Floating pier at Gorteneorn Forest with the MV Runner
The images were forwarded by Tom McLellan, Taynuilt, with input from Miller Harris independent forest manager and Denis Coy, Glennon Brothers harvesting manager.
“The MV Runner is ready to be loaded with the timber from the forest.
JST Services ( https://www.jstservicesgroup.com) have developed and patented the floating pier systems to move resources in and out of remote forest locations, facilitating vessels of up to 3000 tonne capacity to berth alongside and load timber. JST now operates three floating pier systems and estimate its pier operations help to reduce emissions of CO2 produced as a result of timber transportation from Scotland by around 2,574 metric tonnes annually, saving 1.75 million HGV road miles per annum. However such systems are expensive to locate onto site and operate.”
The development of timber transportation by sea has undoubtedly saved the day in terms of harvesting at Gorteneorn. As Miller Harris, the current forest manager at Gorteneorn says:
“I don't think we get enough support or acknowledgement for the public benefit accruing from moving timber this way. Between the 2 projects I have at Gorteneorn and in Morvern we will be removing circa 650,000 tonnes of timber from the public roads in Lochaber saving millions in road maintenance, improved safety, reduced emission and disruption. The use of shipping also secures these large tracks of woodland as productive forest, protecting the future utilisable timber resource”.
The PDF link below shows one of JST’s floating piers being relocated to head of Loch Etive.
Download Large Version (252kB)
Groups: Forestry Areas, Road and Bridge Engineers and Works, Ships, boats and sea transport