SCA Forest's innovation work is aimed at creating efficient and sustainable forestry. Innovative cooperation with diffrent partners contibutes to develop our forestry, wood handling and wood transports. A digitalized flow from forest to mill opens for an efficient flow and value-creating service offerings to forest owners.
Technical develop for a sustainable forestry
SCA's ambition is to be at the forefront when it comes to testing new technology to develop sustainable machine and driver solutions and to be involved in driving development towards fossile-free transports. In the autumn of 2021, we were able to present two world premieres, thanks to innovative collaborations with other companies: electric timber truck and remote-controlled High-lift wheel loader over 5G
Watch movies below!
SCA's and Scania's unique electric timber truck in operation
In another step towards a fossil-free society, SCA and Scania have together developed the first electric timber truck with a technical capability of up to 80 tonnes total weight. The electric truck is now in operation and is transportorting timber in the Swedish region of Västerbotten, between SCA’s terminal in Gimonäs and its papermill in Obbola outside Umeå.
The electric timber truck will be continuously studied by the research institute Skogforsk to collect relevant data that can form the basis for comparisons with conventional diesel-powered timber transports.
For SCA, electrifying road transport is an important part of work to reduce its environmental impact. Ever year, SCA transports about 8.5 million cubic metres of wood to industries.
”The cooperation with Scania is an important way for us to jointly find innovative solutions for sustainable transport. By running just one electric truck between Gimonäs and Obbola, we can reduce our carbon emissions by about 55,000 kg per year. We have come a long way in our industrial processes, which are already 96 percent fossil-free. We are very pleased that we together with Scania can break new ground to make the heaviest transports fossil-free," says Hans Djurberg, Head of Sustainability at SCA.”
Read mote about the elecrical timber truck here
Remote-controlled High-lift wheel loader over 5G
The global premier of a remote-controlled High-lift wheel loader over 5G in SCA's wood terminal at Torsboda, Timrå in November 2021, is an important step towards remote-controlled machines and safer timber handling. Behind the research project is Mid Sweden University, SCA, Volvo CE, Telia, Biometria and Skogforsk. We operate in an industry with large distances, which makes the technology with remote control extra interesting. Safer work environments for our staff are also important and part of our sustainability work.
Read more here about Remote Timber
Technical develop for a sustainable forestry
SCA and Scania first with electric timber truck
SCA and Scania are first to launch an electric timber truck. This film presents future possibilities and benefits with electrification of wood transports. Another step towards a fossil-free society. The truck will premiere in 2022 and run between SCA's terminal in Gimonäs and our liner paper mill in Obbola outside Umeå.
Remote-controlled High-lift wheel loader over 5G
The global premier of a remote-controlled High-lift wheel loader over 5G in SCA's wood terminal at Torsboda, Timrå in November 2021, is an important step towards remote-controlled machines and safer timber handling.
Centipede – for a more low-impact forestry
Swedish forestry is facing major challenges and the issue of sustainability is the focus of attention. For this reason, SCA, Södra, Sveaskog, Holmen, Norra Skog, Mellanskog, Stora Enso and BillerudKorsnäs, as well as the forest machinery manufacturer Komatsu Forest, have jointly developed a new forest machine for low-impact forestry.
With its innovative technology, the Centipede is designed to ensure the most sustainable possible management of forests. It has been developed to meet the challenges of forestry and offers three important benefits: Lower soil compaction, increased productivity, and better work environment.
With this newly developed technology, Centipede can be driven both on sites that are normally regarded as winter sites and on sites that are significantly impacted by precipitation. In addition to being able to satisfy timber supply throughout the year and thus provide better prerequisites for profitable harvesting operations, Centipede has a number of characteristics that will directly increase production.
Read more about the Centipede here
Watch the film about the Centipede
Skogsvinge™
The Skogsvinge™ tool offers all forest owners in northern Sweden access to a completely new perspective on their forest holding and unique opportunities to obtain detailed knowledge about their forest. Skogsvinge™ is a collective name for several different products that describe the forest and help in its management. The data is collected using airborne laser scanning. SCA has subsequently developed methods for producing high-precision forest inventory data based on this information.
Skogsvinge's products include Skogsvinge™ Forest Inventory Data [Skoglig data], which provides information on the forest's height, volume, ground area and diameter. Skogsvinge™ Thinning indicates where it is appropriate to thin the forest, and Skogsvinge™ Shadow Terrain Model shows a view under the vegetation, for example hidden obstacles and where weak sections and ditches are hidden. The combination of these products forms a solid basis for forestry planning, as good as if you had conducted an inventory of the entire property from the ground!
From the Skogsvinge app, you can also download your forestry plan so you have this with you when you visit your forest. Using the BankID security app, you can easily log into Skogsvinge.se and view your transactions, or sign contracts.
Contact Jonas Arvidsson, Marketing Manager, if you want to know more.
Hylosafe
Hylosafe is SCA's new long-lasting, environmentally sound protection against pine weevils, which is as effective as chemical agents. Hylosafe consists of a mixture of sand and binder, meaning substances that do not harm the environment. We treat the lower part of the plant with Hylosafe before delivery and ensure that at least 80% of the trunk's circumference is covered by the mixture. This offers the plant a high level of protection. Pine weevils dislike chewing on Hylosafe, and the plants are therefore left alone. The protection offered by Hylosafe can last for up to two seasons, which increases the chance that the forest owner's rejuvenation process succeeds, with plants that survive and grow to become new forest.