Green gain with remote floating pier

In the first of many shipments from the area, the 1,400 ton coaster

MV Red Princess

was loaded with logs over an integrated

<a href="http://http//www

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maritimejournal

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com/site_search?mode=results&category=53491&x=35&y=12&queries_search_term_query=floating+pier+system&category=53491&x=38&y=9″ target=”_blank”>floating pier system

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Scottish Woodland’s harvesting manager Neil Stoddart said, ‘Rather than haul 60,000 tons of timber through Glenelg village and over the pass on timber trucks carrying 25 tons at a time, we started planning a more environmentally friendly approach, seeking a sea going alternative

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We started reviewing the possible location, infrastructure and hardware required back in 2004

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The result today is an excellent facility which is going to remove an unprecedented volume of timber from the Scottish roads, not just from this Sandaig forest site but from many others on the western seaboard

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With grant aid assistance that started as feasibility study funding from the Scottish Executive, Scottish Woodlands Ltd initially completed a detailed report identifying the issues and reviewing possible alternatives

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They then developed a project titled ‘Rathad Mara’ (sea road) which integrated timber volumes from several maturing west coast forests and then applied for Scottish Strategic Timber Transport Scheme funding to allow for the construction of link roads from the forest to the sea shore

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Simultaneously, the timber haulage and handling contractor JST Services successfully applied for Freight Facility Grant Aid funding and commenced the design and fabrication of the pier and associated link span equipment

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Although there are already smaller capacity floating piers working successfully in Scotland for shortsea timber operations, the JST Pier, located just off the Kylerea Straits in Sandaig Bay, can dock and load vessels of up to 3,000 tons

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It has therefore created opportunities for the movement of round timber from this and other previously remote locations to timber and emerging green energy markets throughout the UK and northern Europe

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