immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Energieholz

  • Timber harvest in Switzerland to fall by 2 percent in 2024

    Timber harvest in Switzerland to fall by 2 percent in 2024

    In 2024, 4.8 million cubic meters of wood were harvested in Switzerland. This corresponds to a decrease of around 2 percent. This is according to a statement from the Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Office for the Environment. This means that the total harvest fell for the second year in a row.

    The reduction was particularly pronounced for lump wood (-11 percent), followed by logs and sawn timber (-2 percent). The sharp decline in logs is mainly attributable to private forests, which was lower in all forest zones with the exception of the Jura Arc and the southern side of the Alps. The forest zones with the greatest changes were the Central Plateau (-94,000 cubic meters) and the Pre-Alps (-42,300 cubic meters).

    The canton with the largest volume of timber harvested is Bern with 0.89 million cubic meters. It is followed by the cantons of Vaud, Zurich, Graubünden and Aargau. Their harvest volumes are between 0.44 and 0.34 million cubic meters. Together, they supplied 51 percent of the total wood harvest last year.

    The proportion of energy wood in the form of wood chips has continued to increase and now accounts for 44 percent of the total annual harvest. This corresponds to 2.1 million cubic meters. The proportion of energy wood in the total timber harvest has almost doubled over the past 20 years.

    In 2024, the 638 forestry operations recorded income of CHF 622 million and expenditure of CHF 651 million. The deficit for Switzerland as a whole therefore amounted to CHF 29 million. Compared to the previous year, it has increased by CHF 9 million. Only the forestry operations in the foothills of the Alps recorded a positive balance.

  • Zürichholz increases share capital

    Zürichholz increases share capital

    Zürichholz issues shares worth 3 million Swiss francs. As the wood marketer writes in a press release , the capital increase creates “a high-yield, sustainable investment opportunity” for qualified investors from the Swiss forest, wood and CO2 industries”. The company, which specializes in logs and energy wood, reached a new growth stage in 2019 after a consolidation phase. With the additional share capital, the company intends to continue growing in the forward-looking business areas of hardwood processing and biochar production.

    Since the groundbreaking ceremony in November 2021, Zürichholz has been building a new operations center in Illnau ZH for around 12 million francs, which is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2022. This includes a pyrolysis plant for the production of biochar, a garage and workshop for the vehicle fleet, a wood chip hall to increase the capacity of the Aubrugg wood-fired power plant, offices for Zurich wood with rental capacity for third parties and a heating center for the Illnau heating network.

    The increasing demand for wood is reflected in a “very pleasing” balance sheet for the 2021 financial year. The company expects sales to jump from 15 million Swiss francs to 20 million in the medium term.

    The canton and city of Zurich are among the approximately 300 shareholders as large forest owners, which gives the share “additional stability and potential”. The issue price is CHF 1,400 per share with 2 to 1 subscription rights. Trading in subscription rights is excluded. The long-term dividend yield of nominally 5 percent should be maintained.

    Wood is becoming increasingly popular from a climate point of view. This applies to construction and industry, in energy production and as pyrolysis wood in bioenergy. Timber stocks are not only financially worthwhile. An investment in the forest and timber industry also pays off with a view to “climate management and net zero obligations of companies and the public sector,” it says. Due to its high CO2-reducing effect, wood is considered one of the leading negative emission technologies ( NET ) because it can absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and thus minimize them.