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Market review

There are two clear trends in the global development of harvesting technology. Harvesting in the Southern hemisphere focuses on rapidly growing plantations where the challenges for harvesting technology include the features of the eucalyptus tree and related barking requirements for harvesting. The share of thinning and energy wood harvesting is on the rise in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the north, the development themes of forest machine technology include harvesting technology for soft areas, the cost efficiency of energy wood harvested in young forests and pulpwood from first thinnings, improving the efficiency of the integrated harvesting of industrial and energy wood, as well as new measurement methods concerning energy wood. Further background factors are increasing environmental awareness and the goal of energy efficiency and low emissions.

A flexible method makes bioenergy harvesting more efficient

The branch and top refuse created while harvesting is already being collected for energy purposes. Technology suitable for a integrated harvesting of industrial and energy wood is currently under development. The starting point is that some of this small-diameter timber could be harvested as pulpwood or even as non-delimbed whole trees instead of first delimbing the timber and then gathering it again.

An integrated harvesting of industrial and energy wood may simultaneously produce traditionally gathered timber, delimbed pulpwood, delimbed wood for burning, and non-delimbed whole trees for energy purposes. The main sites are typical first thinnings on load-bearing soil or peat soil, but restoration of young forests will also be possible using the same machines. It is possible to extend the method to later thinning and even regeneration felling of small trees.

Flexibility is the asset of the new method. Harvesting may focus on the available tasks, that is, produce logs at times and carry out thinning and restore young forests at other times. This makes the use of the harvesting equipment more efficient, and no separate special equipment is needed. As a result, both the forest owner and the machine and transport entrepreneur receive additional income.

Utilising the new methods requires seamless cooperation throughout the chain together with mills and energy production plants. Very good experiences have been obtained for integrated harvesting of industrial and energy wood: the total accrual, productivity, and profitability of energy wood harvesting have increased.

Customer-oriented companies find success

At the moment, 50% of industrial harvesting takes place manually and another 50% mechanically. There are two mechanical harvesting methods: the tree length method accounts for about 60% and the cut-to-length method for approximately 40%. The largest difference between the method is that the tree length method delimbs the trunks in the forest and transports them to the mill whole or almost whole, whereas the cut-to-length method already cuts the trunks in the forest to the purpose-specific assortments, delivered directly to the production plants.

The share of the cut-to-length method in mechanical harvesting has increased two and a half times during the last 20 years. As harvesting becomes more mechanical, the cut-to-length method extends, slowly but surely, at the expense of the tree length method. Reasons for this include the cut-to-length method’s cost efficiency, machine ergonomy, environmental friendliness, and an increase in the share of thinnings. The integration of information technology in the operations of contractors and forest companies is a further asset of the method.

A good marketing and sales attitude is the foundation of Ponsse’s success. Customer-orientation has always been the starting point for the company’s operations: all innovations are based on the market needs, that is, how customers will benefit from the innovations in their business. The significance of maintenance services for supporting the customer’s business is continuously on the rise.

Technology competence combined with understanding the customer requirements, and the new opportunities provided by changes in the global field will ensure that we have
favourable circumstances for continuing to act as an innovative pioneer in the cut-to-length method. We will take this challenge by carrying on with the values Einari Vidgrén established 40 years ago: customer orientation, reliability, willingness to serve, innovation, and most of all, the Ponsse spirit.