More than 20 wood processing and woodland management companies have banded together to commission the first independent study into whether Scotland and Northern England’s forests will be able to meet the huge future demand for wood fibre.
The study, which will have input from the Forestry Commission, the Confederation of Forest Industries and the Wood Panel Industries Federation, is in response to the growing number of wood processing and biomass energy projects planned for Scotland.
The steering group which commissioned the study was convened by Alan Bloomfield, wood fibre procurement manager at Norbord, who is currently conducting a strategic review of wood procurement for his own company.
He said: “UK wood production was recorded at 11 million m3 in 2004 and the forecast of future coniferous wood production potential from the Forestry Commission and private wood growers indicate that this figure could rise to 14.5 million m3 by 2012.”
He believes that the wood fibre and other infrastructural demands from the planned energy projects could outstrip potential practical and economic availability.
Mr Bloomfield said the fact that competing industries have come together to finance the study shows they are not motivated purely by their own concerns.
“The study will aid business planning by putting a scale on the supply and demand balance and allowing co-ordinated decisions to be made by looking at the bigger picture.
“This is not self-interest, it is about sensible planning for the future well-being of the country and its economy. The industry supports incremental and sustainable growth in existing and new wood processing, but not the substitution of efficiently run existing businesses,” he said.
The steering group met on January 17 for presentation of Phase One of the report, the results of which will be announced shortly.
