Paula Jylhä , Olli Dahl, Juha Laitila, Kalle Kärhä

The effect of supply system on the wood paying capability of a kraft pulp mill using Scots pine harvested from first thinnings

Jylhä P., Dahl O., Laitila J., Kärhä K. (2010). The effect of supply system on the wood paying capability of a kraft pulp mill using Scots pine harvested from first thinnings. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 4 article id 454. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.454

Abstract

The efficiencies of wood supply systems based on cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting, the harvesting of loose whole trees, and whole-tree bundling were compared using the relative wood paying capabilities (WPC) of a kraft pulp mill as decisive criteria. The WPCs from mill to stump were calculated for three first-thinning stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) with mean breast-height diameter of the removal of 6, 8, and 12 cm. Pulp price had a strong effect on the WPC, and the CTL system resulted in the highest WPC per m³ at stump. The savings in procurement costs and gains in energy generation from additional raw material acquired with the harvesting of loose whole trees did not compensate the losses in pulp production. Considering removal per hectare, loose whole trees gave the highest WPCs at stump in the two stands with the smallest trees and the highest proportion of additional raw material. Decrease in pulp price and increase in energy price improved the competitiveness of the whole-tree systems. In the case of whole-tree bundling, savings in transportation costs did not balance the high cutting and compaction costs, and the bundling system was the least competitive alternative.

Keywords
whole-tree harvesting; cut-to-length harvesting; integrated wood harvesting; residual value; whole-tree bundling

Received 1 March 2010 Accepted 7 October 2010 Published 31 December 2010

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