill production.

Kit-Sell is currently manufacturing the board handling equipment for the new sawmill at NF McDonnell and Sons Mt Gambier. The design for this is a different system which incorporates double linear board separators, lug loaders and stackers for high speed throughput from the new HewSaw sawmill.

Kit – Sell the premier Finnish Log and Lumber handling specialists We congratulate DongWha Timbers at this special time in their history in Australia with the opening their new Sawmill in Bombala.

We are very proud to have been selected as the supplier for all of the board handling equipment in the Greenmill for this Sawmill, together with our Single Source Alliance partners we have created the most sophisticated timber processing plant in the Southern Hemisphere.

For over 40 years we have been preferred suppliers to some of the world’s largest timber companies and our knowledge and experience can provide solutions in any log and lumber handling situations.

Please visit our website www.kit-sell.fi or contact: Jukka Pakarinen Managing Director Tel: +358 40 5390722 E-mail: jukka.pakarinen@kit-sell.fi

John Scott Tekwood Limited Tel: +64 6 836 6646 Johntek@xtra.co.nz

16 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

crank-up &

 Laurence M O’Toole in the 300mm Standing Block.

 300mm Standing Block.

 Novice Underhand.

Thousands thrilled as chips fly at Y T

HE YARRA Ranges Timber Community stood proud when thousands of community members and tourists packed the grounds of the Yarra Junction Historical Museum for the annual Yarra Junction ‘Crank Up and Woodchop’.

Timber industry group Friends Of Forestry handed

out hundreds of helium-filled balloons to kids of all ages who were there to take in the sights and history of this iconic timber region at the recently renovated Yarra Junction Museum, the site of the historic Yarra Junction railway station.

Friends of Forestry president Brett Robin, who organised the Woodchop events for the

 Laurence O’Toole Snr in the 300mm Standing Block.

historical society, said he was thrilled with the attendance and the interest shown by the tourists and community members alike.

“It just goes to show the incredible support the broader community has for the timber industry,” Brett said.

“Kids and adults of all ages love to support our industry and respect the huge amount the timber industry contributes to the local community. The best axemen were here to show everybody their skills, and Friends of Forestry is proud to have on display the importance the industry is to so many local businesses in regional areas like the Yarra Valley,” he said.

Local tourism industry identity, Rochford Wines’ Graham Taylor, said he was amazed by the interest shown by tourists at the show, and the passionate support for the industry shown by the local community.

“The timber industry partnering the local historical society here in the Valley is a win/win for all associated with this event, and demonstrates how keen tourists and community members are to learn more about the sustainable timber industry. This event is destined to grow in the future

and demonstrates how well the local timber and tourism industries work together to copromote the region, “ he said.

Young and old community members alike called in to the FoF stand to check out the historic films of the timber industry in the area, and many of the ‘oldies’ reminisced about previous generations of family members and the role they played in the development of the timber industry in the region. Fully loaded timber jinkers stood side by side with an incredible array of historical machines assembled for the weekend.

Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child presented the main awards to the winners, and with local community groups actively taking part in the festivities providing food and beverages, prizes for the raff les, trade stands, chain saw carving, and tools displays, it was a great weekend for the industry.

Seam driven engines, saws, machinery of all types were assembled and in action to entertain the crowds on the Saturday and Sunday, and were complimented by a spectacular program of wood chop events

 From right to left: Laurence O’Toole Meyer in the 300mm Underhand.

Friends of Forestry Worl

By Kersten Gentle WORLD FORESTRY Day is celebrated on 21 March around the world with the purpose of reminding communities of the importance of forests and the many benefits we gain from them.

 Jeff and Cheryl Chalmers definitely enjoyed the wonderful food on offer during the World Forestry Day Dinner.  Crosscut sawing.

However, most in the in and energy fighting the rather than actually stop amazing our industry an Friends of Forestry (F was the perfect opportun people in our industry an hosting a World Forestr Shed Healesville.

It is always difficult to g a windy, wet night but th was chosen as all local i cuppa or refreshment in besides the bush it is wh families at the grassroot more than 50 people agre The FoF Committee o pork roast meal with the desserts and we guarant celebrated in fancy restau

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 17

& woodchop

 Crosscut Sawing.

 Hot Chainsaw race.

Yarra Junction feature event  3 00mm Standing block final.

featuring competitors from many regions, with the star attraction, recently crowned Australian Champion Lawrence O’Toole.

Eight finals were hotly contested, with the crowds mesmerized by the amazing skills of the axemen, competing in Underhand, Standing Block, Double Handed Sawing, Tree Felling and Hot Saw events.

Lawrence O’Toole proved why he is Australian Champion, taking out the major event for the second year in a row.

 300mm Standing Block Championship Final

 Suzie Coffey and Janette Meyer.

Woodchop Events Results

Snr 1st, Scott Clarke 2nd and Blake

Novice Underhand Final: 1st A Caldwell, 2nd W Whiter. 300MM Open Standing Block Final: 1st D Williams, 2nd Brad Meyer, 3rd D Meyer. Double Handed Sawing Final: 1st W. Whiter/B. Price; 2nd B. Cole/M. Pedler; 3rd L. Meyer/M.Meyer; 4th: Brad Meyer/Bake Meyer. Treefelling Final: 1st Blake Meyer; 2nd R. Meyer; 3rd D. McIntosh.

Novice Standing Block Final 1st A. Caldwell; 2nd S. Anderson; 3rd W. Whiter. 300MM Open Underhand Final 1st L. O’Toole; 2nd S. Clarke; 3rd Blake Meyer. 300MM Standing Block Championship: Dead heat 1st and 2nd L. O’Toole and Brad Meyer. Hot Saw race Final: Dead heat 1st and 2nd P. O’Toole and A. Spencer.

 Teams RaceUnderhand.

ld Forestry Day Dinner

ndustry spend so much time dark forces of the greens pping and reflecting on how nd our communities are.

FoF) therefore thought this nity to celebrate the amazing nd our wonderful history by ry Day Dinner in Dougie’s

get people out, especially on he location of Dougie’s shed industry people have had a n Doug Jensen’s shed and here contractors and timber s level felt comfortable and eed. organised a superb beef and e most amazing salads and tee that as industry leaders urants with big white plates

the plastic plates were filled, cleared and filled again as everyone enjoyed an outstanding meal with many even taking home leftovers!

The big screen (white sheet hanging off the shed door) was set up with historic movies, including an amazing movie from British Columbia that was played during the evening, creating lots of stories, yarns and laughter.

People look at our industry and wonder why we bother.

Why do we bother fighting so hard to retain access to our beautiful State forests producing the world’s best timber? Why do the men and women in the industry put up with so much stress and angst from illegal protesters and be part of an industry where the support depends on the votes needed to win Government?

It’s easy. The timber industry is in our blood and most of the members of FoF have grown up with sawdust in the boots. We love our industry because we know it is right and timber workers are some of the hardest working and down to earth people you will ever meet.

Many in attendance have been doing this type of

 John Galleti and Malcolm Warnock enjoyed the chance to network in Dougie’s Shed.

 L-R: Kirk Stafford, Doug Jensen and Graham Taylor enjoy a beer like generations before them have done while celebrating World Forestry Day.

volunteering since the early days of FPS and TCA and when they left we knew the support had to continue and this is why Friends of Forestry exists. We exist to support the grassroots communities of Victoria’s Central Highlands ensuring they can go to work feeling safe and as volunteers we will always continue to support timber workers, their families and the timber communities we

live in. We hope this will be an annual event and we thanks Martha and Doug for the amazing beef, pork and of course Doug’s famous potatoes, Graham and the Robin family for the DPU and old Movies, Cheryl, Martha and Jacqui for the amazing desserts and salads and of course everyone for coming together and celebrating our wonderful industry.

18 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

forwarders

Forwarder hauls large loads long distances over rugged Aussie terrain C

ATERPILLAR’S DESIGN philosophy is to make machines that are structurally superior. Just looking at the CatÒ 584HD, you can see that the forwarder lives up to its name.

“When we set the criteria for the design of the 584HD, first and foremost was the goal to uphold Caterpillar’s reputation of building structurally superior carriers,” said Glenn Brown, product specialist for Caterpillar Forest Products. “That meant a forwarder built for extended hours of usage, with a robust structure making it worthy of a rebuild when the time came to give it a second life.

It’s not a throw away design.”

Manufactured in North America, the 20 metric ton capacity, 8-wheel drive forwarder is solid and stable. The rugged front and rear frame structures, heavy duty cast articulation and large oscillation bearings are built for long service life in demanding forest applications. High stress areas have been reinforced for more durability. The optional blade with wear resistant front cutting edge is purpose-built for clearing trails and pushing forest debris out of the way.

“In addition to a robust machine and carrying capacity, the most important factors for productivity are a fast loader and tractive effort that can move large, heavy loads uphill, cycle after cycle,” Brown said. The crane is one of the fastest, strongest and most reliable on the market. A field-proven hydrostatic propel system provides maximum power on grade through a wide engine rpm and ground

speed range, resulting in infinitely variable speeds at peak power and dynamic braking on steep terrain.

The forwarder is powered by the 147 kW Cat® C7 engine with ACERT™ Technology providing fuel efficiency through high torque in the 1400 to 1600 rpm range. Fuel efficiency is enhanced by the over-sized cooling fan, which has its own hydraulic pump that includes a speed control modulated by the forwarder control system. The fan requires less horsepower and cools more quickly, allowing loggers to haul bigger loads, faster.

The variable-speed cooling fan also helps to maintain component life.

“Our cooling system is much larger than what you’ll find in other forwarders.

Our expertise with cooling systems comes from many years of experience designing hydrostat systems for wheel feller bunchers, where constant flow reversing comes into play in high heat conditions,” Brown explained.

Besides the oversized cooling fan that turns more slowly, other “parasites” that can waste power needlessly were removed from the system to further increase fuel efficiency.

For example, pumps are mounted inline as opposed to on a gearbox. And the large hydraulic pump doesn’t have to rotate as much as a smaller pump to keep oil flowing.

The 584HD was built with operator safety in mind. “Safety is extremely important at Caterpillar and operators tell us they feel really safe in the 584 forwarder,” Brown said. Stability is one reason. The 584HD has

a wider stance than many other forwarders, giving it better stability on steep hills.

Research shows the majority of equipmentrelated injuries occur while entering and exiting cabs or from falling from machines.

The hydraulic lift stairs and cab walkway platform of the 584HD provide best-in-class access to help prevent these injuries. “The operator does not have to climb onto the tires to access the cab and the steps are wide enough for work boots,” Brown said.

The cab structure has been designed and ROPS (roll-over protective structures) certified for the entire weight of the machine,

not just the front tractor section, resulting in a more robust cab. The comfortable, quiet cab features automatic temperature controls, low-effort ergonomic joystick controls and storage compartments. Side windows extend below seat level for ground visibility close to the cab. The cab is roomy enough for the operator to easily swing around in the seat to run the loader.

All major components and systems are accessible through the forward-tilting engine canopy and hydraulic tilt cab. The valve banks are located beneath the rear window where they’re easy to access.

KEEP THE WOOD MOVING From stump to mill, Cat® machines have the power, durability and reliability you need to keep the wood moving. And we know you need more than the right machines to keep you at peak productivity. With Caterpillar you’ll have the ongoing support of your Cat dealer ready to get you what you need, when you need it, wherever you need it.

Contact your local Cat dealer. www.cat.com/forestry © 2013 Caterpillar All rights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. www.cat.com www.caterpillar.com

Proud Supporter of

20 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

forwarders

Stability, reliability, power are all part of Forward(er) thinking!

I

F YOU ever wanted to know anything about Komatsu forestry machines then the bloke to talk to is Tasmanian-based Anthony Brown.

Almost two decades ago Anthony (and his wife Jillian Aylett Brown) purchased a small thinning operation from a bloke in north-east Tasmania and so the now highly successful Mechanised Logging was born.

And back then was when Anthony’s connection with Komatsu really kicked in. His first machine from the Komatsu stable was a 415 Timbco, the first in a series of Komatsu-preferred machines that have helped ML forge a name as a premier operator in what everyone knows is an extremely tough and competitive business.

“I’ve stuck with them,” he says.

“Their representation in our area,

the quality of back-up and the reliability of the machines ... all of those reasons.”

Komatsu now features prominently in his operations – basically, it’s a what’s what of Komatsu forestry machines. ML operates two 890.3 Forwarders, two 890.2s, one 860.1, a 450 FXL Feller Buncher, a 445 (“that’s a new one. We only got it a few weeks ago) with a Quadco 20 inch saw, two 425 EXLs (kitted out with 16 inch Waratah heads), a 430 FXL (with a 16 inch Waratah head), and two PC 270 excavators.

In this article we are concentrating on Forwarders and, as Anthony says, the 890.3s are good machines – they’re specially designed to deliver the greatest profitability in demanding final logging. He’s had the 890s operating for about three years and when asked to rate them he said ... “they’ve been outstanding”.

And his response to what the standout points are ... “Stability.

That’s number one. Their reliability and their power.”

And what of the differences between the 890.1, the 890.2 and the 890.3 ... “There’s been a gradual improvement, you could say, however, the .3 is quite a bit superior to the .2, that’s because of the crane power in the main.”

 Komatsu trio (from left) 890 then the 890.2 and 890.3

His two 890.3s are operating in clearfall work in north-west Tasmania and Anthony has also got an 890.2 on that job.

His contract is to fell radiata pine for Timberlands Pacific (an independently-owned forest management company with its main office in Launceston and a sister company Timberlands

Limited based in Rotorua, New Zealand).

He describes the forest sites as “flat to steep; it varies quite a bit”.

And the final word on the 890.3s and their work ... “they handle it pretty well. They’ve got good driver comfort, and the fuel – they’re very good on fuel. The maintenance is pretty basic.”

 The Komatsu 890.3 hard at work in often demanding terrain.

 Almost two decades ago Anthony (and his wife Jillian Aylett Brown) purchased a small thinning operation from a bloke in north-east Tasmania and the now highly successful Mechanised Logging was born.

The NEW Komatsu 895 arrives in Australia T

he Komatu 895 is a unique forwarder in a class of its own. The first real 20-tonner with every compenent designed for 20 ton capacity; new chassis, new power train with new engine, big 28.5 wheels, new cab, new crane, and new bunks.

No other forwarder is in the same class.

Check out the features below which provide unequalled benefits to the contrator.

New Komatsu 895 at Wodonga branch.

OPERATOR ENVIRONMENT

CRANE

BUNK

• New larger cab with even better visibility and operating environment • Low noise level due to, for instance, lower noise level from engine compartment, improved cab isolation with thicker cab floor plate, sound-absorbing interior, and variable fan control • New smart radio with Bluetooth and hands free functionality • New driver’s seat with large working area for maximum ergonomics • Larger storage solutions and spaces • Strong structure and higher ROPS weights

• New stronger crane, Komatsu 165F • Sturdy slewing motor housing • Split hose routing • Perfect parking position • 4-point link with good movement geometry • ProTec as standard

• New gate, FlexGate, with better visibility through it • Knock-protected with patented attachment – flexes away when in contact with crane • Movable gate separated from first bunk • Many different bunk configurations depending on timber type • LoadFlex with or without scales

CONTROL SYSTEM • New ergonomic hand controls with more functions • New control system, MaxiXplorer 3.0 • New intelligent control for work lights

ENGINE TECHNOLOGY • New engine, E3 Power, with more power and torque • E3 Power technology, which gives the engine high performance, low fuel consumption, and low emissions of NOx gases and particulate matter (soot) • Most efficient at low engine speeds, which optimize fuel consumption • Integrated DEF tank • Greater cooling capacity

POWER TRAIN

CHASSIS

WHEELS

• New transmission with high traction that adapts its characteristics to load, slope, and obstacles • New maintenance-free drive shaft system • New robust axle and bogie system with sturdy portal bogie with Comfort Bogie functionality

• Greater load capacity • New robust chassis • Good ground clearance, V-shaped underside for good obstacle clearance • Up to 4 different frame lengths available • Robust front blade with good obstacle clearance • Sturdy articulated joint with sealed bearings • Solution with good machine stability

• New large 28.5” wheels • Higher ground clearance • Larger contact area between tires and rims to allow greater traction • New tire pattern, F2, well suited to bogie tracks • More space between wheels for low ground pressure and chains between wheels

Bigger Than All The Others Komatsu 895

Tigercat 1075B

CAT 584 (HD)

Ecolog 594C

JD 1910E

Rottne F18

Logset 10F

Komatsu 890

895 Advantages

20 ton

20 ton

18 ton (20 ton)

19.5 ton

19 ton

18 ton

18 ton

18 ton

Higher Load Capacity

23,800 kg

23,150 kg

22,500 kg (23 ton)

21,800 kg

21,800 kg

22,000 kg

22,000 kg

20,000 kg

Tractive effort

255 kN

-

210 kN (226 kN)

240 kN

220 kN

220 kN

220 kN

207 kN

Highest Tractive Effort

Bogie Wheel Size

28.5ʺ

26.5ʺ

26.5ʺ

26.5ʺ

26.5ʺ

26.5ʺ

26.5ʺ

26.5ʺ

Largest Wheel Diameter

780/50×28.5

750/55×26.5

750/55×26.5

750/55×26.5

750/55×26.5

750/55×26.5

750/55×26.5

750/55×26.5

Engine torque

1100 Nm

1100 Nm

1180 Nm

1200 Nm

1100 Nm

1100 Nm

1100 Nm

1000 Nm

High Torque

Max Engine kW /rpm

193 kW @ 1700

205 kW @ 2200

204 kW @ 2100

221 kW @ 2200

186 kW @ 1900

187 kW @ 1900

179 kW @ 1700

170 kW @ 1700

High Power/Low rpm

Crane Lift Torque

165 kNm

151 kNm

159 kNm

151 kNm

151kNm

156 kNm

151 kNm

155 kNm

Strongest Lift Torque

Crane Slew Torque

43.5 kNm

41 kNm

45 kNm

41 kNm

41 kNm

45 kNm

41 kNm

41 kNm

Stronger Slew Torque

Load Capacity Machine Weight (8WD)

Tyre Size

Ground Pressure with Eco OF Tracks

0.71 kg/cm2

Higher: Smaller Tyres & Bogie

Higher: Smaller Tyres & Bogie

Higher: Smaller Tyres & Bogie

0.72 kg/cm2

Largest Forwarder

Widest/Tallest Tyre

Lower than 890

22 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

forwarders

New Forwarders proving their worth G

REG SMEATHERS has been around the traps for just over a half a century and he’s tried a lot of machines; he knows what is expected in the tough forestry business. And he tells it like it is when it comes to evaluating machines and people.

Australian Forests & Timber News sought Greg’s views on the Tigercat 1075B Forwarders (well, it is a special segment on Forwarders) and how they have fitted in with South West Haulage operations in WA. “We’ve got two 1075Bs. They’re a much better machine than the 1065 I can tell you that,” says Greg with total candour. “We’ve got two 1065s and two 1075s. The 1075s are a bigger machine; more powerful. They’re going very well as a matter of fact.

conditions. The extra-long bogie dramatically improves ride comfort, reduces ground pressures, and outperforms competitors in deep snow and soft terrain,” says David Hazell, managing director of Onetrak, Australia’s Tigercat distributor.

Tigercat’s unique centre section design does not require an oscillation lock (this feature is available as an option), allowing the operator to reach out and pick up a load of logs while the machine is still in motion. The articulation and oscillation joints feature over-sized sealed tapered roller bearings with large pins and sacrificial bushings, all held together with reliable shim adjustment that is designed to not loosen for the life of the machine.

Powered by Mercedes are Tigercat’s three forwarder models

“They’re a bit more stable than any other forwarders we’ve had.

They seem to ride a bit better because they’ve got wide spaced bogies. On the fuel side ... nothing special but because they’ve got a bit more horsepower I suppose you could say quite reasonable.

“All in all we’re very happy with them,” Greg says.

South West Haulage bought the two Forwarders through Forest Centre and its principal Lex McLean. [Onetrak has since been appointed the Australian Tigercat distributor]. “We always got on very well with Lex. Hopefully as time goes on we’ll develop a working relationship with Onetrak.

“As I said we’re very pleased with the new ones. They’ve increased the horsepower - they’re 275hp, the early ones were only 235, a bit underpowered.

“The 1075s are so much better.

They’re more stable, they’ve got the wide spread bogies which seems to make them ride better and of course they carry more wood which is the main thing,” says Greg.

“Tigercat is very robustly built that’s why I stick with them. We’ve got 11 Tigercats in the fleet - 4 Forwarders, 1 Skidder and the rest Harvesters.

“The 1075B bogie system is the strongest in the industry utilizing larger gears, thicker castings and stronger bearings than competitive machines. The unique-to-Tigercat friction clutch differential lock allows engagement and disengagement while travelling and helps to protect the gear train from damage in extreme

ranging from from 11-20 tonne capacity. The smallest in the range is the 1045B, a heavy-duty, 11-tonne 150 kW forwarder. Next in the range is the 1055B, with 170 kW and a 14 tonne maximum load capacity. This is an all-around forwarder, well suited to thinning or final fell applications.

All three machines are equipped with a modern, well finished, spacious cab with extended windows for excellent visibility to the load area as well as the ground.

The cab has reverse sloping windows on the front and rear to reduce the need for wipers in wet and dirty conditions. The cab tapers out at knee height providing exceptional space for rotating the seat from the reverse to forward direction as well as providing site lines down the sides of the engine enclosure to the ground.

The interior finish is impressive and exceptionally durable due to the use of high impact strength materials throughout. All windows are 12mm thick polycarbonate with hard coating for scratch resistance.

“Operators comment favorably on the latest control system interface which is highly intuitive and easy to navigate and operate.

Full machine diagnostics can be made through the colour display that is conveniently mounted on the seat armrest. Crane control is smooth and fast thanks to advanced valve spool design and the largest crane pumps in the industry. In terms of performance, the machines are found to be very productive, especially when operating on inclines and tough terrain, while providing the best

fuel efficiency to the tones carried in the industry,” David says. “All Forwarders utilize a variable speed, reversing fan system that provides minimal fan speeds to maintain optimal operating temperatures.

This feature dramatically reduces fuel consumption when high fan speeds are not necessary. In cold climates the fan runs very slow allowing the machine to come to operating temperature quickly at start up. The generously sized heat exchangers contribute to low fan speeds and allow the machine to work through a broader ambient temperature range with a given oil viscosity. The reversing feature of the fan contributes to keeping the heat exchangers clean, further reducing the need for high fan speeds.

“Access to the engine, driveline and pumps is through the tilt-out hood enclosure and tilting cab.

All the hydraulic valves and their computer control modules are located in one compartment in the wagon frame. Easily accessed from ground level, hydraulic adjustments are simple to perform.

Electrical reliability is high due to short wire runs between the control modules and valves located immediately beside them. Further enhancing reliability, all electrical grounding is done through protected and sealed wires and connections that run from each component to the battery ground terminals,” he said Various bunk and wagon options are available to customize the Tigercat Forwarders to specific applications, including high capacity expandable bunk systems, moveable gate systems and optional sliding bunks for added versatility.

Massive machine sale to Latin America Brazilian company Suzano purchased 44 Tigercat machines for its harvesting operations in Maranhao and an additional five units for the Bahia operations.

Tigercat achieved this order with the commitment and cooperation of its Brazilian dealer, Tracbel S.A., one of the strongest and most successful heavy equipment dealer organisations in the country.

“We knew Tigercat equipment; we carried on some tests at the beginning of 2012. Tigercat was the most dedicated company to work with through these tests; they gave a lot of attention to Suzano,”

said Wagner Itria, Suzano’s director. “We went to visit their factories, we could see the fabrication process, the hard work of their employees and the robustness of their equipment and on top they count with Tracbel as their dealer in Brazil, a consolidated company in the Brazilian market with an excellent background in after sales support.”

Suzano has five industrial units located in the States of Bahia and São Paulo. In Mucuri, south of Bahia, is its largest integrated pulp and paper facility. Three facilities are located in Suzano, Rio Verde and Embu, in the State of São Paulo.

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 23

forwarders

The flexible Fin S

INCE INTRODUCING its 10F Titan Forwarder to Australia last year, Logset has taken pains to point out just how flexible the manufacturer is prepared to be to accommodate the specific needs of individual users. Whether that might be adding a step, fitting a blue gum-specific headboard, selecting different bogie grades or specifying the crane length, Logset will tailor each machine

need to be altered by the factory to meet the requirements of users is the shape of the frame. Using a hydraulic system activated by a button in the cab, the driver can shorten the frame for easier transport or lengthen it to carry longer logs. This adjustment can be made to any length from 5.5m to 6.2m.

The gate and headboard are also each adjustable across a range of 500mm from within the cab meaning loads of shorter lengths can be positioned (in conjunction with the sliding frame tail) so the weight is over the bogie thereby allowing the operator to load the machine up making use of the

 Frame tail shortened.

crane’s excellent grapple height.

All this flexibility is delivered without compromising the strength of the frame. “We believe this is the best designed and strongest frame in the Australian marketplace today and this strength is complemented by the headboard and bolsters which are made from high tensile steel to the European equivalent of 400 Biz.” “Logset has always worked to incorporate meaningful technology in its equipment to enable drivers to set their machine up well for whatever job they are doing. Having that sort of flexibility means owners can get the most out of their machines rather than having to have the most machines!”

When asked how much extra the additional technology and frame strength adds to the price of the machine, Turunen replied ... “Nothing! Despite what our competitors think it’s worth, this machine is priced about the same as other quality brands and even the finance is flexible!”

statiivi.fi

 Frame tail extended.

on the factory production line to meet buyers’ requirements to the highest quality standards.

“We build each machine on the production line to the customer’s agreed specification so it is guaranteed top quality. There is no need for any backyard cutting and welding in Australia to adjust the machine once it gets here,” said Markku Turunen, Australian agent for Logset.

However, one thing that doesn’t

• Spacious Cabin with automotive finish and plenty of leg room as well as extra storage and place for a co-driver.

• NAF Bogies – Industry proven, high load bearing capacity, sealed bogie bearings; only need greasing every 1,000 hours or once a year • SISU Diesel Engine is quiet running and offers good fuel economy while delivering impressive torque.

• Front and rear high quality Cameras come as standard equipment to aid operator vision and safety.

• Xenon Lights to provide bright, clear working light particularly in the winter months.

Logset brings a better logging experience to the forest machinery market. Logset 10F Titan 18 ton forwarder offers better efficiency, better durability, better usability and better productivity.

Logset is simply better – for a logger who demands more.

– way to improve performance!

Logset offers its customers a totally new way to keep the fleet up and running. Logset’s FAST -program allows contractors to achieve considerable cost savings by optimizing the service process and making maintenance more efficient.

SALES

Karmet Enterprises PTY LTD Markku Turunen ph. +614 0417 8541 fax. +612 696 44477

10F TITAN

DESIGNED FOR YOUR SUCCESS – 20 YEARS

Oy Logset Ab Hännisentie 2 66530 Koivulahti Finland ph +358 10 286 3200 fax +358 6 2103 216

www.logset.com

24 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

forwarders

Harwarder ... doubling the work with just the one machine Elmia Wood is the No1 dynamic forestry fair in the world. Every four years you get updated on the latest innovations from all the major machinery manufacturers, expand and refresh your contact network, get inspired and discover masses of new ideas. Welcome to the forests south of Jönköping 5 - 8 June, 2013.

D

ESPITE ITS major advantages, the harwarder, a combined harvester and forwarder, has never made a breakthrough. The profitability has just not been there.

At Elmia Wood 2013, Swedish innovator Christer Lennartsson is exhibiting a machine with the potential to transform the harvester from vision to reality.

A few harwarders do exist on the market but most forest contractors have a wait-and-see attitude to them. Lennartsson says this is for several reasons. One is that a contractor may be restricted to using a special harvester head that limits the machine to doing only thinning.

“This is the first harwarder for final felling. Contractors can use any harvester head they want,” he explains.

His machine has the working name of “The Beauty” and features a number of new solutions. With regard to the work tool attachments, the solution has been moved to the landing. In the forest the machine is a harvester with bunks. A regular harvester head is used for felling and delimbing. Bucking is done above the load area.

At the landing the harvester head is replaced with a grapple.

The switch is made using a newlydeveloped system.

“The operator does it in 10 seconds from inside the cab – it works perfectly every time,” Lennartsson says.

 At the landing the harvester head is replaced with a grapple. The switch is made using a newly developed system.

The machine has been in operation for almost three years and has been working at full capacity since September 2012. Machine availability has been almost 100%.

The only malfunction has been a broken cooling hose.

Other innovations on the machine are a newly developed crane that can handle two tonnes with ten metres of reach, and a totally newly-developed hydraulic transmission with a motor in each of the 10 wheel hubs.

The Beauty has 10 individually suspended wheels that are selflevelling to reduce ground damage.

World Leading Forestry Chains www.chaffeyschains.com.au for more details and your nearest dealer We are distributor dealers for: Stud & Ring Chains • Forwarder Tracks & Components • Loader Quarry chains • Four Wheel Drive chains •

For all your traction & protection requirements please call: John Treloar – 0428 140 466 John Curtis – 03 6491 1686 or 0417 585 546

CHAFFEY’S

CHAINS

 “This is the first harwarder for final felling. Contractors can use any harvester head they want,” Swedish innovator Christer Lennartsson says.

 At Elmia Wood 2013, Swedish innovator Christer Lennartsson is exhibiting a machine with the potential to transform the harvester from vision to reality.

That is also why there is a motor in each hub. The speed of the wheels can be controlled individually, which helps prevent scraping and rubbing. Ground damage is further reduced because one machine is doing the work of two machines.

“We’re developing a new version in which we’re replacing bogies with individual wheels and we have a system for accumulating the power so we can use a smaller motor,” Lennartsson reveals.

He says the big advantages of his harwarder are that it reduces operating time by 25%, the contractor can do the entire job with only one machine, and every log makes it to the landing.

If the name of Christer Lennartsson sounds familiar, it is because he has already designed a number of forest machines. The latest and best known is his remotecontrolled harvester Besten (The Beast), which is why he has called his new harwarder The Beauty.

In this project he is collaborating with mechanical engineer Andreas Andersson.

Down to work in the plantation forests of NSW ONE OF Eco Log’s big Forwarders, the 19.5 tonne capacity 594C, is making its presence felt in the plantation forests in the Tumbarumba area.

“The former demo model (which had less than 50 hours on the clock), has 24 tonnes of tractive effort and 7m2 of loading area, excellent driveability and agility, and has an approach angle of 43° and a 44° mid-joint steering angle,” says Johan Jaktman, principal of Scandinavian Forestry & Engineering, the Tumut-based Australian agent for Eco Log and also Log Max, “and it can also run on biodiesel”.

The Eco Log 594C forwarder is equipped with a Cranab loader.

The strong Cranab FC155 is mounted on the solid 594C and gives the forwarder an amazing gross lifting capacity of 154.9 kNm “The new OM 926LA 7.2L Mercedes Benz engine provides the machine with 300hp (221 kW) and makes this machine one of the biggest and most powerful Forwarders available on the market today.

Low fuel consumption coupled with large fuel tank capacity (240 litres) reduces refilling intervals and increase effective operating time.

Travel and working brakes are hydraulically operated oil-immersed multiple disc brakes, identical on both axles. Spring actuated parking and emergency brakes on both front and rear bogies.

Johan said the brain of Eco Log C-series Forwarder was the latest generation of IQAN control system that optimizes the function of all main components of the Forwarder.

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 25

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Spotlight squarely on wood as a renewable fuel W

OOD IS making a big comeback as an alternative energy source as the cost of fossil energy carriers, such as fuel oil and natural gas, continues to climb. In the light of this trend, forest owners in particular would be well advised investigate whether it now makes economic sense to use some of their wood resources for heating purposes. LIGNA 2013 (6-10 May) features a comprehensive offering of exhibits, lectures and conferences that put the spotlight squarely on wood as a renewable fuel.

There’s a special “Energy from Wood” presentation showcasing the many options now available for using wood as an environmentally friendly, renewable fuel. Numerous exhibits cover the latest trends, developments and solutions in the cultivation and harvesting of energy forests, transport and storage logistics, firewood processing and fuel preparation, and wood burner and furnace technology. The displays include saws, wood chippers and log-splitters for transforming logs into burner-ready firewood lengths, chips and pellets. The wood burner technology on show includes everything from log burners to automatic wood chip and pellet burners.

The Lower Saxony Agricultural Association will demonstrate the various technical processes involved in transforming solid wood into a useable fuel. Dubbed “From Tree to Fuel,” the association’s chipwood production line on the open-air site under the EXPO canopy will present the most efficient way of converting log sections into high-quality wood chips. The cultivation and harvesting of short rotation coppice plantations will also be a central theme of the display.

LIGNA 2013 will feature all the relevant technologies, including the latest sifting solutions for removing foreign material, fines and oversized chips from wood chip feed stock.

The German Federal Government’s regional bioenergy advisory service will be offering manufacturer-independent information and advice on all matters relating to wood energy, including energy forest establishment, silviculture and harvesting, the preparation and storage of wood fuel, logistics, quality standards, the technological solutions available for utilizing wood as an energy source, and emission protection.

Bark is well utilised THE NEW Zealand pine bark extract, Enzogenol used in dietary supplement formulations for brain health, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits has been endorsed for use in food applications after receiving GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) certification. Enzogenol can be used in various food applications, including non-alcoholic beverages, snack, sports and nutrition bars, cereals, and processed fruit and vegetable products.

In a clinical trial Lady Prelox pills were given to 86 women with an average sexual functioning level, based on a questionnaire taking into account factors such as desire, arousal and orgasm. Their levels of sexual functioning increased significantly after four weeks of taking the pill daily. Meanwhile in the women who took placebo there was barely any increase. Prelox is already available as a supplement for men suffering erectile dysfunction, and is a blend of two compounds - L-arginine and French maritime pine bark. It is claimed these compounds make people feel aroused by increasing nitric oxide production, which helps widen blood vessels and boost blood flow.

 Waste wood utilization and energy generation.

Treated timber waste minimisation project A project to look at the potential of a large scale collection, recycling or recovery of hazardous treated timber waste will benefit from $145,000 of NZ Government funding.

The treated timber waste minimisation project is led by Environment Canterbury in partnership with the Canterbury Waste Joint Committee, Christchurch City Council, BRANZ and Scion.

“This is a very positive project for Canterbury and New Zealand,” says Chris Keeling, Environment Canterbury Senior Hazardous Substances and Waste Officer. “Because of the Canterbury earthquakes there are huge quantities of waste timber that need to be managed in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. This project provides an opportunity to investigate alternative disposal methods for treated timber with the aim of reusing, recycling or recovering as much as possible while also setting us up for the future.”

Forestry wood waste for renewable energy THE AUSTRALIAN Forest Products Association (AFPA) has called on State and Federal Governments to promote the opportunities for woody waste to produce more renewable energy, provided these resources are sourced from sustainably managed forests.

Speaking at the Residues to Revenues conference in Melbourne, AFPA Strategic Policy Manager Mick Stephens said: “Australia is lagging behind much of the world in the use of woody waste from forestry and wood processing activities, resulting in potentially higher costs for emission reduction strategies and missed opportunities for value adding across the industry.

‘This woody waste includes the large volumes of sawdust, shavings and bark left over from sawmill operations of which a small amount is

used for low value products such as garden mulch or burned on site.

“A major disincentive is the exclusion of wood waste from natural forests as an eligible source of renewable energy under the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme. This was simply a political outcome between the Government and Greens Party that was not based on the scientific evidence.

“Overseas experience from North America and Europe has demonstrated the important contribution woody biomass can make to renewable energy. The use of forestry biomass is carbon-neutral, because the carbon contained in wood originates from the atmosphere as a tree grows and is released when converted to energy.

“Furthermore, the link between excess fuel loads in the forest that can contribute to large

scale wildfires and renewable energy is becoming increasingly apparent at an international level.

“The Californian 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan, for example, has multiple goals including a reduction in the cost to the community from large scale wildfires through fuel reduction by unlocking a potential 25 million (dry) tonnes of forestry biomass per year for bioenergy production.

“Some environmental activists claim that using wood waste to produce bioenergy will increase logging activity in our natural forests. This is simply not true, as the regulatory environment for using such material is strictly regulated and the wood waste is a by-product from normal harvesting activities for sawn timber and pulp and paper production.”

Fuelling the concept of utilising wood waste Z Energy and Norske Skog are seeking majority Government funding for a proposed $50 million demonstration plant to turn wood waste into transport fuels. The application comes under the four-year-old Primary Growth Partnership scheme, which sets aside $70 million a year for partnerships with industry to generate economic growth from the New Zealand’s primary sector.

The two firms’ “stump-to-pump” strategy aimed to make use of the fact that sawdust and forest residues could generate “about 10% of NZ crude oil requirements”, although that would require investment of perhaps $1 billion over several years for 10 such industrial plants.

If the proposed demonstration model proved the potential for a commercially viable industry that would add value to 1.6 million tonnes of underused wood residues annually.

26 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste minimisation at Ta Ann

By Rosemary Ann Ogilvie

P

RIOR TO Ta Ann commencing operations in 2007 in its two Tasmanian factories in Smithton and the Huon Valley, the wood they use in processing was classified as pulp wood. “So it was part of the waste stream of the sawlog harvest, exported as woodchip for manufacture into pulp and then into paper, primarily in Japan, but also China,” says Alan Ashbarry, Media/External Relations.

“Today, we take re-growth and plantation eucalypt logs – the top 10 per cent of what previously was pulp wood – and do the first stage of manufacture here in Tasmania, so we’re value adding what was once a waste product.”

While the company’s overarching aim is always to minimise waste, some waste is unavoidable, notably the centre cores remaining after

the billets have been through the rotary-peeling process peeled.

“Generally every time you use the lathe you’re going to get a core,” says Ashbarry. “These are between 30 and 70mm in diameter when they come out, depending on the rotary lather used, and some are slightly bigger resulting from defects in the core. So we’ve had to think of ways where we can use them, rather than just toss them out as waste.”

Employee suggestions Ta Ann employees came up with some workable suggestions, including creating a sheltered outdoor break area. The cores were used to construct the walls, the roof and the furniture. Another idea that has proved very successful is using the cores as a packaging support mechanism when the new sheets are packed on pallets and

 Billets feeding into factory.

 Community members briefed on the use of cores.

wrapped in plastic for export to Malaysia, where they’re turned into plywood.

“We value add by planing each edge of the core to make it flat.

They are then used to provide a rigid top to each veneer pack when it is wrapped, giving stiffness to the packing and more protection to the veneer leaf when it’s transported to wharf, and loaded onto the ship,” says Ashbarry.

Once the pallets reach Ta Ann’s Malaysian factory in Sibu, Sarawak and are unpacked, those cores are fed into the wood-fired power plant that drives the plywood manufacturing plant. “So in effect they’re being reused a second time as fuel,” says Ashbarry.

Other companies have approached Ta Ann with ideas for using the cores. “One chap is looking at using them as uprights for a greenhouse. So you have the upright wooden core, and on top of that goes the flexible plastic tubing that creates the archway for the plastic greenhouse. We’ve sold a quantity to this person to see if the idea can be developed.”

 Delivered logs.

 Alan Ashbarry (left) and visiting community leader.

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 27

WASTE MANAGEMENT

 Cutting logs into billets.

The University of Tasmania approached Ta Ann to see if students from Furniture Design, and the Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW), can come up with novel, innovative ways of using the cores. “We’re very pleased to be able to work with UTAS,” says Ashbarry. “To this end, we invited those students to tour our factory and see how the cores are generated and how we deal with the waste. We hope that during this year, the results of our collaboration will be shown by the university and students in a public display.”

Another source of unavoidable waste is generated from the first couple of spins of the lathe (roundup) as it peels the outer layer of the billets, smoothing out the bumps and removing the knots or other imperfections. Veneer recovery starts once a sheet width of 100mm or more and the required length is generated. A conveyor belt underneath the lathe collects the round-up and undersize waste, which is then chipped onsite and fed into an onsite boiler to create the steam that drives the drying machinery that dries the veneer sheets before they’re packed and wrapped.

Onsite pallet production The very short lengths of log that remain after the veneer peeler logs are cut into billets are sold for firewood, while billets that don’t

 Billets loaded onto machinery ready for peeling.

meet peeling specification go into the manufacture of pallets at Huon. “We have a contractor onsite who makes the pallets on which the veneer is shipped,” says Ashbarry. “Once the shipment reaches Malaysia, the pallets go into the wood-fired power station that drives the plywood plant.”

This makes the company selfsufficient with pallets in the Huon: they no longer need to buy them in. “So we’re not quite 100 per cent closed loop, but almost,” says Ashbarry. At Smithton, reject billets are sold to a local company that is trying to develop a product by finger jointing timber sawn from them.

Ashbarry points out that Ta Ann is not a timber harvester, despite continued claims by some parties. “We receive third-party, independently certified logs from Forestry Tasmania once they’ve been harvested, so we don’t have the residue problem associated with integrated harvesting that the harvesters and the forest managers have. What we try to do is use every bit of wood we’ve paid for when it gets into our factory.

“Our factories were built in 2006 and 2007 at significant capital cost, and they have to be maintained. While we lost 50odd workers as a consequence of the downturn in the market caused by the green campaign, we still have almost 100 people working for us. They have been continuously employed despite market uncertainty due to the current TFA process.”

 Veneer sheets.

 Cores planed flat on each side used to pack delicate veneers for the journey to Malaysia.

 Cores as packing.

New market for wood shavings

By Rosemary Ann Ogilvie FOR MCKAY Timber, the closure of the Hobart Brick Company in April 2012 meant the loss of a market for wood shavings from its planing mill, as the brickworks had used these as fuel. Part of Kemp and Denning Limited, the brickworks had been operating for a century and was the only one in Southern Tasmania.

However, a brand new market for wood shavings has emerged with the establishment of a wood-pellet plant by Rob Douglas’s company, Island Bioenergy.

“We’re supplying the premises from which they’ll operate, and the raw materials in the form of wood shavings for manufacture into pellets,” says McKay. The plant, attached

to the Glenorchy dry mill, is expected to be operational in May. “I don’t know how much they’ll sell, or whether they’ll be able to use it all, but they’re very confident that over a period of time the Tasmanian market will develop sufficiently to take all we have and maybe more,” says McKay. “So that will eliminate some of the surplus waste shavings resulting from the brickworks closure, and will also provide some return.”

Apart from that, McKay Timber deals with residues in exactly the same way they have always done. Some wood shavings and most sawdust are sold for boiler fuel, while some shavings and sawdust go into chicken litter destined for chicken farms. The company

continues to sell sawmill-residue woodchip for export.

“Solid wood waste usually just goes to employees for firewood during the winter time, which has always been the case, and we sell some as well,” says McKay. “During summer time, some of it goes to the tip, so we get no return on that at all.”

In some welcome positive news relating to players in the Tasmanian forestry industry, McKay reports that his company is currently travelling very well, with the Bridgewater sawmill running at full capacity, and St Helens sawmill is running at about 60%. Plans are in place to step the latter up very shortly.

The closure of two truss factories in southern Tasmania has enabled them to

pick up extra work this year, making their truss factory quite busy, with an extra five staff employed. The destruction of the Kelly sawmill at Dunalley in the bushfires has also led to some increase in sales in the local market. “It’s a real tragedy for the Kelly family,” says McKay. “Ike Kelly spent his whole life in the industry, and he’s well into his seventies. His sons were running the business, and it’s a double tragedy for them as they lost their houses as well.”

While things are going well at the moment, the future remains clouded. “We don’t know where it’s going to finish up with this forest issue. There’s a chance we may not be able to obtain enough logs to keep the mills running at this level,” says McKay.

28 – April 2013, Australian Forests & Timber News

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Biomass pellet production a first for Tasmania continued from page 1.

Unfortunately, a road block to this is an act passed through Federal Parliament two years ago that prevents the use of native timber in electricity generation.

“This legislation was passed by people with no foresight,” says Douglas. “Major countries around the world with very strict environmental policies use biomass to create electricity. In Australia, only non-native plantation timber is permitted. So how ridiculous is that, to turn our landscape from native into foreign with something like radiata pine in order to get into

the biomass energy market as the rest of the world has done?”

He points out that Japan supplements coal electricity generation with biomass, which reduces their carbon footprint.

“This is how they’ve managed to comply with the Kyoto protocol and bring down emission levels.

We could be doing these sorts of things here.”

Pellet heating, which evolved from countries needing to utilise waste, has been around for about 35 years in Europe and is really big in countries such as Sweden, the UK, and Germany. It’s huge in Canada and significant in the USA.

The benefits of using pellets for domestic heating are well recognised, because not only are pellets easy to transport and easy to store, they’re also easy to feed into the heating device as the quantity can be metered to give a more controlled combustion process.

“A domestic pellet heater is similar to a wood heater in that it burns biomass, but it works the opposite way,” Douglas explains.

“With a wood heater, you load it with wood and then choke it off by regulating the air: you slow the burning process so the energy is not released all at once. With a pellet heater, the fuel rather than the air is regulated by blowing air through the furnace like a blacksmith’s forge. The result is a combustion efficiency of about 98% as opposed to 50% with a wood heater, which means you can recover almost double the amount of heat from pellet burner than a wood burner.”

Because pellets burn so efficiently they burn cleanly, which means they produce no smoke emissions. “So from an environmental point of view you’re not only recycling renewable waste, you’re also use a lot less of it. The process is carbon neutral as emissions are very, very low to nil. This is the reason pellet heaters are allowed in countries where wood heating is banned.”

Douglas is now assisting others in the mainland States to get involved with pellet heating.

However, he admits it hasn’t been an easy road to travel, largely because there haven’t been the really strong reasons to get into pellet heating in Australia.

“Look at European countries that had acid rain 40 years ago: they cleaned things up by putting in

strict environmental policies and procedures. If companies can’t find a way to convert waste into the benefit of the country, they have to pay.

“Here in Australia it’s been, don’t worry about it. Chuck it out.

Burn it. Waste it.”

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 29

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Mobile plant converts wood waste to biochar A

MOBILE Pyrolysis Plant (MPP) system designed for the North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) to create biochar from woody weed species removed from river banks is one of the latest units from Earth Systems (ES), an international environmental consultancy operating from 11 offices worldwide.

“The conventional process (burning in windrows) is known to be unsustainable long-term and a system was required to process logs and branches without chipping, be road-mobile and be easy to operate, be environmentally friendly (acceptable emissions) and be fully integrated into NECMA’s existing operations,” said Hamish McKinnon, ES Energy and Environmental Engineer.

The project to develop the technology was funded through the Victorian Government’s Market Validation Program.

The ES Energy and Carbon team used a technique of Minimum Viable Prototyping to develop the technology.

“Beginning at “44 gal drum scale”, the process was scaled up through a series of steps and refined up to full-scale prototype,” Hamish said.

The final system is based on a standard 20-foot shipping container and can be transported to anywhere that is accessible with a farm track.

Hamish explained that it takes four hours to process a batch of 5-10 tonnes of biomass (less than 30% moisture content, wet basis) to biochar at a conversion rate of approximately 35% w/w (The MPP can handle higher moisture

content biomass, but takes longer to process).

“Materials handling (loading and unloading) takes places with the use of NECMA’s existing assets (tractors and excavators).

“The unit has been successfully operated with multiple species of woody biomass including willow, pine, and various eucalypts, as well as processed woody residues such as timber off-cuts

and railway sleepers.” Biochar is a desirable product from the pyrolysis of woody biomass. It is a soil ameliorant which improves nutrient retention and soil water holding capability, as well as increasing soil microbe habitat and reducing acidity in the soil.

Biochar is also a simple method of sequestering atmospheric carbon (a Carbon Farming Initiative methodology is

currently under development).

“The development project has concluded with supply of the full scale furnace to NECMA and two new furnaces currently being manufactured for clients in other parts of the country,” Hamish said.

Earth Systems provides environmental management, water treatment and energy solutions for a diverse range of clients.

AnothEr PrECision ProduCt, thE

Powered by a Cummins 600 HP or CAT 580HP engine, this machine produces more than 75 tons per hour and is totally dedicated to biomass.

To see it in action, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ9cPHrHyQ8.

Contact: Andrew or John Ph: 03 5156 4243 Fax: 03 5156 4125 Email: info@jondod.com

30 – April 2013 , Australian Forests & Timber News

Australian Forests & Timber

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To arrange inspection, please call Brendan on 0428 950 035 or email brendanellis@newlands.com.au.

Buyer is to arrange disassembly and transport.

$22,750+GST ONO

Australian Forests & Timber News, April 2013 – 31

Australian Forests & Timber

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