Pulpwood deficit in Karelia in 2013 amounted to 2.7 million m3

In 2013, the deficit of softwood for the pulp and paper industry of Karelia amounted to 2.7 million m3, and raw materials for the mills are imported from outside the region.

Currently the annual allowable cut in Karelia is 11.3 million m3, while actually 5.5 million m3 is cut. Needs of the local pulp & paper industry reach 3.5 million m3 of coniferous pulpwood per year. In 2013, the regional pulpmills were joined by DOK Kalevala, an OSB mill capable of processing 600 thousand m3 of pulpwood per year.

In the woodworking sector, meanwhile, there is surplus of raw materials – with the volume of consumption of 1.5 million m3, up to 2 million m3 of coniferous sawlogs are harvested, and loggers can deliver some wood to other Russian regions and for exports.

Minister of natural resources and environment of Karelia Victor Chikalyuk noted that now there is a tendency to growth of wood exports, and deficiency of pulpwood in Karelia will only rise. “Logging operators and processors should sign long-term agreements that will suit both sides. The price of wood purchase should encourage the suppliers to increase the volume of harvesting”, the minister concluded.

Persistent thaw once again led to the failure of wood deliveries to the Kondopoga pulp and paper mill during the New Year holidays, and the management expects for the promised cooling: frosts will quickly enable to restore log reserves and to run all paper machines at full capacity. Meanwhile, the mill has signed agreements on supply of newsprint to Cuba and Spain; the press service notes that in 2013 the mill exported paper to 48 countries of the world.