GERMANY - In its industrial unit in Beeskow, Germany, Sonae Arauco made an investment of more than 50 million euros for a state-of-the-art continuous particleboard (PB) production line.

This extremely competitive line will also reduce carbon emissions in the production process (in line with IED requirements). The first boards were successfully produced on July 7th.

In the past two years Sonae Arauco, one of the largest wooden panel manufacturers in Europe, has been making significant investments in its industrial units spread in several countries, aiming to increase production capacity and operational efficiency, expand the offer of greater added value panels, always ensuring a consistent product quality.

According to Arman Fatunz, Plant Manager at the Beeskow industrial unit, “While booting our particle board capacity, this new and up-to-date equipment will allow us to take advantage of our great geographical location within both our natural markets in Germany and the growing Polish and Eastern European markets. Furthermore, it is our belief that the new line - together with the existing MDF, SCP and CTS lines and the power plant - will make the plant fully competitive and sustainable, ensuring the profitability of the site in the long-term.”

Sonae Arauco’s new equipment will also bring significant gains in terms of quality, specification and efficiency - namely the production of a lighter product with a more homogeneous surface, as well as allowing the thickness of the boards to be extended from 6 to 40 mm and the width up to 2,800 mm.

The inevitable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the project’s timeline was minimized with an early reaction to foresee potential risks and with the implementation of a comprehensive plan to protect the health of everyone who works at the site.