Advantages of multiple operations on one site
In many ways, the site at Värö has always been a pioneer in terms of sustainability. For instance, Värö's production is fossil-free under normal operations.
Värö is home to several operations – the pulp mill, the sawmill, the CLT factory, and Forestry operations. Innovation & Strategy hosts research activities exploring new sustainable business opportunities, technologies, and solutions that do not yet exist. But it also works continuously to improve what we already do. This results in extensive synergies in various areas such as wood raw material and energy.
Södra Cell Värö
After several mill upgrades and continuous investments in increased capacity, Värö is today one of the world's largest and most modern softwood pulp mills with a capacity of 780,000 tons per year. It is also an important supplier of green energy, producing 1.5 TWh annually. Södra Cell Värö's main focus is paper pulp, but we also produce green electricity, district heating and biofuel. All energy products which Södra sells come from the forest and are 100 percent natural and renewable. Our pulp production generates a surplus of green electricity that not only makes it self sufficient, but also powers the sawmill, and suppliers nearby communities with green electricity and district heating.
The pulp mill also delivers other types of biofuel products, such as tall oil, bark, and turpentine. Tall oil is used to produce biodiesel, which can replace petroleum-based diesel in most diesel engines.
Södra Wood Värö
The sawmill in Värö started in 1974 and in 2011 the new Värö sawmill was put into operation. Over the years, the sawmill in Värö has, through continuous investments, expanded its capacity and optimized its product range.
In recent years, Södra Wood Värö has invested in new dryers and a new planing line. The sawmill consists of a log sorting unit, a saw line, wood dryers and a finishing unit with two leveling units and two planing lines, a pellet mill and unloading. The by-products that fall within the sawmill are used at the combine. Sawdust and cutter shavings are made into pellets and fuel for the pulp mill's lime kiln. Chips and bark go to the pulp industry.
The sawmill capacity in Värö is 610,000 cubic meters per year. The production is focused on planed, strength-graded construction timber and mainly boards for the packaging industry. Södra Wood Värö also produces all the raw materials for the KL timber factory.
Södra Building Systems
Production of cross-laminated timber (CLT) started in 2019 in Värö with a pilot factory, and a second factory was built in 2022, with ten times the annual capacity, at about 80,000 cubic meters.
Our CLT consists of three to seven layers of construction-grade spruce lamellas. The dimensions and design of the boards are chosen depending on their function as floors, roofs, load-bearing, or separating walls. Each board can be up to 3.5 meters in height and 16 meters in length.
Bioproducts accumulated in the form of chips and offcuts are converted into energy, and larger pieces, for example, those from windows and doors, are sold to customers for different manufacturing areas.
The Site
We also have forestry offices that work with our forestry services and members. In total, about 800 people work at Värö site.
You're welcome to have a guided tour of the whole Värö site or a selected part of production.
