New Zealand’s OneFortyOne Turning Huge Volumes of Unwanted Forestry Slash Into Biofuel

New Zealand forestry and timber company OneFortyOne is tackling the country’s nationwide problem of managing forestry slash waste by turning it into biofuel, according to an article by the company appearing in “Stuff” (3-31-23). The challenge became particularly acute after Cyclone Gabrielle’s devastating impact in February.

OneFourtyOne has invested almost $500,000 (AUD) into its binwood collection project, which salvages and stores larger pieces of slash, measuring over 600mm long and 100mm wide, that don’t meet the required log grades or dimensions for sawmills or pulp mills. Once dried and chipped, this binwood can be used as a cleaner energy source to help organizations move away from coal and fossil fuels.

The project aims to mitigate the environmental impact of slash, which can cause significant problems such as skid failures and damage in extreme weather events. By reducing the amount of slash on-site post-harvest, OneFortyOne aims to prevent erosion and maintain soil and slope stability, leaving enough biomass on slopes to provide nutrients for future planting.

According to the article, OneFortyOne has accumulated 15,000 tonnes of binwood since November 2021, enough to fill 405 logging trucks or cover two rugby pitches piled three metres high. The company is now looking to work with industries across the country to reduce the impact of slash and mitigate climate change by embracing biofuels that are less damaging to the environment.