Metsä Group and VR Intensify Their Cooperation on Sustainability

Jan. 3, 2023 - Both Metsä Group and VR are companies with major role in the society and they therefore play an important part in improving environmental performance and responsibility. The companies are intensifying their cooperation on sustainability in logistics and have agreed a new joint target to halve emissions from transport covered by their cooperation by 2030. In addition, Metsä Group aims to transfer some of its current road transports to railways.

For Metsä Group, the measures would represent a total emission reduction of around 14,000 tCO2e per year, which is equivalent to more than 25,000 average lorry journeys.

“One of Metsä Group’s strategic sustainability goals for 2030 is to reduce the fossil emissions of our operations and fossil-based materials,” said Jari Voutilainen, SVP, Sourcing and Logistics, from Metsä Group. “We have already made good progress in achieving this goal at our mills and would like to see similar development in our supply chain.

“VR is an important partner for Metsä Group in the logistics of both wood raw material and products, and together we can achieve significant improvements in our environmental performance,” Voutilainen added.

Metsä Group and VR have set up a joint working group to define concrete ways to achieve the emissions reduction target. The measures include the electrification of the rail network, more efficient train concepts and the use of diesel made from renewable raw materials.

Eljas Koistinen, Senior Vice President, VR Transpoint, commented, “Sustainability is a key part of the strategy of both VR and Metsä Group. Together, we reduce emissions from transport and accelerate the transition to a carbon neutral Finland.

“In principle, rail transport is the most energy-efficient mode of transport with the lowest emissions, and it plays a critical role in mitigating climate change. As a strong partner to industry, we are helping our customers achieve their environmental goals,” Koistinen said.

Every year, VR transports around 5 million cubic metres of Metsä Group’s wood and mechanical wood products and 2.1 million tonnes of other forest industry products such as pulp and paperboard. With Metsä Group’s ongoing investments, transport volumes will increase.

SOURCE: Metsä Group

UPM in Final Phases of Construction on Its Eucalyptus Pulp Mill in Uruguay

Dec. 23, 2022 - UPM is finalizing the construction works of the greenfield eucalyptus pulp mill in Uruguay and enters the final phases of the project. The start-up of the 2.1 million tonne/year mill near Paso de los Toros is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

While the project work continues intensively, the finalization of the construction works is an important milestone in the project. Since the investment decision in July 2019, over 20,000 people have been involved in the various construction sites related to the growth investment, including the construction of the Paso de los Toros mill, the pulp terminal in the port of Montevideo and the 11 housing areas around Paso de los Toros.

The project now proceeds with the finalization of the electrical, instrumental and automation works and commissioning.

The auxiliary boilers and power boilers have been commissioned. Water intake and water treatment process as well as the process air system are already in use.

The recovery boiler testing has started and is advancing well, and commissioning is progressing in all process areas.

UPM Pulp

UPM is one of the world's leading producers of northern softwood, birch and eucalyptus pulp, supplying global customers in end use segments such as tissue, specialty, packaging and graphic papers, and board, through our own sales and technical service networks close to customers in the APAC region and Europe.

UPM Pulp employs approximately 2,000 people and operates four modern pulp mills — three in Finland and one in Uruguay — as well as eucalyptus plantations in Uruguay. The combined production capacity of the mills is 3.7 million tonnes per year.

UPM delivers renewable and responsible solutions and innovate for a future beyond fossils across six business areas: UPM Fibres, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood.

SOURCE: UPM

Södra Launches Major Initiative to Electrify Transportation

Nov. 25, 2022 - Södra is now launching a major initiative to electrify the operation’s transportation. A new project will study the future potential to operate electric-powered trucks, forklifts and loaders that can help further reduce the association’s fossil-fuel emissions.

Södra is currently a net producer of electricity and is aiming to reach net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2040. A natural step in this process is to electrify the vehicle fleet and operations. Parts of the mills’ vehicle fleet already run on electricity, including electric forklifts at the Värö and Långasjö sawmills. This work will now enter the next phase and Södra is launching a project for the large-scale electrification of internal and external transportation.

The project includes the electrification of logging and chip trucks in Södra’s own haulage business as well as vehicles at mills. It will also clarify which vehicles and type of charging equipment are suitable for Södra’s various units and how infrastructure and logistics should be planned. Furthermore, the project includes a study of how electrification can take place in a safe manner and how future business models should be designed to create the right conditions for large-scale electrification.

Large-scale electrification reduces fossil-fuel emissions

The aim is to electrify large parts of the vehicle fleet and further reduce fossil-fuel emissions. Every day, 1,000 of journeys are made by heavy road transports from Södra members’ forests to the mills. Moreover, the mills are operating at historically high levels.

“Södra is one of Sweden’s largest freight purchasers and transportation accounts for the largest share of our fossil-fuel emissions. This is why large-scale electrification is an important piece of the puzzle, together with liquid biofuel, to reduce our fossil-fuel emissions and to further contribute to society’s climate transition,” said Henrik Brodin, who is Head of Energy and responsible for the ‘A Fossil-free Södra’ project.

Södra wants to lead the electrification of truck transportation

Closest to hand is the continued electrification of internal transportation, where most of Södra’s internal forklift fleet will be replaced by the next generation of electric forklifts. The time horizon for external truck transportation is longer, involves more operators and makes new demands on business models.

If electrification is to succeed, an expansion is needed of charging infrastructure at Södra’s own units and across Götaland. Södra’s own haulage operations will be a driving force in these developments together with strategic partners. The project is part of the ‘A Fossil-free Södra’ project and will run until 2025. The ambition is thereafter to pursue the transition as part of regular operations.

“Today, we are a net producer of electricity, which means will could become self-sufficient in fossil-free electricity for our own transportation needs,” Bodin said. “This is a long-term and ambitious target, but it is important that we aim for this goal. It will require a systemic change in infrastructure, vehicles and energy supply. It is a major challenge and requires all participants to continue working together to create the right conditions.”

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with 52,000 forest owners as its members. In 2021, net sales amounted to SEK 27 billion and employees totaled 3,100.

SOURCE: Södra

OneFortyOne’s Kaituna’s Woodchip Sets Sail from New Zealand to Japan

Nov. 22, 2022 - OneFortyOne’s Kaituna Sawmill and its partners recently celebrated its first export shipment of woodchip out of Port Marlborough (New Zealand), as part of a new export initiative with partner Marusumi Whangarei Co., Ltd.

Woodchip has been accumulating at Shakespeare Bay over the last three months, in preparation for the loading of the Southern Star Vessel which docked on Monday, Nov. 7 and departed Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Another vessel is planned for the new year of which woodchip is now being accumulated.

Port Marlborough has been a critical partner in providing logistical support for the trial operation, including 4,000m2 (0.4 ha) in the port’s Shakespeare Bay log yard currently for the operation.

Tracy Goss, General Manager Kaituna Sawmill said this initiative has been four years in the making. “It is part of our growth strategy and an exciting opportunity for us to diversify our wood residues market.”

“It also happened to be very beneficial when Sh6/Sh63 roads to Nelson were closed during the flooding events in August. Without this alternative growth market, the Kaituna Mill more than likely would need to cease production during the road closures.”

“The woodchip is a by-product generated during timber production. This new export initiative complements our existing market in New Zealand, and we now have access to a growth market in Japan where woodchip is used in next generation cellulose nanofiber (CNF)”.

Rhys Welbourn, Port Marlborough CEO said the diversification of the port’s forestry industry offering was important for Marlborough.

“Port Marlborough supports several key industries in the region and we are always looking at ways to add value for our customers. This is an exciting opportunity for us to diversify our wood export offering, and to develop our commercial partnerships with industry leaders OneFortyOne.”

Angela MacKenzie, South Island Wood Council said the exporting of wood chips from Port Marlborough opens up markets that haven’t previously been available to the industry in the Top of the South and will provide greater employment and market certainty.

“This is a huge boost for the local forest industry and will have many positive flow-on effects for Marlborough.

“The Top of the South Wood Council is focused on exploring new applications for the use of this by-product, especially biofuels and is appreciative of the initiative of OneFortyOne in making this happen,” said Angela.

OneFortyOne Kaituna Sawmill signed an agreement with Marusumi Whangarei Co to manage the export initiative. Marusumi has been exporting both softwood and hardwood chip from Marsden point since 1995, predominantly to its parent company Marusumi Paper Co. Ltd, and other end users in Japan and China.

SOURCE: OneFortyOne