Cambium Global Timberland Share Discussion Threads

[grupo guitarlumber] 01/4/2008 09:28

Mystery die-off worries beekeepers




SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The California winter has been a tough one on South
Dakota beekeepers like Richard Adee.
Last fall he sent 155 semitrailer trucks to California loaded with hives
containing bees fit and ready to pollinate the almond crop.
"We lost 40 percent of the hives we sent there. We sent 70,000 out and lost
28,000," said Adee, whose Adee Honey Farms in Bruce is considered the largest
beekeeping operation in the nation.
"I would say overall the losses of South Dakota bees -- from what I've heard
-- from what they started in the spring of '07 until they came out of the
almonds is at least 50 percent. It's not good."
Now, in preparation for the honey-making season in South Dakota, he's
working to get back to full strength from a mystery called colony collapse
disorder.
No one's really sure what's causing the disorder, evident when adult bees
abandon the hive.
It's a concern for South Dakota beekeepers, who ranked third nationally last
year for honey production and for the number of colonies.
"It's very serious," said Heath Bermel, a Java beekeeper and president of
the South Dakota Beekeepers Association. "There's a lot of beekeepers all over
the U.S. who are losing hives."
The U.S. Agriculture Department has earmarked money and research to solving
CCD because it says one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated
plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination.
"As beekeepers we're confused and the scientific community is even more
confused because they feel like they should be able to figure this out and get a
handle on it, and yet there are so many variables they are just having a
problem," said Adee, chairman of the legislative committee for the American
Honey Producers Association.
Researchers with the Agricultural Research Service within the U.S.
Department of Agriculture are chasing various theories about CCD, said Jon
Lundgren, an ARS entomologist in Brookings not directly involved in the
research.
Among the possible causes are parasites, a virus, or pesticides.
It may be a several factors resulting from stress on the bees, he said.
"Shipping these things across the country -- that's not the way that
honeybees have evolved, so we're really changing and manipulating these colonies
quite a bit to suit our needs," Lundgren said.
"It's necessary if we want cheap almonds and other fresh produce, but on the
flip side, by the changing agricultural landscape -- both in terms of the actual
landscape itself and how we approach agriculture -- there's probably any number
of factors that are ultimately involved in what we're seeing with CCD right
now."
Without answers and a possible remedy, the financial impact will extend
beyond the beekeeping business to the dinner table, said Bermel.
"It's going to hurt everything," he said. "People at the grocery store are
going to see significant increases in their grocery bill."
The California almond industry covers about 600,000 acres and prefers two
bee colonies per acre to do a good job during a pollinating season that lasts
about six weeks.
--
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- State farmers are usually close to planting some oats,
small grains and alfalfa in early April. But this year, winter may delay the
process.
"The temperatures aren't warming up like we are used to," said Keith Ripp, a
farmer near Lodi and president of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.
Farmers normally start planting corn in late April. Last year, they
harvested about 4 million acres of the corn in Wisconsin -- the most acreage in
years and 350,000 acres more than a year earlier.
Nick Schneider, a University of Wisconsin Extension agent in Winnebago
County, said farmers won't risk planting corn until the soil warms up.
"It takes sufficient soil temperatures for the seeds to germinate,"
Schneider said. "If we get a lot of sunny days and temperatures turn around,
that will speed things along."
Dane County, which has some of the state's most productive farm soil,
received about 100 inches of snow this winter. Snow could delay field work, but
the melt will replenish underground water supplies needed by thirsty crops.

[waldron] 17/1/2008 19:44

Praipus, tried but doesn't take due to it being a commodities thread i believe

[praipus] 17/1/2008 12:39

Waldron any chance you could post the TREE chart and news in the header?

[ariane] 17/1/2008 07:58

Giant palm tree puzzles botanists
Jonny Hogg
BBC News, Antananarivo

Botanists have discovered a new species of giant self-destructing palm in Madagascar which is so large that it can be seen in satellite photos.
The plant, which only exists in the remote north-west of the island, is unlike anything else ever found on the island before.

Although villagers had known about it for many years none had seen it flower.

When this finally happened last year, botanists found that the tree spent so much energy flowering that it died.

'Spectacular'

The palm is 20m high with leaves 5m long, the tallest tree of its type in the country, but for most of its life - around 100 years - it is fairly unremarkable apart from its size.

It was only when botanists from Kew Gardens in London were told of its extraordinary flowering pattern that they began to be interested.

"It's spectacular," says Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, who works with Kew and has seen the tree.

"At first there's only a very long shoot like asparagus from the top of the tree and then, a few weeks later, this unique shoot starts to destruct.

"At the end of this process you can have something like a Christmas tree."

Baffling location

The branches then become covered with hundreds of tiny flowers, which are pollinated and turn into fruit.

But the tree expends so much energy on flowering that it eventually collapses and dies.

Dr John Dransfield, who is announcing the new discovery, is baffled as to how the tree came to be in the country.

It bears a resemblance to a species of palm found in Asia but that is 6,000km away.

It is possible that the palm, which now numbers less than 100 examples, has quietly gone through a remarkable evolution since Madagascar split with India some 80m years ago.

It is now hoped that the plant will be conserved and that selling seeds can generate revenue for the people living nearby, as well as allowing gardeners across the world to own their very own self-destructing Malagasy palm tree.


Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2008/01/17 03:24:23 GMT

[ariane] 14/12/2007 06:43

Danes Corner Market in Christmas Trees Priced 25% More Than '06

By Tasneem Brogger and Frances Schwartzkopff

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Ole Holm, a Christmas tree grower in western Denmark, is planning a deer-hunting trip to Scotland as a tree shortage allows him to charge an average of 20 percent more for his evergreens this year.

``We'll use the extra money to sweeten our existence a little,'' says Holm, 55, who expects this to be the best holiday season since he started selling trees from his farm in Oestervraa 15 years ago. ``It'll be good times.''

Danish growers, Europe's biggest Christmas tree exporters, are raising prices for the country's Nordmann firs, coveted for their long-lasting, soft needles, by as much as 25 percent, says Kaj Oestergaard, director of the Danish Christmas Tree Growers' Association. German farmers are also increasing wholesale prices. Some local retailers are passing the cost on to consumers.

Tree farmers like Holm cut back on planting almost a decade ago, when a glut caused prices to slump. That has led to a dearth of trees today. At the same time, demand has risen in eastern Europe, where consumers are buying higher-quality imported Christmas trees as economic growth fuels spending.

``The eastern Europeans are getting wealthier and upgrading to the Nordmann,'' says Claus Jerram Christensen, a senior consultant at the Danish growers' association in Frederiksberg, a suburb of Copenhagen. ``We expect China will be next.''

Holm, owner of a 10-hectare (25-acre) tree farm on Denmark's Jutland peninsula, said he's selling his top quality 2.5-meter trees for 200 kroner ($39) on the wholesale market. He sees no prospect of prices falling for the next 10 years.

Short Memories

Part of the reason is that there is less competition. About 600 farmers, or 15 percent of Denmark's total, have dropped the trade since the European Union stopped subsidizing the industry in 2005, according to the growers' association.

The price increases are trickling down to consumers. Nicolai Jaepelt, co-owner of a shop that sells organic Nordmanns on Copenhagen's Hoejbro Plads in the city center, said he's charging 15 percent more than last year, and it isn't hurting demand.

``A Christmas tree is something people only buy once a year and very few people actually even remember what they paid last year,'' he said.

In Amsterdam, Mandy Koentjes is selling trees for an average of 25 euros ($37), about 25 percent more than she charged last year, at her flower stand on Ferdinand Bolstraat.

``Up until now, I haven't sold one tree less, but prices can't get any crazier than this,'' Koentjes said.

Denmark exports about 10 million trees a year, generating annual sales of 1.4 billion kroner, according to the growers' association. The country sends almost half its trees to Germany. The U.K. and the Netherlands are the next-biggest markets.

Black Forest

German tree distributors are also charging more, said Stephan Gutzweiler, 43, a spokesman for the forestry department of the regional government of Freiburg, on the edge of the Black Forest in southwest Germany.

Black Forest trees, sold throughout Europe and the Middle East, cost about 5 percent more this year. In Germany alone, consumers will buy about 27 million trees, up from 22 million a few years ago, Gutzweiler said.

``Demand is being stoked by the growing number of single households and families who want to have two trees -- an inside and an outside one,'' he said.

Maximilian Krug sells Nordmann firs and other types of trees on the banks of the River Main in Frankfurt, near the city's biggest Christmas market. Krug said he's absorbing the higher costs to retain customers.

``If my customers saw prices go up, they just wouldn't buy my trees,'' he said. ``The difference will come out of my end.''

Back in Denmark, Holm is looking forward to his trip to Scotland.

``There used to be a time when the Christmas tree trade was an extremely good business,'' he said. ``It now looks like we're moving into a good stretch again.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Tasneem Brogger in Copenhagen at [e-mail] .

Last Updated: December 13, 2007 22:07 EST

[ariane] 13/12/2007 11:55

Stora Enso Oyj Stora Enso to invest 7.8 mln eur in wood components linesUPDATE
Date : 13/12/2007 @ 11:47
Source : TFN


Stora Enso Oyj Stora Enso to invest 7.8 mln eur in wood components linesUPDATE




(Updates with details on sawmills)
HELSINKI (Thomson Financial) - Stora Enso will spend 7.8 mln eur on window
and door components production lines at two sawmills in Sweden and Finland,
financial daily Kauppalehti said on its website.
The new lines in Ala, Sweden, and Honkalahti, Finland, will produce finished
wood components for the building and woodcraft industries, the paper said.
The Swedish sawmill produces 380,000 metric tones of sawn wood a year, while
the Finnish plant, in the south-eastern part of the country, has an annual
capacity of 350,000 tonnes.

[e-mail]
afs/ak/afs/wj

[ariane] 10/12/2007 08:45

Phaunos Timber Fund Phaunos Timber to invest 9 mln usd on wood pellet plant in Serbia




LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Phaunos Timber Fund Ltd said it will invest 9
mln usd for a wood pellet processing plant in Serbia providing the company with
access to further timberland investment opportunities in Serbia and Eastern
Europe.
The company said the plant will use waste wood fibre to create high density
wood pellets that provide a highly efficient alternative fuel for home,
institutional and industrial heating applications.


[e-mail]
ukn/ejb

[praipus] 13/11/2007 11:26

Anyone else following FNT (forestry management division) or CRPR (paper finishing)?

[praipus] 13/11/2007 11:23

Waldron, thanks for keeping the BB informed of tree/forestry related news. I've recently bought a few FNT (forestry management division)who are now subject to takeover scrutiny and CRPR (paper and finishing) who seem significantly undervalued.

[waldron] 13/11/2007 07:45

Russian Timber Group postpones IPO due to market conditions
Date : 13/11/2007 @ 07:35
Source : TFN


Russian Timber Group postpones IPO due to market conditions




LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Russian Timber Group Ltd said it has decided to
postpone its initial public offer on the Alternative Investment Market due to a
"difficult investment climate".
However, Russian Timber, the second-largest timber harvesting business in
Russia, has "excellent prospects" and the decision to postpone the listing
"...will not stop us from implementing our strategic growth plans", said company
chief executive Leo Hambro.
Last month, the company set the price for the planned IPO at 90-110 pence
per share.
[e-mail]
faj/slj

[waldron] 09/11/2007 15:54

Growers tout Christmas trees
Date : 09/11/2007 @ 15:51
Source : TFN


Growers tout Christmas trees




PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon tree growers want Californians to dream of a
green Christmas.
Oregon leads the nation in Christmas tree production. About half of those
trees are sold each to year in California.
But sales growth in the Golden State has slowed, rising only 1 percent in
the past two years, according to the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Growers
Association.
Consumers seem to be buying more artificial trees. So the Oregon Department
of Agriculture and growers are urging California residents to "Get Real This
Christmas" and buy a fresh tree.
The public relations effort focuses on creating the eco-buzz that a fresh
Christmas tree is renewable and recyclable. Many of the trees do have to be
shipped great distances, though, which has its own eco-downside.
The campaign taps into concern about artificial trees. The U.S. Department
of Commerce found that China exported more than 10 million artificial trees in
2006.
Given public concern about unsafe Chinese products, growers are pushing the
idea that a fresh cut tree is a safe, domestic, high-quality product.
"We're not out to smear artificial trees," said Bryan Ostlund, executive
director of the tree growers association. "We're out to talk about the benefits
of our trees."
Harvest and shipping is under way for some growers, particularly those
sending trees great distances. And artificial Christmas trees are already in
stores.
The Oregon growers are not alone. The National Christmas Tree Association
has for several years pushed its campaign of "Nothing Says Christmas More Than a
Real Tree."
This year it is trying to get people to post videos to YouTube.com
explaining why a real tree is best as part of the "Get Real This Christmas"
campaign.
Part of the growers' problem may be cost: A 7-foot Noble fir that would cost
$40 in Oregon could go for $130 or more in Los Angeles. Other consumers may
prefer less mess and fuss and opt for artificial trees.
But Oregon officials say there have been advances in tree-growing, such as
creating trees that shed fewer needles.
"The trees sold today are a lot better than the ones sold 15 to 20 years
ago," said Gary McAninich, supervisor of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's
Nursery and Christmas Tree Program.
Oregon is expected to harvest up to 8 million Christmas trees this year.

[waldron] 08/11/2007 12:24

November 8, 2007 - 12:20 PM
Forests seen as vital to quality of life

Image caption: A third of Switzerland's territory is covered in trees (imagepoint)

A ministerial conference on forest protection has ended with a call for sustainable management of Europe's woods, and increased use of forests in energy production.
Switzerland, a third of which is covered in forest, was one of 46 European countries at the three-day "Forests for quality of life" conference, held in the Polish capital, Warsaw.


A final declaration on Wednesday stressed the importance of forests in maintaining and enhancing water quality and in mitigating natural hazards.



Two resolutions called for the enhanced use of wood in energy production, and the restoration of degraded forests to help reduce floods and protect the soil.



"We are satisfied with the results because also for Switzerland the forests are a key factor for sustainable development," Andreas Götz, vice-director of the Federal Environment Office, told swissinfo.



"Forests are an excellent mitigation for natural hazards, and forests play a role in biodiversity, and not least in the economy."


Warsaw Declaration

Ministers responsible for forests, EU representatives and delegates from observer countries and international organisations all took part in discussing the priorities of forest policy in Europe.



"Its important to exchange experiences in forest management," Götz said. "We see that we have similar problems to [those of] other countries."



In the main document of the conference, the Warsaw Declaration, countries commit themselves to common activities towards further implementation of sustainable forest management.



The declaration presents a meaningful role for forests in improving the living standards on the planet and a long-term vision of the future of forests in Europe.



Given the inevitable consequences of climate change, the ministers also adopted two resolutions.



The first, "Forests, wood and energy", obliges states to increase the role of the forest sector in energy production, and the use of forest biomass for renewable energy and for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It also obliges them to enhance public and private partnerships between forest owners, the wood industry and energy producers.



The second resolution, "Forest and water", draws attention to water resources and stresses the role of forests in protecting the quality and quantity of water, preventing floods, mitigating the effects of drought and counteracting soil erosion.



"The next step is to put these resolutions into practice because... we need action. Only if we have action can we change and develop the sustainable management of forestry," said Götz.



swissinfo




KEY FACTS

73% of Swiss forests are publicly owned; the remaining 27% is in the hands of 250,000 private owners.
A third of the country is covered in trees. In some areas, such as the Jura region, this goes up to 40%.
The forestry industry is worth SFr7 billion ($6.2 billion) and employs more than 70,000 people.

LINKS

Federal Environment Office – forests (
5th Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


URL of this story:

[waldron] 08/11/2007 08:33

Asian Bamboo sets IPO price range at 13.50-17.00 eur/shr
Date : 08/11/2007 @ 08:30
Source : TFN


Asian Bamboo sets IPO price range at 13.50-17.00 eur/shr




HAMBURG (Thomson Financial) - Asian Bamboo AG said it set the price range
for its planned initial public offering at 13.50-17.00 eur.
The subscription period, during which the company is offering up to 5.587
mln shares, starts today and ends on Nov 14.
The IPO will generate up to 95 mln eur, of which up to 80 mln eur will go to
the company, less than previously announced plans to raise up to 100 mln eur.
The company sells bamboo for furniture, construction and other industries.
[e-mail]
zb/mas/lam

[waldron] 07/11/2007 13:54

Chopsticks bra unveiled

A 'chopsticks bra' has been unveiled in Japan for busy women looking to stash their eating utensils whilst on the go.



Bra maker Triumph International is pushing the green message with a bra it hopes will cut down on disposable chopsticks.

The 'My Hashi Bra' (or My Chopstick Bra) comes with collapsible chopsticks stashed inside the body of the brassiere.

According to the company they are compact and form part of the bra's frame.

Triumph spokesperson Hiromi Shinta said: "Its small step, but because many Japanese chopsticks are disposable, big chunks of forests are being cut down. So we thought we could help promote the use of 'My Chopsticks' and help cut down on disposable chopsticks."

Chopsticks were first used in China nearly 4,000 years ago and first went disposable in Japan about 130 years ago.

People in Japan throw away an estimated 25 billion pairs of wooden chopsticks every year, although many of these are made from recycled wood chips.

[bamboo2] 03/11/2007 15:23

Due to the lack of action with any further aquisitions since july i've sold up. Just about break-even.

[grupo guitarlumber] 03/11/2007 12:44

October 29, 2007 06:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Kurawood Launches Hardwood Alternative
at Interbuild 2007
Flooring, Stairs, Furniture And Mouldings
Crafted Exclusively From Organically Modified Softwood To Match
Hardwood For Beauty And Performance


Interbuild 2007
Stand G105, NEC Hall 5
BIRMINGHAM, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kurawood plc, is launching a range of wood products crafted from VECOwood®, the world's only softwood that has been organically modified to match the beauty and performance of hardwood. The announcement was made today on Stand G105, NEC Hall 5, at Interbuild 2007, the UK's building trade show.

VECOwood® is created by impregnating timber with a simple organic, proprietary non-toxic formulation that, once cured inside the timber, adds colour and strength all the way through to deliver performance usually associated only with hardwood timber.

"Builders have always favoured hardwoods such as oak and mahogany because of their durability and natural beauty. But this demand has had a devastating effect on tropical forests," said Roy Tilleard, chairman of Kurawood, plc. "Now we are offering a real alternative that gives all the benefits of hardwood without plundering the environment."

Only sustainable fast-growing plantation timber is used to make VECOwood® meaning that there is an almost endless supply of premium timber to craft Kurawood products. VECOwood® can be created from a number of timber species and only sawn and graded timber is used. The formulation used to create VECOwood® is based on simple organic compounds which have none of the harsh side effects of many timber treatments.

In addition, VECOwood®'s manufacturing methodology means that Kurawood products have:

1. a distinctive knot-free finish

2. unparalleled consistency in weight and colour

3. superior performance to many traditional species, so you get cherry with the strength of oak

4. improved dimensional stability due to moisture resistance, and

5. superior finish due to improved ability to glue, machine and coat the wood.

The VECOwood® process consists of a non-toxic water-based and water thin formulation which is impregnated into the timber. The VECOwood® formulation, consisting of a natural vegetable oil and resin together with other modifiers and polymerising agents, forms a rigid, insoluble polymer within the wood cells which mimic and enhance the properties of the source timber.

The impregnated timber is then kiln dried at specific rates for the VECOwood® formulation to cure. As a result, a number of physical and aesthetic properties of the wood are improved as the formulation reacts with the timber chemically. These include dimensional stability, hardness, strength and machineability among other benefits.

Notes to editors:

VECOwood® is exclusively available from Kurawood PLC, the AIM listed wood modification specialists that acquired the VECOwood® technology in September 2007.


Contacts
Media Contact:
Strive Public Relations Limited for Kurawood plc
Sherrilynne Starkie, [phone]
www.strivepr.com
or
Sales Contact:
Kurawood plc
Kevin Fraser, Sales & Marketing Director
[phone]
[e-mail]
www.kurawood.com

[grupo guitarlumber] 03/11/2007 12:44

would you say a timber transporting company was
into Logistics?

[wild bill] 01/11/2007 12:39

chuck another log on the fire

[grupo guitarlumber] 31/10/2007 08:28

Russian Timber Group sets IPO price range 90-110p/share for AIM listing
Date : 31/10/2007 @ 08:02
Source : TFN


Russian Timber Group sets IPO price range 90-110p/share for AIM listing




LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Russian Timber Group Ltd has set the price for
its proposed initial public offering on AIM at 90-110 pence per share.
The total offer size is up to 125 mln stg, implying a market capitalisation
of about 370 mln stg at the midpoint of the offer price range before any
exercise of the over-allotment option, the company said in a statement.
On Oct 19, Russian Timber Group said it is proposing to raise 100 mln stg
via an initial public offering to institutional investors ahead of a listing on
AIM.



[e-mail]
kkb/ajb

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/10/2007 17:23

October 29, 2007 - 10:43 AM
Wood could be the fuel of the future

Image caption: Timber is readily available in Switzerland (Keystone)

With the prospect of oil running out some time in the foreseeable future, Swiss researchers are looking for ways of keeping our cars running and our homes warm.
They have turned their attention to a familiar ally and one of Switzerland's few plentiful renewable resources – wood.


When Hurricane Lothar wreaked havoc across western Europe on December 26, 1999, Switzerland was not spared. The damage caused by the storm's ferocious winds on the country's forests was so bad that it could be detected from space.



With so many trees felled, there was a glut of wood on the European market and prices dropped. Nearly eight years later, the situation has entirely changed.



The market has become so tight in countries including France that firewood is being imported from as far away as the Baltic states. Homeowners are turning to newer and more efficient wood-burning stoves to heat their homes, moving away from oil-based furnaces as the cost of petrol continues to rise.



Last year, a total of 5.7 million cubic metres of wood was collected in Switzerland, up eight per cent over 2006, according to the Federal Environment Office. The increase for heating wood – around a quarter of the harvest - was even higher at 13 per cent.



But while providing an interesting alternative to oil, it is not the most environmentally friendly solution, creating additional air pollution if there is no filter system.


Biomass gas

A far more efficient and cleaner process is being developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), transforming wood into fuel that can be used either for heating or to generate electricity.



The process is not really new. For more than a century, chemists have known how to transform so-called biomass into gas. Perhaps one of the most enduring images of this technology is cars powered by wood gas during the Second World War.



But a looming oil crunch has made it attractive once again.



"Petrol will eventually run out, while biomass will still be around," said Serge Biollaz, a researcher at PSI.



Biomass is usually defined as biological material, usually plants that can be used for fuel and industrial production, but sometimes it is also manure. It is usually considered to be carbon neutral, though this is not always the case, for example when deforestation occurs.



"Biomass is one solution, but it won't solve all energy problems," admits Biollaz. "It is interesting because you can convert it into a known commodity - natural gas, liquid fuel or electricity."



In his laboratory at PSI, Biollaz is looking at how he can make the conversion process more efficient. Because while the facts are known, nothing comes easy: you cannot simply burn a few logs to extract some fuel.



"We have to convert the solid into a gas, then we have to clean the gas in such a way that it meets the requirements of the converter system," he told swissinfo.



The task at hand is not just to extract the most gas possible from the biomass source, but also to scrub it up so that residues such as tar do not clog up the system or pollute the air.


Competitive?

Here in the laboratory, wood pellets are burnt in a chamber at high temperatures with little air, partial combustion producing the gas. This is then fed through a catalytic converter like those found on cars. If it is clean enough, it can then be used to drive a fuel cell.



So if it works, can this maze of pipes and meters be implemented on a larger scale? The jury is still out, although Biollaz believes it could compete with petrol and natural gas cost-wise.



In Switzerland, though, he says biomass is just one option among many when it comes to covering future energy needs. Whether it is worth the effort still has to be determined, but it is an attractive proposition depending on where it is used.



"Some people say we would be better off just taking the wood and producing heat from it. [But] biomass is a resource that is abundantly available. Twenty to 30 per cent of our prime electricity needs could be covered by it," he added.



swissinfo, Scott Capper in Villigen



BIOMASS

Biomass is part of the so-called carbon cycle.



Carbon from the atmosphere is converted into biological matter by photosynthesis. When it decays or is burnt, the carbon goes back into the atmosphere or soil.



This takes place over a fairly short period of time and plant matter used as a fuel can be constantly replaced by new growth.



Although fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are excluded from the usual definition because they contain carbon that was taken "out" of the carbon cycle.


PSI

The Paul Scherrer Institute is a research centre for natural sciences and technology.



In collaboration with universities, other research institutes and industry, PSI is active in solid state physics, materials sciences, elementary particle physics, life sciences, nuclear and non-nuclear energy research, and energy-related ecology.



It is the largest national research institute with about 1,200 members of staff, and is the only one of its kind in Switzerland.



LINKS

Paul Scherrer Institute ( )
Biomass gasification ( )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


URL of this story:

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/10/2007 17:23

October 29, 2007 - 10:43 AM
Wood could be the fuel of the future

Image caption: Timber is readily available in Switzerland (Keystone)

With the prospect of oil running out some time in the foreseeable future, Swiss researchers are looking for ways of keeping our cars running and our homes warm.
They have turned their attention to a familiar ally and one of Switzerland's few plentiful renewable resources – wood.


When Hurricane Lothar wreaked havoc across western Europe on December 26, 1999, Switzerland was not spared. The damage caused by the storm's ferocious winds on the country's forests was so bad that it could be detected from space.



With so many trees felled, there was a glut of wood on the European market and prices dropped. Nearly eight years later, the situation has entirely changed.



The market has become so tight in countries including France that firewood is being imported from as far away as the Baltic states. Homeowners are turning to newer and more efficient wood-burning stoves to heat their homes, moving away from oil-based furnaces as the cost of petrol continues to rise.



Last year, a total of 5.7 million cubic metres of wood was collected in Switzerland, up eight per cent over 2006, according to the Federal Environment Office. The increase for heating wood – around a quarter of the harvest - was even higher at 13 per cent.



But while providing an interesting alternative to oil, it is not the most environmentally friendly solution, creating additional air pollution if there is no filter system.


Biomass gas

A far more efficient and cleaner process is being developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), transforming wood into fuel that can be used either for heating or to generate electricity.



The process is not really new. For more than a century, chemists have known how to transform so-called biomass into gas. Perhaps one of the most enduring images of this technology is cars powered by wood gas during the Second World War.



But a looming oil crunch has made it attractive once again.



"Petrol will eventually run out, while biomass will still be around," said Serge Biollaz, a researcher at PSI.



Biomass is usually defined as biological material, usually plants that can be used for fuel and industrial production, but sometimes it is also manure. It is usually considered to be carbon neutral, though this is not always the case, for example when deforestation occurs.



"Biomass is one solution, but it won't solve all energy problems," admits Biollaz. "It is interesting because you can convert it into a known commodity - natural gas, liquid fuel or electricity."



In his laboratory at PSI, Biollaz is looking at how he can make the conversion process more efficient. Because while the facts are known, nothing comes easy: you cannot simply burn a few logs to extract some fuel.



"We have to convert the solid into a gas, then we have to clean the gas in such a way that it meets the requirements of the converter system," he told swissinfo.



The task at hand is not just to extract the most gas possible from the biomass source, but also to scrub it up so that residues such as tar do not clog up the system or pollute the air.


Competitive?

Here in the laboratory, wood pellets are burnt in a chamber at high temperatures with little air, partial combustion producing the gas. This is then fed through a catalytic converter like those found on cars. If it is clean enough, it can then be used to drive a fuel cell.



So if it works, can this maze of pipes and meters be implemented on a larger scale? The jury is still out, although Biollaz believes it could compete with petrol and natural gas cost-wise.



In Switzerland, though, he says biomass is just one option among many when it comes to covering future energy needs. Whether it is worth the effort still has to be determined, but it is an attractive proposition depending on where it is used.



"Some people say we would be better off just taking the wood and producing heat from it. [But] biomass is a resource that is abundantly available. Twenty to 30 per cent of our prime electricity needs could be covered by it," he added.



swissinfo, Scott Capper in Villigen



BIOMASS

Biomass is part of the so-called carbon cycle.



Carbon from the atmosphere is converted into biological matter by photosynthesis. When it decays or is burnt, the carbon goes back into the atmosphere or soil.



This takes place over a fairly short period of time and plant matter used as a fuel can be constantly replaced by new growth.



Although fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are excluded from the usual definition because they contain carbon that was taken "out" of the carbon cycle.


PSI

The Paul Scherrer Institute is a research centre for natural sciences and technology.



In collaboration with universities, other research institutes and industry, PSI is active in solid state physics, materials sciences, elementary particle physics, life sciences, nuclear and non-nuclear energy research, and energy-related ecology.



It is the largest national research institute with about 1,200 members of staff, and is the only one of its kind in Switzerland.



LINKS

Paul Scherrer Institute ( )
Biomass gasification ( )

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[ptolemy] 26/10/2007 07:15

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If you want to look at an alternative quote tree co, look at Phaunos Timber Fund. I hold a small amount of both and will look to increase when price falls relative to NAV.