MEXICO – Proteak Uno, S.A.B. de C.V., ordered an MDF plant from Dieffenbacher in November 2013. The plant is designed for a capacity of 600 m2 per day and will be constructed near Huimanguillo in the state of Tabasco, Mexico. 

Proteak will use the plant to process eucalyptus wood from its own plantations. The plant start-up is planned for the summer of 2015. This order marks the 14th major order received by Dieffenbacher in 2013. The full scope of supply includes everything from chipping the logs to finishing and packing. Glue production, a Dieffenbacher energy system and a short-cycle press line are also part of the complete order. The new EVOjet M dry resin blending system, with a fiber throughput of 25 tons per hour, will be used for the gluing. The energy system is fueled with wood waste and has an output of 25 MW. It is supplemented with a gas turbine with an output of 9 MWel, the waste heat from which is also fed to the MDF plant. The MDF plant will be Proteak’s first large-scale industrial plant for wood-based products. The wood for the MDF boards comes from recently acquired, sustainably managed eucalyptus plantations. Unlike teak, which is only ready to harvest after 20 to 25 years, eucalyptus is fast-growing and can be harvested after just 6 years. This is currently the largest forestry and timber project in Mexico and Proteak will be creating around 500 jobs in Tabasco as a result.