One key sector that can make a significant impact in GHG emission reductions is transportation, which is an important contributor to global carbon emissions. Fortunately, the transportation industry is shifting from fossil fuels to alternatives with the adoption of Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs).

These vehicles are no longer just a future vision—they are becoming a reality today for many aspects of heavy-duty commercial transportation. There is important information and experiences from the implementation of ZEVs on-highway commercial fleets that can be applied to the unique and challenging transportation requirements of the forest sector. FPInnovations strives to collaborate and innovate in the on-highway commercial transportation sector to support advancements in the forest sector.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ZERO EMISSIONS TRUCKING

Traditional heavy-duty trucks, powered by diesel engines, are major contributors to air pollution and carbon emissions. According to the Canadian government, the Canadian transportation sector (all types) is responsible for over 20 per cent of total GHG emissions in Canada. In forest operations, heavy-truck transportation accounts for approximately 35 to 45 per cent of its total GHG emissions, so one of the key measures to reduce GHG emissions in the forest sector is through the implementation of ZEVs in forestry transportation. ZEVs, which produce no tailpipe emissions, offer a solution by reducing greenhouse gases and improving air quality.

Governments are implementing stricter emissions regulations and providing incentives to support the transition to ZEVs. This shift is not only environmentally responsible, but also a strategic business decision, as adopting ZEVs now may provide long-term financial and regulatory benefits.

FPINNOVATIONS AND TRANSPORT CANADA’S ZERO EMISSIONS TRUCKING TESTBED

To help fleet operators transition to ZEVs, FPInnovations and Transport Canada have launched the Zero Emissions Trucking Testbed. This program supports truck and fleet owners by addressing the challenges of adopting heavy-duty ZEVs and providing data-driven solutions. Over a year of daily operations within the Greater Montreal area, this Testbed will monitor the operation of five Class 8 battery electric and five diesel trucks operating with two commercial transportation fleets. The Testbed helps fleet operators evaluate ZEV performance, reliability, and operational requirements. By offering real-world data and feedback, the initiative mitigates the risks associated with adopting new technologies, making the shift to zero emissions trucking smoother and morepredictable.

Key Objectives of the Zero Emissions Trucking Testbed

The mission of the Zero Emissions Trucking Testbed is to build awareness and confidence in ZEV technology. It does so by focusing on four key objectives:

1. On-road Pilot Testing

The initiative conducts on-road pilot tests to evaluate ZEV performance in realworld conditions. These tests measure crucial factors like battery life, energy efficiency, and durability, providing fleet managers with a clear understanding of how ZEVs perform under typical operating conditions.

2. User Experiences

Driver and operator feedback is crucial to improving ZEV technology. By collecting input from those who use ZEVs daily, the program gathers insights on vehicle handling, comfort, and operational logistics, helping manufacturers improve their designs and deployment strategies.

3. Safety Considerations

ZEVs must meet the highest safety standards.The program ensures that all vehicles are rigorously tested for safety, including emergency handling, terrain navigation, and accident prevention technologies. Safety is a top priority, and the Testbed ensures ZEVs are as safe as or safer than traditional trucks.

4. Operational Best Practices

The initiative identifies best practices for integrating ZEVs into existing fleets. This includes evaluating optimal routes, maintenance schedules, and infrastructure needs. These best practices help fleet operators maximize the benefits of ZEVs, such as reduced fuel costs and lower maintenance, while minimizing operational challenges.

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION

The Zero Emissions Trucking Testbed represents more than just research—it’s shaping the future of sustainable transportation. By collaborating with industry leaders and fleet operators, FPInnovations and Transport Canada are paving the way for widespread ZEV adoption. This initiative plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions and creating a cleaner future for the freight industry.

ZEVs offer an unprecedented opportunity to transform trucking, aligning businesses with global sustainability goals while providing possible long-term cost savings. Fleet owners who embrace this change will not only reduce their environmental impact but also future-proof their operations.

ADVANCING ZERO EMISSIONS TRUCKING IN THE FOREST SECTOR

By participating in programs like the Zero Emissions Trucking Testbed, organizationscan gain firsthand experience with ZEVs and prepare for the future of freight transport.

The road to zero emissions is paved with innovation and collaboration but in the short- to medium-term, the forest sector faces specific challenges in implementing ZEVs in forest operations transportation. By participating in initiatives involving the broader commercial freight sector, the forest sector can learn from and gain an advanced understanding of the challenges and solutions to decarbonize their operations, and where short-long term opportunities exist.

FPInnovations is active in many projects and initiatives to advance the decarbonization of transportation. This is an exciting time to embrace zero emissions trucking opportunities, and with this knowledge, we can drive the future of transportation.

For more information on FPInnovations’ initiatives related to Zero Emission Vehicles, please contact Mark Partington: mark.partington@fpinnovations.ca

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Site preparation and regeneration systems to adapt to a changing climate by Canadian xWood Fibre Centre/Canadian Forest Service and its partners

Over the past few years, approximately 16 million hectares of productive forest has burned as a result of catastrophic wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta, demonstrating the impact a changing climate is having on this forest, as well as the immediate need to adapt forest management practices—such as strategic forest cover retention and reforestation site preparation techniques—to develop more resilient forests.

The changing climate is influencing the growing conditions and resilience of the commercial forest with increased temperatures, increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as well as changing wind, climate, and weather patterns, resulting in different ecosystems evolving in Canada’s productive forests.

Reforestation site preparation techniques commonly used by industry today were introduced or developed over the past 40 years by the forest industry and regulators, and tested and refined by the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC), the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), and their partners, starting with the highly successful national backlog reforestation program.

Over time, intensive forest management techniques have been developed and refined to improve the growing environment for seedlings. This included improving growing stock, development of productive micro-sites with enough moisture, controlling competition, and enhancing rooting environments—the goals being to increase reforestation effectiveness, forest production and overall forest health.

40 Year-old Winter Blade and Plant to White Spruce 50% Mixedwood Perrault Falls.

41 Year-old Disc Trencher Planted to Jack Pine Ear Falls.

“Now, due to our changing climate, the focus should be to adapt our well-developed site preparation practices to mitigate or reduce risk of wildfire, drought, pests, pathogens, blow down and flooding, while shrinking the rotation so that we don’t have to wait as long to access commercial wood fibre,” says Derek Sidders, Program Manager, Technology Development and Transfer at CWFC. “We should also consider product line diversity, to reduce risk by looking at both deciduous and coniferous tree species that match and mimic the natural forest, and give us the best bang for our buck as it relates to healthy forests.”

What has become abundantly clear is that the current management of forest disturbances, whether immediately after harvest, through resource extraction or other natural disturbances, are not effectively laying the groundwork to prevent the ignition of fires.

Too often, aggressive native grass species take over sites quickly after disturbances, particularly in the Prairie provinces. They have been the main wicking point for some of Alberta’s most catastrophic fires over the past 20 years.

Change is required and here are two forest management and site preparation techniques for consideration that could significantly improve both forest health and resilience.

First, going forward, it is important to consider management of the non-commercial trees during harvest by retaining trees that have no present commercial value and maintaining cover whenever possible. This, in itself, is a form of site preparation through patterned harvests as it creates an advantage for the next generation, and enhances the growing environment while at the same time managing moisture, habitat, and diversity.

“Site preparation is not just mechanical,” says Sidders. “It is also the use of vegetation and the patterning of it as well as the organic layer as we disturb the soil to try and enhance the growing environment, just like we would in our garden.”

Secondly, let’s consider managed and controlled deciduous forest retention in reforestation.

“Let’s not consider them as competitors, but moreover treat them as natural species that have significant value,” says Sidders.

That’s because from a fire mitigation standpoint, living broadleaf plants and species, perennials, brush, and trees offer significant mitigation value on disturbed sites over aggressive grasses.

“The hardwood component manages moisture much better than the coniferous because they are full of water in the leaves, transpire every night, drop leaves in the fall, don’t die in winter, and catch the snow and impose a natural albedo effect by reflecting all that heat in the winter,” Sidders says. “That really changes the dynamic when we look at winter desiccation, winter snowpack and spring moisture. That’s the key to a lot of these site preparation and planting regimes, managed for plantation pattern, diversity and consistency in growth and forest health.”

The goal should be to maintain these living components but reduce growth by applying appropriate site preparation techniques to allow valuable coniferous species to establish themselves without being overwhelmed by more aggressive deciduous species.

“We are looking at two to three years,” says Sidders. “We want our seedlings to get ahead of the game by that amount of time, so we want a nice micro-site to grow them, but we also want to eliminate hazards and enhanced risks associated with flammable materials on the ground.”

He says a site preparation package should initially include a ground pattern that only disturbs 15 to 20 per cent of the site, done in a manner that creates some form of a soil/organic mixture and/or elevation of the soils and decomposing organic layer, as well as strategic placement of slash, to reduce the speed that competing vegetation can impact a coniferous plantation.

It is possible to limit the aggressiveness of deciduous trees by disturbing the soil adjacent to them and manipulating their root systems, slowing their preliminary growth and density but not eliminating them.

“That enhances the ability of the coniferous trees to efficiently establish because we are giving them a preferential place to grow and we are giving them separation between themselves and the native competitors in the form of deciduous species,” says Sidders.

The photos and captions included with this article illustrate some results or impacts that site preparation has on forest regeneration and risk mitigation, showing physical characteristics, width, and depth of the site prep, how to manipulate the soil, and the appearance of the final product.

For more information about these site preparation options and others to enhance forest health and resilience, contact
Derek Sidders at derek.sidders@
nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.