4.4 Forest Wood Removals 2022

4.4 Forest Wood Removals 2022

In July 2023, the CSO released their report on Forest Wood Removals for 2022. The survey was designed to collect data on roundwood and biomass removals from privately owned forests in Ireland. Information from the CSO Business Register, DAFM, and from industry experts was used to ensure that all relevant enterprises were included in the sample. The exclusion of publicly-owned forests from the survey was designed to simplify the questionnaire and to reduce the risk of double counting of removals. This could occur if both contractors and the forest owners submitted data for the same removals. Its key findings were as follows:

The total value of roundwood removals was €251 million in 2022, an 11% increase from M €227 Million in 2021.

Roundwood removals decreased 4% from 4.3 million cubic meters in 2021 to 4.1 million M cubic meters in 2022.

Coniferous roundwood accounted for over 99% of removals in 2022. M

Large sawlog accounted for the highest proportion of roundwood removals volume at 38% M in 2022, followed by pulpwood (27%) and small sawlog (26%).

Table 4.2 total Removals by Product 2022

Total Removals by Product 2022 (‘000 tonnes) Product 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Large sawlog	913	989	1,092	1,151	1,130	1,308	1,538	1,383
Small sawlog	903	969	1,053	1,023	1,022	865	990	945
Stakewood	108	114	124	116	133	129	115	108
Pulpwood	923	858	925	1,006	1,092	901	959	979
Fuelwood	94	83	91	102	102	198	183	191
Roundwood for use as biomass	53	112	65	71	156	48	29	42
Woodchip	6	6	8	12	14	14	10	41
Short rotation coppice	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other woody material	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Total	3,000	3,132	3,358	3,482	3,647	3,463	3,825	3,690

Source: CSO Forest Wood Removals 2022

Figure from page 164