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TTJ Softwood Update: Nordic log shortages noticeable for whitewood
The softwood trade is moving towards a supply-driven market and shippers’ inventories and log stocks are now more in sync with current demand, TTJ’s Softwood Specialist has reported. The latest TTJ Softwood Update, issued digitally in March, says in the Nordic countries, there are very noticeable shortages in whitewood, particularly in southern Sweden where a level of overcutting last year would need redress. Harvesting is now being managed more closely to compensate for the previous period of over-supply, but now numerous mills are short of sawlogs to run their normal weekly shifts. This situation has been accentuated by wet weather conditions in the forests, leaving the
ground too soft for extraction machinery. German mills are also short of logs, and most storm-damaged material is said to have been processed out of the system. In the Baltic States, the most recent Latvian log auctions were held at the end of February and prices rose noticeably pushing up the prices of processed timber for arrival in Q2.
The level of increase is still in the catch- up stage and there are a significant number of mills avoiding the UK C24 structural market as financial returns are not viable. With softwood shortages beginning to bite in the UK, importers are finding offers from the sawmills coming up short for their current enquiries.
Sighting whitewood as the biggest The Timber Group boosts mill output
problem, they are also witnessing gaps in redwood specifications as other markets are actively buying. As with whitewood, redwood prices are firming for Q2 shipments. Taking a current UK overview, softwood buyers continue to adopt a cautious approach, and remain sceptical that prices are fully recovering.
Until serious shortages are witnessed, merchants are most likely to lack the confidence to make a full commitment towards paying the replacement costs the producers need. To receive regular updates, sign up to a digital TTJ subscription - https://shorturl. at/dquU6 and quote the Code cont10ttj for a 10% discount.
A new timber production line at The Timber Group’s Herringswell site in Suffolk has enabled the company to produce a greater volume of products. The facility, featuring Weinig and Stenner machining technology, became operational in May 2023. Since then, the Timber Group says the Herringswell operation’s overall machined timber production capacity has grown significantly “allowing us to produce a greater volume of treated timber claddings, treated softwood decking, planed square edge timber, and mouldings”. The machining line 5 comprises the latest
Weinig moulder coupled with a Stenner twinline bandsaw infeed, capable of a running speed of up to 100m/min. On a single shift, existing lines 1 to 4 can produce on average 2,800m3 month or 32,000m3 on average 750m3
Above: Investments at Herringswell have boosted production output for The Timber Group TDUK releases carbon data
Timber Development UK (TDUK) has released average carbon data for the 10 major timber product categories. The data will support architects, engineers and other specifiers to make accurate assessments of the carbon impacts of their material choices as early in the design process as possible. TDUK’s new independently verified Embodied Carbon Data for Timber Products calculates weighted average A1-A4 embodied carbon data for common timber products such as softwood, engineered
timber, and panel products, including and excluding sequestered carbon. More than 80 EPDs were reviewed in this comprehensive new paper. A1-A4 data is provided for 10 major timber products which means the EPD Database can be used to calculate the carbon impact of more than 95% of timber consumed in the UK.
The A1-A3 data draws only from EPDs for products available in the UK, with the data weighted based on country of origin.
total capacity to around 41,000m3
CLC materials supply update
The Construction Leadership Council’s Material Supply Chain Group has issued a joint statement on construction material supply.
The update says building products continue to show good levels of availability and 2024 has brought early signs of construction activity improvement, although housebuilding is expected to be flat for most of the year. The weather is likely to have affected sales at merchants.
www.ttjonline.com | March/April 2024 | TTJ
of product per
per annum. Line 5 adds extra per month taking .
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