A wood-fired nightmare

Will Mooney

A closer look at the Southwood project reveals Forestry Tasmania’s real agenda. As the organisation’s own figures explain, up to 300,000 tonnes of wood could be burnt in the forest furnace each year. This amounts to more wood than will be used in the Southwood Veneer Mill and Sawmill combined. That’s a lot of “waste”! As mainland activists fighting similar developments have discovered, the argument for “waste reduction” is a thinly disguised ploy to find new markets for woodchips. In New South Wales, residents fighting a charcoal factory, ostensibly fueled by ‘waste’ wood, found that whole logs were to be chipped and delivered to the plant. Just as the woodchip industry was established, using the ruse of “waste reduction”, so wood-fired power will end up consuming huge volumes of timber, not just the “waste” from the forest floor.

AS DEBATE rages about the future of energy production in Australia, a nightmare scenario is looming for the Huon Valley, in Southern Tasmania, as Forestry Tasmania pushes ahead with plans for a wood-fired power station at Southwood.

First mooted in 1998 the Southwood forest furnace project sparked public outrage amongst the Huon community. Forestry Tasmania plans to construct a 30mw power station fueled by “residue” from the Huon’s high conservation-value forests. In theory, “waste” wood left over from the logging of native forest will be burnt in a furnace to generate power for the Southwood complex. Power will also be exported via Basslink to Victoria.

Forestry Tasmania and woodchip lobbyists claim that wood-fired power is a “clean and green” solution to the use of fossil fuels and the dilemma of global climate change. Claiming that they will clean up the “waste” left after logging they mount a misleading argument designed to distract residents and energy consumers from the ugly reality of wood-fired power.

A ‘wasteful’ approach

A closer look at the Southwood project reveals Forestry Tasmania’s real agenda. As the organisation’s own figures explain, up to 300,000 tonnes of wood could be burnt in the forest furnace each year. This amounts to more wood than will be used in the Southwood Veneer Mill and Sawmill combined. That’s a lot of “waste”! As mainland activists fighting similar developments have discovered, the argument for “waste reduction” is a thinly disguised ploy to find new markets for woodchips. In New South Wales, residents fighting a charcoal factory, ostensibly fueled by ‘waste’ wood, found that whole logs were to be chipped and delivered to the plant. Just as the woodchip industry was established, using the ruse of “waste reduction”, so wood-fired power will end up consuming huge volumes of timber, not just the “waste” from the forest floor.

But even the use of “waste” wood left on the forest floor is fraught with problems. As Forestry Tasmania’s own research confirms, the collection of Coarse Woody Debris from the forest floor is likely to lead to severe impacts on biodiversity and even landscape-level extinction of certain species. Furthermore, the removal of biomass from the forest floor amounts to a direct export of nutrients contributing to declining productivity and soil health.

The Greenhouse Neutral lie

Forestry Tasmania and biomass power lobbyists claim that the burning of native forests for power is “greenhouse neutral.” Because the forest grows back and re-stores the carbon released through burning, they claim, wood fired power leads to no net increase in greenhouse gases. However, when we factor in the carbon dioxide emissions from machinery used to access, log and replant the forest, as well as the emissions from trucks used to transport the wood, the equation is clearly not neutral. Furthermore, we must consider the time it takes for a newly established forests or plantation to consume all of the carbon released from logging and burning a 300 year old forest ecosystem. When we face imminent threats from climate change, can we afford to be releasing carbon that may not be re-captured for decades?

When we consider the full story, it becomes clear that the wood-fired power agenda is part of a push to continue the low value, high volume approach to Tasmanian forestry by finding new ways to process and market woodchips. By converting woodchips into energy, Forestry Tasmania and its associates, can continue to sell their core product while reducing transport costs and circumventing the market difficulties affecting Tasmanian woodchip exports.

Where is it at?

While the full development of the Southwood site has not followed Forestry Tasmania’s expected timeline, there is no time for complacency. The site, which is situated near the confluence of the Huon and Weld rivers west of Lonnovale, is rapidly developing. The announcement of a wood supply deal between Forestry Tasmania and Malaysian timber giant Ta Ann holdings for the development of a Veneer Mill at the Southwood site has reignited fears about wood-fired power.

Ta Ann is already constructing biomass power plants at its Malaysian Mills. An American company, NPP Projects, also appears to be involved in plans for a power station at Southwood . At present, an application to generate Renewable Energy Certificates from the Southwood power station (under the business name NP Biomass) is pending approval. While burning native forests for power generation has been ruled out in most mainland states, the public outrage voiced during initial planning for the project has not halted development.

Where to from here?

As energy consumers we need to reject woodfired power. None of us want to contribute to the destruction of high-conservation value forests every time we make a cup of tea or turn on a light. It is up to consumers to stop this destructive and unsustainable practice. The Huon Valley Environment Centre will stay on top of developments and update members whenever possible.

In the meantime, we cannot afford to let this atrocity slip through without a fight. Please make your opinion heard and consider writing to Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell to express your concern that the Southwood power station is being considred for Renewable Energy Certificates. Or write to Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon, Forestry Tasmania, Hydro Tasmania, local papers as well as mainland papers such as The Age. Combined public pressure has stopped woodfired power developments in Mainland states. It can work in Tasmania too.

Will Mooney
Huon Valley Environment Centre