Under the contract, the first of its kind inked by the two sides, at least 300,000 tonnes of wood pellets will be shipped to Japan each year as from 2021.

Pham Trung Cang, Chairman of Eastwood Energy, said Vietnam has huge potential for wood pellets production, adding that with a wooden furniture market worth about 20 billion USD, the production of pellets from by-product of wood processing will bring about many opportunities to businesses.

At the signing ceremony.

Eastwood Energy aims to export over 500,000 tonnes of wood pellets to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japan in 2019, and at least 300,000 tonnes to the Japanese market alone in 2021, he said.

According to Cang, wood pellets exported to Japan must satisfy technical standards set by the picky market and be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council that requires businesses and consumers to identify, purchase and use wood, paper and other forest products made with materials from well-managed forests and/or recycled sources.

Craig Jackson from CellMark said Japan is expected to overcome the RoK to become the largest wood pellets consumer in Asia in 2021 and its demand may double that of the RoK in 2023.

Last year, CellMark purchased 324,600 tonnes of wood pellets from Eastwood Energy, up from over 19,800 tonnes in 2015.

In Vietnam, the Swedish group is one of the pioneers in promoting the export of wood pellets, accounting for 25 percent of Vietnam’s total wood pellet export volume last year.

The group is seeking Vietnamese suppliers of this product for the Japanese market on a long-term basis.

2018 a successful year for wood industry

2018 was a successful year for the wood industry, with the export of wood products earning the country over 8.9 billion USD (not including non-wood forestry products), up 14.5 percent from the previous year.

Wood block exhibition spotlights Vietnam’s feudal names, capitals

An exhibition on names and capitals of Vietnam through the feudal age until 1945 as carved on printing wood blocks of the Nguyen dynasty opened in Hanoi on February 25.

Quang Binh to introduce local images to Hollywood

The tourism department of central Quang Binh province announced on January 21 plans to woo Hollywood moviemakers.

RoK-funded wooden walk along Huong river inaugurated

A walk along Huong river was inaugurated and put into use in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on January 15. 

‘Stamps in Time’ displays woodblock prints in Hoi An

‘All you need is a piece of wood, ink, paper and a knife’ to create art, says British expat Jack Clayton.

Source: VNA