Metsä Group produces and sells products that solve global challenges related to climate change by storing carbon and replacing products made of fossil raw materials. The company’s mills are committed to using only renewable fuels and raw materials by the end of 2030.
When the carbon dioxide emissions from production decrease, the emissions from wood supply across the production chain take on a bigger role.
“It’s important to consider ways to free us from fossil fuels and the resulting carbon dioxide emissions in wood supply,” says Juho Rantala, Metsä Group’s SVP, Development.
Metsä Group calculates that around half the fossil carbon dioxide emissions from wood supply originate in harvesting, and the other half in transport. Emissions per cubic metre of wood are on average 10 kilograms, which is equivalent to around 80 kilometres in a passenger car. The goal is that by 2030 the emissions per cubic metre of wood procured will have been reduced by 30 per cent from current levels.
“In the next few years, further solutions for reducing emissions are expected to be seen in wood transports, so we’re now focusing on reducing their emissions,” Rantala says.
Metsä Group has already reduced carbon dioxide emissions from wood supply by increasing its rail transports. Since the deployment of the new Kemi bioproduct mill, the share of electric rail transports especially has increased significantly. Thanks to this, the emissions from wood transports will decline by around 20 per cent per cubic metre.
Electric and biogas lorries to enter the market
In the long term, the use of electric and biogas lorries will be an efficient way to reduce fossil carbon dioxide emissions from wood transports. Electric and gas-fuelled cars have already broken through in passenger traffic, but so far they have only been tested in wood transport because of their poor availability.
“The availability of biogas vehicles suitable for wood transports has improved, and the markets now offer a fleet with an output similar to that of diesel vehicles. Biogas vehicles for the transport of both roundwood and by-products such as chips and bark will be introduced in early 2024,” says Janne Soimasuo, Development Manager at Metsä Group.
The first electric lorry models that are sturdy enough for wood transport will also enter the market.
“In the first stage, electric lorries could be used for terminal and local transports. In these, loading and unloading play an important role, so it doesn’t matter if the load is smaller. In terminal transports, the crane does not reduce the vehicle’s capacity, and there are plenty of charging spots,” Soimasuo says.
At the Kemi bioproduct mill, Metsä Group is testing the all-year use of electric wood transport lorries and charging infrastructure between the mill and the wood terminals.
“We can use our experiences of test use to expand electric solutions to roundwood and by-product transports at our other production units,” Soimasuo explains.
In addition to availability, the use of biogas and electric lorries is limited by the refuelling and charging network, which Soimasuo says must be developed before they can be mainstreamed.
Emissions reductions also sought from more efficient operations
In addition to adopting new methods, fossil carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by making operations more efficient in wood transports and harvesting. This calls for even better optimisation of operations.
“In transport, each additional kilometre increases emissions, so the goal is to reduce the average distance of transports operated with fossil fuels,” Soimasuo says.
In harvesting, machines are used in a chain, and unnecessary transfers are avoided. The structure of felling sites also plays a role.
“The larger and more robust the felling site, the smaller the emissions,” Soimasuo says.
This text was published in Metsä Group’s Viesti 4/2023.
Text Laura Lenkkeri
Photo Metsä Group