Tanasote taking wood preservation into new era

How Tanasote is taking wood preservation into a new era

When Tanasote won the Wood Protection Association (WPA) annual award for innovation in 2021, it marked an important moment for the future of industrial wood preservation.

Developed by the R&D scientists of Arxada to offer infrastructure organisations a credible alternative to coal tar creosote, Tanasote arrived at a time when power and telecommunications network operators were looking to justify why they should continue to invest in the continued use of wood or move to alternative man-made materials.

ARXADA

In 2026, that story has become even more relevant. Across the infrastructure sector, wood poles continue to be valued for their ease of installation and service use, cost-effectiveness and environmental advantages, with service life confidence delivered by a proven industrial pre-treatment. As organisations plan long-life assets in a changing regulatory and sustainability landscape, the question is no longer simply whether wood can continue to play a role – it is how modern wood protection technology can help it do so.

From award-winning innovation to real-world acceptance, this WPA Blog is a timely story about how Tanasote is helping wood preservation move into a new era.

Investing in network asset performance

For utility decision-makers, every electricity or telecommunications transmission pole specified today is both a long-term asset decision and an environmental choice. Poles in infrastructure networks are commonly expected to deliver multi-decade service lives and the durability conferred by preservative pre-treatment has a direct impact on network resilience, pole maintenance cycles, whole-life cost and carbon reduction strategy.

ARXADA

A strategic transition is underway

The Health & Saftey Executive (HSE) announced in March 2026 that they had continued their approval of creosote for seven years under the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulations (GB BPR) but its use was restricted exclusively to utility infrastructure, rail track sleepers and safety critical fencing applications. With an increasing number of countries continuing to restrict or remove the ability to use cresosote for these applications infrastucture organisations face a clear strategic decision: how to move away from a legacy preservative to an alternative treatment without sacrificing durability, supply confidence, commercial performance or environmental progress.

Transitioning to an alternative preservative must do more than meet today’s compliance expectations; it must support decarbonisation goals, minimise waste, protect asset strategies and, above all else, meet service life expectations.

“Tanasote was developed specifically to facilitate those objectives.” explains Arxada Marketing Director, Andy Hodge who says that Tanasote technology will support the successful use and benefits of wood for decades to come: “As a modern copper oil preservative for outdoor applications where exposure to decay is high, it is designed to deliver a standard 40year service life in the harshest of ground-contact environments.”

But you don’t have to take Arxada’s word for that - the laboratory and field trial data on which this service life claim is based has been independently scrutinised and confirmed by by BM TRADA, the globally recognised independent testing, inspection, and certification body.

Life cycle analysis (LCA) data and the in-service characteristics of wood treated with Tanasote that have been confirmed through commercial trials since 2018, alongside BPR authorisation in 23 countries across Europe, also work positively to influence market acceptance of copper-oil treated wood.

Lowest impact option for transmission poles

Independent life-cycle analysis has identified Tanasote-treated wooden poles as the lowest-impact option when compared with alternative, man-made transmission pole materials such as concrete, steel and fibreglass, with favourable results across ecosystem, human health and resource impact categories. Tanasote-treated poles also help keep timber in service as a carbon store, support a circular economy approach through reuse potential at end of life, and reduce reliance on more energy-intensive alternative materials.

ARXADA

Characteristics that influence transition to Tanasote
The characteristics of oil-based wood preservatives that make them the treatment of choice for wood transmission poles are:

Minimal swelling, shrinking, and cracking; the absence of water in the treatment process reduces these issues during treatment and re-drying.
Low corrosivity to metal; beneficial for a variety of fittings used on utility poles.
No surface hardening of timber; providing ease of climb-ability of poles with correct equipment, negating the need for additional plant lifting equipment on site.
Favourable hydrophobic properties: oil-based preservative systems repel water, helping to protect from water ingress and subsequent rot risks.
Mobility within the wood: oil-based products migrate within the wood to "heal" splits and prevent the water penetration that causes internal decay.
Long-lasting properties: when impregnated correctly, Tanasote S40 can provide extended service life, typically up to 40 years, with up to 50 years in certain timber species and increased loading requirements.
Ease of treatment: these preservatives allow for deep penetration of sapwood and some penetration of heartwood, making the treatment process more efficient.

In conclusion

For organisations planning resilient, cost-conscious and lower-carbon infrastructure networks or safety critical rail, road and agricultural fencing applications, the award winning Tanasote copper oil preservative provides a compelling treatment option and supports the responsible choice of a sustainable, low environmental impact material.