Global timber market review #13-2015

– A new £100 million (€140.33 million) biomass terminal planned for the Port of Liverpool will handle up to three million tonnes of wood pellets per year as part of the decarbonisation of Drax power station.

– Setra announced another upgrade, this time at Malå sawmill. The investment includes a new cutting system and the installation of automated sorting. The saw line will also be equipped with a new control system.

– World demand for forestry equipment (including both purpose-built and converted machinery) is forecast to rise 4.5 percent annually to US$9.3 billion in 2019. This will represent a moderation from the 2009-2014 pace of increase, a period during which market gains were bolstered by a rebound in roundwood production from lows posted during the 2009 global recession.

– According to ITTO, Zhuanghe City, China, will create an integrated complex for furniture manufacturing, and port facilities will be further developed to specialise in handling imported timber. Zhuanghe is a national-level port in the north-east of China.

– Three companies, Iida Group Holdings, First Plywood and Kawai Ringyo have completed the largest LVL manufacturing plant in Japan, located in Aomori prefecture. As ITTO reports, the plant is test-running now and monthly production is about 75,000 m3 with log consumption of about 140,000 m3.

More detailed review of global market trends of roundwood, lumber, wood panels and pellets as well as news of the Russian timber industry; exclusive articles and interviews; over 25 pages of price charts are available in our digital Russian Timber Journal.