SOME HOT CHANCES Continued from previous page and supply chains may be better positioned to capitalize on new climate change regulations and market forces.” That last sentence should apply to just about any forest or wood products operation in Canada, giving us a clear advan- tage if we play our cards right. Many Canadian operations are integrated as well, allowing de- cisions to be controlled and op- timized according to emerging markets right from the stump to the client, if we so choose. The 71-page report also discusses the growing demands on global forest resources, including increased protection of tropical and sub-tropical forests, as well as competition in fast-growing areas from bio-fuel crops. Will sustainable managed forests be money in the bank for forest com- panies moving forward? WOODY BIOMASS TRADE DOUBLES Seattle, WA – According to Wood Resources Quarterly (WRQ), the global trade of woody biomass has doubled in fi ve years, with the global trade in wood pellets alone reaching a record three million tons in 2007 (world production is in the neighbourhood of 10 mil- lion tons, with Canada making at least 1.5 million tons). Much of this increased trade is due to policies implemented by Euro- pean governments to generate more energy based on renew- able resources instead of fossil fuels. Sawmill residuals have been the most common fibre supply for energy generation, but with the growing demand and increased price of fossil fuels, it is becoming increasingly possible to use higher-cost forest waste, such as tops, branches, and previously unmerchantable trees. WRQ reports that global woody biomass trade was over 11 million tons in 2007, up from 5.6 million tons in 2003. The major trade routes have been within the European continent, and from Canada to Western Europe. The largest exporter of biomass in 2007 was Germany, which shipped 1.4 million tons to Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. Next came Canada, which shipped 1.3 million tons, of which an estimated 600,000 tons were wood pellets. Most of the overseas volume was from BC to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden, despite the seemingly costly 15,000-km voyage from > CanadianBIOMASS 11
Canadian Biomass August 08: Page 11
