Established in 2009, Australian Bluegum Plantations (ABP) has grown into one of the world’s largest fully integrated hardwood plantation managers and woodchip exporters.
Its assets, in the Albany region of Western Australia, and the Green Triangle region of South Australia and Victoria, include more than 85,000 hectares of plantation, as well as world-class port facilities.
The company boasts a dedicated team of more than 300 permanent and highly skilled professionals alongside a network of experienced contractors.
The goal? To produce and supply premium quality woodchips to valued, long-standing customers in Japan and China, for the manufacture of high-grade paper, packaging products and rayon.
The company has built a solid reputation in Asian woodchip markets as one of the world’s most reliable suppliers of premium quality E. globulus chips.
This is due, in part, to the establishment of plantations on high-quality land that meets strict criteria for environmental considerations and location. Trees are grown on short rotation cycles – usually between 10 and 15 years – to produce premium quality woodchips.
In 2023, ABP sales are forecast to be 2.7 million Green Metric Tonnes (GMT).
Corporate values centre on prioritising safety, embracing and rewarding innovation, delivering the highest value to customers, and promoting a culture dedicated to continuous improvement in economic, social and environmental returns.
ABP is unique in its management of all aspects of the supply chain. This extends from research and development focused on its seed stock and the most innovative practices around plantation management and harvest, right through to loading the product onto vessels ready for export and maintaining relationships with overseas buyers through expert marketing activities.
This end-to-end oversight and management of the entire process offers ABP direct control around cost and risk mitigation, resulting in a clear competitive advantage.
Recent tour with FWPA’s Andrew Leighton
Back in May, FWPA CEO Andrew Leighton visited ABP at Portland, Victoria, at the invitation of CEO Russ Hughes. Leighton was given a tour of the company’s harvesting operations, and particularly impressive was the clear ABP commitment to protecting koalas living in its plantations.
Leighton was also interested to hear about the FWPA partnership with the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub (GTFIH) – of which ABP is a great supporter – that resulted in an Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) Program grant to explore opportunities to create new wood products utilising softwood and hardwood pulp log.
This initiative should be of interest to all hardwood plantation owners, given the increasing volatility and uncertainty around hardwood chip exports to China.
For those interested, a more detailed look at this project can be found in the forthcoming R&DWorks edition. Sign up here!
