A record total of 83.5 million m3 of forest was harvested in 2002 according to preliminary figures issued by Skogsstyrelsen (The National Board of Forestry). The figures are based on increased production in both the sawmill and pulp industries and on imports being on a level with 2001.

Furthermore, Swedish timber exports increased by 6% last year compared with 2001, according to Statistics Sweden, with pulp increasing rapidly in volume followed by wood and paper products which also increased significantly. Among those reporting improved profits for 2002 were Mellanskog, Södra and Sveaskog.

Weak currencies

However, the weakness of the pound and the dollar in recent months has hit the Swedish forest industry. Since 20% of Swedish timber exports go to the UK the drop in the value of the pound in the first few months of this year had a considerable effect. The dollar has weakened even more and this will inevitably affect profits if the situation continues.

The National Association of Swedish Wooden House Manufacturers reports a 17% increase in orders received by its members last year and growth has continued this year. However, the number of total dwellings constructed is anticipated to be unchanged this year but may increase in 2004 according to Boverket (National Board of Housing, Building and Planning).

The general director of Nutek (the Swedish Business Development Agency), Per-Ola Eriksson has proposed that public buildings should be built of wood. “Even though we live in a forest rich part of the world this has become concrete’s promised land. But everything from nursing establishments to schools could be built in timber,” he said.

Also on the building front, Södra Building Systems and BPB Gyproc are working together to interest the construction industry in constructing timber frame multi-storey dwellings. The two companies signed an agreement in 2001 to co-operate and have recently brought out a manual on simple building techniques for higher timber frame buildings. Thoams Alsmark, professor for the science of building in timber at the University of Växjö, has welcomed the manual as he said that the construction industry is not used to dealing with wood in multi-storey structures.

Furthermore, an agreement has been signed between Alvsbyhus, one of Sweden’s biggest house manufacturers, and Sveaskog to establish a reserve of ready-to-harvest forest so that, depending on the timber that the Älvsbyhus sawmill requires, timber can be felled from precisely the right stand. “With this long-term planning the sawmill will be guaranteed access to timber for a long time in advance and Sveaskog knows that they have a customer who will buy the timber,” explains Björn Åström, unit manger for Sveaskog Timber North.

&#8220Even though we live in a forest rich part of the world this has become concrete’s promised land”

New ecoparks

Sveaskog is to build around 20 ecoparks in Sweden with the first one at Omberg being inaugurated on May 15. The ecoparks will normally cover areas of between 5,000-10,000ha but Omberg, with 1,700 acres, will be one of the smallest. “Ecoparks will be our ecological flagship and be established in the most valuable forest landscapes that the state owns,” said Stefan Bleckert, nature conservation manager for Sveaskog.

Recent developments in electricity supply have been of major importance to the Swedish forest industry. The Swedish Forest Industries Federation has long campaigned for maintaining a cheap and well-planned electricity system, pointing out that the future well-being of the industry is dependent on it.

Swedish industry wants to keep nuclear power station but the government is committed to phasing them out. The plant owners are willing to co-operate but they want a long and stable phasing out period and a removal of the special nuclear power tax.

The Swedish National Energy Administration has raised SKr2.65m in support of a project that aims to save energy in Swedish sawmills. The project named Flis will be carried out by Svenska Trävaruproductenter AB in conjunction with the University of Växjö. Swedish sawmills use 6TWh of energy annually, of which 1.5 TWh is electricity. The potential energy saving to be obtained by optimising process control and planning is estimated to be up to 25%, which could be achieved within a 10-year period.

Unusual hardwoods

A project to encourage the furniture industry to use unusual hardwoods – and more of the log – is under way. Mountain ash, alder, ash, aspen and sallow can be used and furniture designers are working on designs where the red heartwood and knots provide a new appearance for furniture.