WoodTECH News | Issue 57

Welcome to the latest issue of WoodTECH.News.

Are you tired of seeing valuable wood residues go to waste? There’s now real momentum for the forest and wood products industries to better utilise residues from harvesting and wood production. Low emissions energy to replace fossil fuels with electricity or solid biofuels is at the top of the NZ Government’s agenda.

Following last year’s successful Residues2Revenues event, which attracted over 350 delegates, FIEA is running the event again on 24-25 July 2023 in Rotorua, New Zealand. Join us for two days of sessions and workshops designed to help you unlock the full potential of our wood residues. Residues2Revenues 2023 is your chance to connect with peers and learn from experts.

The event is also available to those outside of NZ, whether it is via travel or participating virtually. Full details can be found on the event’s website.

In this edition of WoodTECH News, we’ll be covering:

Hewsaw is responding to unprecedented demand, particularly in the United States and China, by increasing its production capacity and investing in new technologies.
New mobile log scaling technology developed by ISO Limited in Tauranga, which uses a semi-autonomous robot which will image and scale logs, on rail wagons and improve the log scaling process.
A new wood pellet press facility in New Zealand is expected to produce around 60,000 tonnes of wood pellets per year and help meet growing demand for sustainable fuel sources.
Arial footage capturing the extent of windthrow damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle highlights the potential of drones as a tool for assessing storm damage in forestry and enabling more targeted salvage harvesting efforts.
WoodSolutions Australia has released a new online portal that showcases timber designs and aims to inspire and educate architects, engineers, and designers about the potential of timber as a sustainable and innovative building material.
Bonfiglioli and Lakeland Steel’s long-term partnership creates new opportunities for both companies.
A new Australian Government funding program will provide up to AU$113 million in grants to support innovation in the wood processing sector, with a particular focus on reducing waste, increasing efficiency, and developing new products and technologies.
An update on the NZ log market as of March 2023, which includes trends in export volumes and prices, changes in demand from key markets such as China and India, and the impact of global factors such as supply chain disruptions and trade tensions on the industry.

So, sit back, grab a drink, and join us as we delve into the latest news and developments in the world of wood processing and manufacturing.