Värö doubles CLT production
In early January, Södra begins delivery of hundreds of panels for its first big CLT project – a development of three apartment buildings in Karlskrona, Sweden. It will require 17 truckloads of CLT panels and is the first of a pipeline of orders which has prompted Södra to double its capacity at Värö by adding an extra shift and recruiting additional staff.
“Production started at the Värö facility two months ago and the number of enquiries is continuously increasing,” said Urban Blomster, Business Development Manager Building Systems. “We are at something of a turning point, certainly in the residential sector where we are most deeply involved. The industry has understood that wooden structural systems entail sustainable and efficient construction: the EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is very positive for timber. We are already evaluating our next investment in CLT capacity at Värö.”
The production increase at Värö comes at a time when several recent reports have indicated a slowdown in construction. The trend for Södra is in the opposite direction thanks to the growing market share for timber.Industrial timber construction enables more efficient on-site installation, and environmental impacts can be halved by using solid wood panels for the construction of multi-storey buildings instead of other materials. Another benefit is that timber is perceived as promoting a better internal environment for residents.
Södra offers building systems and products such as building components and fasteners, as well as new digital services to simplify and gain better control over the construction process. The company is also looking at ways of combining CLT with other materials to take advantage of their different strengths, and at additional engineered wood products to add to the portfolio.
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Subjects: Timber