Irish roundwood forecast greeted with caution

A new report into roundwood supply in Ireland that predicts capacity will almost double in the next 17 years has been met with caution.

The All-Ireland Roundwood Production Forecast 2011-2028 compiled by forest industry research group COFORD said production in Ireland’s forests would increase to 7 million m³ from the present 3.79 million m³.

Almost all the increase was due to come from privately owned forests in the Republic, rather than state forestry company Coillte, the report said.

One Irish sawmiller, however, was cautious about the report and questioned whether the forecast would result in greater availability of supply.

“Coillte is static and the jump will come from the private sector,” he said.

“But if you look at previous forecasts that have said the same thing, that has not happened. The structures need to be in place to turn the theoreticals into logs on the ground.”

The report collates production information from Coillte, the private sector in the Republic, as well as from the Northern Ireland Forest Service and the private sector in the North of Ireland.

It said that the increase gave considerable scope to expand wood energy production in addition to increase supplies to sawmilling and board manufacture.

A separate report into roundwood demand said sawmills and panel mills would require 3.83 million m3 annually by 2020, up from the current demand of 3.45 million m3. Demand for biomass would have to almost double to 3.08 million m3 to reach 2020 renewable energy targets.