More productive and sustainable, the machine designed by Ponsse reduces CO2 emissions by 10% compared to the previous forest harvesting system

 
After three years of operation in Paraná, in the Telêmaco Borba region, the Harbunk Ponsse has brought benefits for forest harvesting operations, especially in small areas.  Data gathered by Klabin indicates that the equipment is more efficient than other harvesting methods in areas with up to 10,000 tons of wood.  "Our productivity increased while operating costs decreased 30%," said Darlon Orlamunder, director of Forest Planning and Projects at Klabin, 

 
who attributes this result to a combination of factors, such as less mobilization of equipment for both the operation and the movement of these machines, and the period spent by the machine in each field.  "This is because the Harbunk remains longer in each forest, eliminating the need to transport the other two machines [required] in the previous harvesting system."

 
The process also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the impact on the community.  "The Harbunk reduces carbon emissions as it is more productive (t/ha) than the previous system (CTL).  With the savings in operations, the environmental impact is a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions from the entire project," he added.

 
How Harbunk Ponsse emerged

The year was 2019 and for Klabin, the reality of the field challenged the competitiveness (cost per ton) of forest harvesting in some regions of Paraná.  These were smaller forest areas where the cost of moving the harvest machines in the cut-to-length (CTL) system was making the operation unfeasible.

 
Aware of this situation, Ponsse Brasil, a subsidiary of the Finnish manufacturer of forest machines, looked in its product portfolio for equipment that could be adapted so that a single machine could harvest, drag and process this wood, thus increasing the efficiency of the client’s operational processes. 

 
"We found in our PONSSE Bear harvester the ideal machine.  We implemented a ClampBunk clamp, a PONSSE H8 head and the auxiliary winch in it.  From this combination was born the Harbunk, a versatile machine capable of performing all stages of forest harvesting in both flat or sloped areas," said Rodrigo Marangoni, executive commercial and marketing manager at Ponsse.

 
Future of Harbunk

"In Brazil, there are seven Ponsse Harbunks operating in forest harvesting areas, and five more are expected to start operating this year.  Note that the machine is productive not only for small areas but also for other harvesting opportunities," said Marangoni. 

 
All these positive results show that forest harvesting areas can be expanded while maintaining competitiveness.  "Harbunk is a tool that generates new applications in harvesting systems that are already consolidated with Full Tree; it fits with other opportunities that are currently being studied as it is a machine that performs all operations without depending on another machine (felling, dragging and processing wood) and, with the attached winch, is capable of operating in steep areas as well," Darlon pointed out. 

 
For Ponsse, creating a productive and innovative machine is directly related to its purpose of delivering sustainable solutions for the benefit of its clients and the environment.  "Our mission is to achieve success together with our clients.  In this case and in other brand developments, we listen to the real needs of the field and look for alternatives that can truly add value to forest harvesting in Brazil and around the world," he concluded.