Milestone as ship sails from Albany to Japan loaded with woodchips from Australian Bluegum Plantations

Australian Bluegum Plantations marked a milestone last week when it loaded its 300th woodchip vessel for export from its Albany Woodchip Terminal. Southern Treasure arrived in Albany at the start of last week before becoming the 300th vessel to be loaded and then departing on its three-week journey to Japan on Friday. The company, which employs more than 150 staff in the region, has exported woodchips from eucalyptus plantations in the Albany region from the terminal since 2005. ABP marketing manager Carl Richardson said reaching the milestone came after prolonged contributions from a variety of staff members, contractors and customers over 18 years. “We are very pleased that our 300th vessel through the Albany woodchip terminal is being supplied to Hokuestsu Corporation, ABP’s longest standing customer,” he said. “Three hundred vessels equate to a staggering 12 million tonnes of woodchips that have been processed and exported since the facility began operating in 2005, providing substantial economic stimulus and job creation to the south coast region and broader state economy.” The company’s high-value Albany estate is harvested before being processed in the terminal and exported primarily to Japan to be pulped and used in paper mills. Southern Ports chief executive Keith Wilks said that the woodchip terminal is an important part of the Port of Albany’s operations. “In Albany, we had a record trade last year, with woodchips the second highest commodity trading close to one million tonnes with China and Japan,” he said. “The Port’s contribution to the Great Southern region continues to grow with $2.14 billion in trade value last year and woodchips are a strong part of this value.”