Sustainable Forestry
Q&A with Christopher Kelley, Featured Associate for The Home Depot #SustainabilitySquad
When it comes to lumber production, there’s more to the process than cutting and milling. For example, in North America, construction regulations require that softwood lumber used for interior building applications have a moisture content of less than 19 percent, which means that wood must also be dried. Drying wood requires heat and energy. Historically, such processes were fueled by heavy oil.
One of The Home Depot’s largest suppliers of lumber, J.D. Irving, Limited, (JDI), has made the switch from heavy oil to biomass. While JDI is a leader in ecological forest management practices, they are quickly becoming a leader in clean energy.
The switch to biomass boilers began in 2014, following investments by JDI of $37 million. The biomass used is mainly bark recovered from logs consumed in the sawmill for lumber production and one of the ways the company ensures that 100 percent of every tree is used. As a result of transitioning from oil to biomass, JDI has reduced oil consumption by 11.5 million liters a year and lowered its manufacturing costs.
11.5M Saved
JDI has reduced oil consumption by 11.5 million liters a year
