Shipping of Irish storm-damaged wood has begun

The initial estimates of around 4 million m³ of storm-damaged wood on “at least 5,000 hectares”, which were made a few weeks after the damage event, have since been significantly revised upwards. As of early May, an estimated 11 million m³ of storm-damaged wood have accumulated in the Republic of Ireland alone. Some estimates even project a volume of 14 million m³. Based on satellite data, the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) estimated the affected area at 26,050 hectares at the end of April. Of this total area, approximately 14,500 hectares are owned by the Coillte Semi-State Forestry Company, and 11,500 hectares are owned by private forests.

More spruce than expected

Bulk and container shipments primarily involve Sitka spruce, but smaller volumes of spruce (Picea abies) are also shipped. The share of spruce appears to be higher than initially assumed. The two storms also caused windthrows of Douglas fir and pine. Nevertheless, the share of hardwood in storm-damaged wood is seen as negligible.

Vessels headed for Central European destinations were mainly loaded with sawlogs. Some sawmills in central and southern Germany and Austria have also been exploring supply options. However, due to the high costs, all receiving sawmills are currently located either directly in the port or at least very close to the coast. Exports to Scandinavia, Belgium, and Great Britain also included industrial log wood.

Only small bulk carriers can be used

Companies which have already dispatched ships or containers include Fornello, Pori/FI, which merged with Estonian company JJK Forest in 2024 and founded LJR Forestry in Ireland after the storms. According to managing director Jeff Cohen, four ships, each carrying approximately 1,500 to 2,000 t of logs, departed in April. Four ships are scheduled to follow this month, and six in June. Fornello/JJK Forest has the cut timber, pallet wood, and industrial wood transported to production sites in Germany, Belgium, France, Sweden, and Italy. According to Cohen, Fornello/JJK has also already secured transshipment capacity in Central European ports to transport the logs further south, also by inland waterway vessels on the Rhine.

Together with the forest owners’ association North East Forestry Group, Euroforest Ireland has also already loaded ships with logs. Inquiries regarding the volumes to be shipped have so far remained unanswered, though.

Since the beginning of April, the Swedish company Västkustens Skog, Gothenburg/SE, has been transporting sawlogs to Germany, the Baltic states, and Denmark on five bulk vessels. The vessels which departed so far each had a load of approximately 6,000 m³. Managing partner Morten Jensen plans to load a similar number of carriers with sawlogs in the coming months. In early May, Västkustens Skog also dispatched the first containers for export to China. Starting in June, Graf Rantzau Holz, Rosdorf/DE, plans to begin shipping sawlogs and industrial timber to timber processing companies located along the Central European coasts. According to managing director Benjamin Mellin, his company has been working with partners for a few days now, processing windthrown trees in Ireland. Like Cohen and Jensen, Mellin also expects prices for standing trees to fall in the coming weeks due to the threat of devaluation caused by fungi, longhorn beetles, and blue stain. As a result of the falling purchase prices, the transport of storm-damaged wood to sawmills located further away from the coast will ultimately become possible.

Inspection tours in May

Over the course of May, several other forestry and self-harvesting companies from Germany, Austria, and the Baltic states plan to travel to Ireland to explore the possibilities for service contracts and the purchase of standing trees. In market conversations, representatives of those companies point out that prices for standing trees are still too high in their opinion. They also highlight that processing permits for private forests often need to be issued yet, and that shipping costs are very high. For example, the ports, which are conveniently located near the affected areas, are highly dependent on the tides, meaning ships cannot arrive and depart at any time.

On the island of Ireland, loading ports have so far included Limerick and Sligo on the west coast. On the east coast, logs have been loaded at the port of Dundalk between Dublin and Belfast in Northern Ireland in recent weeks. The port of Londonderry is also being considered for storm-damaged wood in Northern Ireland.

It is still very difficult for forestry contractors from mainland Europe to bring their own forestry machinery and log trucks to Ireland, as the vehicles have to undergo quarantine measures. Also, a cabotage ban still applies to truck transport within Ireland.

Shortage of trucks and drivers

According to Irish associations, enough harvesters and forwarders are available for the processing of storm-damaged wood in Ireland at the beginning of May. However, there is a shortage of log trucks and drivers. To address these logistical problems, truck drivers are to be recruited from abroad. Since there is left-hand traffic in Ireland, talks are underway with companies in Great Britain and South Africa.

The processing of storm-damaged wood is progressing at a very slow pace, especially in privately owned forests. These private forests are often part of farms which have taken advantage of set-aside and reforestation subsidies in recent decades, starting in 1985. Since then, many of the forested areas have not been developed, nor have any maintenance or thinning measures been carried out.

Deliveries for the Irish timber industry

As one of the few foreign forestry companies, Tyrolean firm Pirchmoser Timberwoods, Sellrain, has been operating in Ireland since March. As a first step, Josef Pirchmoser has signed a framework agreement with Coillte for the processing of approximately 600,000 m³ of storm-damaged wood. In addition, there are service and self-harvesting contracts on a somewhat smaller scale in private forests. For this purpose, Pirchmoser has been using eight harvesters and forwarders each since April, using both his own equipment and that of local forestry contractors. Until further notice, the processed storm-damaged wood will be delivered to the Irish sawmill industry, as well as to the MDF plant in Clonmel/IE, and the OSB production facility in Waterford/IE, both of which are owned by Coillte.