Solutions for the electrification and digitization of the forestry sector presented in Penamacor

• Voltage transformer station replaces traditional power generators
• Autonomous robot clears forest and fights fires
• New fully electric pruning shears for selecting tree branches
• Computer vision and augmented reality, powered by 5G, identify branches ready for harvesting
• Electric-powered forestry and timber transport equipment

The Consortium for the Electrification and Digitalisation of Forestry Work, part of the transForm Agenda, presented a range of technological solutions today, 14 May, in Penamacor, aimed at improving the sustainability of the forestry sector.

Among the main innovations presented are a forest cleaning and fire-fighting robot, electric-powered equipment for harvesting and transporting timber, fully electric tools, forest management apps and a mobile voltage transformation station.

“The aim of the event was to demonstrate, in a real-world context, innovative technologies applied to forestry that offer gains in efficiency and operational safety, whilst contributing to the decarbonisation of forestry activities and to more informed, efficient and resilient land management,” says Alexandra Marques, representative of CoLab FOrestwise, a Portuguese non-profit collaborative laboratory focused on the integrated management of forests and rural fires, which is part of this consortium.

At the heart of the presentation was Speed-e, a removable voltage transformation station developed by REN, which enables energy to be supplied directly from the National Transmission Grid (very high voltage), replacing fossil fuels with battery charging. The energy supplied by this technology powered forestry machinery, small electric tools, electric trucks and supported the charging of the public’s electric vehicles, demonstrating the reliability and versatility of this solution in demanding operational environments and outside urban centres.

One of the solutions benefiting from Speed-e is that developed by ADAI (Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics) – an autonomous robot used for vegetation and forest fuel management, as well as firefighting.

The Navigator Company has also developed a solution (a pruning shears for selecting branches) designed to overcome the current limitations of existing cutting tools on the market. Both solutions are fully electric.

In addition to these solutions, a prototype of a forest self-loading machine and an electric-powered timber transport truck were presented for the first time in Portugal.As part of the digitalisation of the forestry supply chain, Trigger Systems has developed a data collection and telemetry device, whilst INESC TEC has created a data integration system across the different stages of the forestry production chain, supporting operational monitoring and decision-making by managers.

Neadvance, meanwhile, has designed a tool based on computer vision and augmented reality to assist with the selection of logs in eucalyptus stands, and CoLAB ForestWISE has developed an app that allows users to measure the volume of timber in a stack. Both the collection and analysis of data from forestry machinery and the optimisation of the eucalyptus log selection process are made possible by NOS’s advanced connectivity and 5G.

This event was part of the Forest Electrification and Digitalisation Projects, developed under the transForm Agenda, and involved the participation of ForestWise, REN, The Navigator Company, NOS, Altri Florestal, Florecha, Sonae Arauco, Unimadeiras, Trigger Systems, INESC TEC, ADAI and Neadvance. The transForm Agenda is a PRR mobilisation agenda focused on digital transformation, resilience and carbon neutrality in the Portuguese forestry sector.