PORT ANGELES, Wa. - City officials in Port Angeles, Washington are hoping to see an advanced wood products business set up shop there.
The port is trying to make the case for an advanced wood products company to move to the Port Angeles area and is preparing a feasibility study that would provide the information needed to know if moving to Port Angeles is a good idea.
“What we’re looking at is to say what assets do we have on the Olympic Peninsula that lend themselves to what type of advanced wood products … that would be the best fit for the types of resources that we have,” said Karen Goschen, the port’s executive director, the Peninsula Daily News reported.
The port is preparing to apply for a state Community Economic Revitalization Board grant that would fund about $50,000 of the study. The port hopes to provide a 25 percent match of $16,667 for the study.
The city should know by September if the grant was approved, Goschen said. If approved, the grant will be awarded in the fall.
A University of Washington, Washington State University, Heartland and Forterra study published in December found that by 2035 the Pacific Northwest should be able to support at least four small- to mid-sized CLT plants, which would produce 20,000 to 50,000 cubic meters each per year.
“Given the wide mix of wood species and lumber grades that can be used in CLT production, it ideally would create a market for less desired/valued types and species, such as small-diameter timber harvested for fuels reduction or other ecological restoration objectives — encouraging responsible management of previously harvested forests," according to the study.
Cross-laminated timber advocates say it can be used to construct buildings of equal strength and fire-resistance as those made of steel and concrete. It has also fueled the passions of architects and environmentalists, who believe it to be a much greener method for housing the world's growing population.
Due to its benefits for carbon capture and reduced CO2 emissions in construction, CLT has sparked interest worldwide. Proposals for new projects include a 100-story tower in London, a 40-story building in Stockholm, and a residential complex in Vancouver. The U.S. is even on board, with a 12-story CLT highrise in the works in Portland.
Engineers plan to build a 10-story earthquake-resistant timber building that will first be shaken, then set on fire in 2020.