Evaluating Mill Risk when Analyzing Timber Markets and Wood Baskets

| no comments in Custom Market Forecast, Forest Operations, Forest Strategy, Pulp & Paper, Risk Management, Softwood Lumber, Timber Market Analysis, Timberlands, Wood Bioenergy, Wood Demand & Procurement

Recently, at the CANOPY forestland investment conference in Portland, I participated on a panel about pulpwood markets in the U.S. South. While the region enjoys abundant forest resources and dozens of new wood-using mills, it has also seen the closure more…

Wood Pellet Producer Operating Rates by Region Based on EIA Data

| no comments in Wood Bioenergy, Wood Demand & Procurement

U.S. wood pellet production facilities can be classified into two categories: “industrial grade,” which is mostly produced in the South and “domestic use grade,” which is primarily produced in the East and West. In addition to different end uses, the more…

The other pellet producers: North American domestic market

| comment (1) in Timber Market Analysis, Wood Bioenergy, Wood Demand & Procurement

According to Forisk North America Mill Database, the North American domestic pellet market, which includes grilling and home heating pellets, is approximately 5.7 million tons in size. The U.S. North accounts for the majority of North America’s capacity at 44%, more…

Russo-Ukrainian Conflict: An Update on Russian Pellet Flows and Spot Prices

| no comments in Forisk, Wood Bioenergy, Wood Demand & Procurement

Following the start of the conflict, many western countries and their allies imposed strict economic sanctions on Russia and many major European utilities halted biomass purchases from Russia, as discussed in the Q2 2022 FRQ. According to data from FutureMetrics, more…

Assessing Mill Health and Risk when Evaluating Timber Markets and Wood Baskets

| no comments in Risk Management, Timber Market Analysis, Timber Supply, Timberlands, Wood Bioenergy, Wood Demand & Procurement

When analyzing timber markets and wood baskets for forest industry, bioenergy, and timberland investments, a key topic is the “riskiness”, viability, and competitiveness of nearby wood-using facilities.  Timberland investors want to confirm that announced mills get built and existing mills more…

Revisiting the Role of Forest Carbon

| no comments in Forest Carbon, Forest Finance & Economics, Timberlands, Wood Bioenergy

This post is the fourth in a series related to the Q3 2023 Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ), which includes forest industry analysis and timber price forecasts for North America. As they grow, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This capturing more…

Forest Products and the Economics of Timber Markets, Part I

| no comments in Forest Carbon, Forest Finance & Economics, Forest Strategy, Risk Management, Timber Market Analysis, Timber Supply, Timberlands, Wood Bioenergy, Wood Flows & Cash Flows

This post includes topics covered in the (virtual) Timber Market Analysis course on October 11th and 12th, 2023 and in the Forisk Research Quarterly. Also, for those interested in conducting this type of research, please check out Forisk’s forest economist more…

Top 10 North American and U.S. Lumber Producers, 2022

| no comments in Softwood Lumber, Wood Bioenergy, Wood Demand & Procurement

After reaching unprecedented highs the past two years, softwood lumber prices have corrected. Lumber producers shifted and expanded capacity to deploy capital and position themselves for future growth. Forisk tracks over 2,100 forest industry mills, including planned capacity changes, to more…