3.2.2009, 10:00
The use of forest resources is diversifying as more and more wood materials are utilised for energy production. Fuelwood is becoming an increasingly important source of income for forest owners due to the current unstable demand for timber for processing - a result of the current structural changes ongoing in the forest industry.
In order to meet the strongly increasing demand for wood-based bioenergy and the demand for wood to cover the future needs of the wood processing industry, L&T Biowatti is starting to procure wood raw materials directly from forest owners on a nation-wide basis. At the same time, a completely new wood trade channel is being created for forest owners.
”We finally need to get the fuelwood reserves out of the forests. To succeed, it is vital that trading in fuelwood offers the forest owners new and rational opportunities to exploit their forest assets. It is almost a national disaster if we, in a situation like this, were to fail to utilise such an important economic resource and continue using environmentally harmful imported fossil fuels as before. Especially in a period of economic recession, decision-makers must enhance their understanding of the opportunities involved in forest energy, since we will see thousands of new jobs being created with small efforts around fuelwood in the next few years, says Kari Lahti, CEO, L&T Biowatti.
Among other, fuelwood collected as a part of intermediate forest management and regeneration harvesting are utilised mainly in the form of wood chips in hundreds of small and large thermal power stations and power plants around Finland. The demand for wood-based fuels has been exceptionally high this winter. This is partly due to a shortage of peat caused by the rainy summer.
The demand for fuelwood is expected to increase in the years to come as well, as Finland has committed to increase its use of bioenergy and cutting its greenhouse emissions by 2020. In the national climate strategy, the use of wood chips is expected to quadruple in the course of the next decade.
Forest services to spur forest management
The use of wood-based materials can be sustainably improved by way of increased focus on forest management. In the future, L&T Biowatti will be offering forest owners new services targeting to make forest management as easy as possible.
”The fact that many urban forest owners have found forest management and forest trade somewhat distant and unfamiliar has been a large obstacle for the fuelwood trade to pick up. The new forest owner generation, however, is clearly becoming more interested in forest management. As new forest owners, too, are interested in managing their forests, we will see new wood-based energy appearing on the market. If ever, now is the time when forest owners need new alternatives and services, says Kari Lahti.
In addition to wood material procurement services, L&T Biowatti will be offering forest owners e.g. silvicultural services and thinning services for intermediate forest management as well as forest cleaning and landscaping services on a nation-wide basis.
”To meet the demands for forest energy, we will have to learn to see even scrubs and brushwood as opportunities. At the same time we can enhance the attractive value of the Finnish landscape”, says Kari Lahti.
As a part of its forest services improvement program, L&T Biowatti has taken strong efforts to improve procurement and processing of forest-based raw materials. The company has recruited several new forestry specialists, contractor supervisors, logistics supervisors and production equipment drivers in different parts of Finland to ascertain that the services aimed at forest owners will be functional. The company also has access to a nation-wide terminal network to secure energy management functionality and fuel quality in changing situations. In addition to in-house production equipment and staff, an extensive national network of cooperation partners will be used for raw materials procurement, processing and logistics.
Additional information:
Kari Lahti, CEO, L&T Biowatti, tel. +358 50 598 8490
Tomi Salo, Director, Forest Services, L&T Biowatti, tel. +358 50 385 0330