Baltic birch plywood producer JSC Latvijas Finieris says the expansion of its Riga Wood Finland Oy Plant in Sastamala, Finland, is progressing.

At the end of last year, the foundations for the new finishing basin of the new birch veneer peeling line were laid, with concreting of the basin walls planned for this year. The roof of the existing plant building has been raised in an area of about 550M2 to accommodate a new peeling line.

Contracts have been signed for the supply of production equipment and technology. Installation is scheduled for autumn 2026. The new production line will be operational in early 2027.

The expansion project forms part of an investment of approximately €15m aimed at increasing production volumes at the Sastamala plant, enhancing automation levels, and introducing state-of-the-art technological solutions, including the use of artificial intelligence in production processes. The investment is also expected to have a positive impact on regional employment while ensuring efficient and productive production.

“The expansion of the Sastamala plant is a strategically significant milestone in the long-term development of Latvijas Finieris.,” said Jānis Ciems, Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Finieris.

“Through targeted investments in modern technologies and expanded production capacity, we are reinforcing our position in the birch wood resources market and securing competitive, sustainable production for the future.

“In response to increasing competition in Europe for efficient land use, Latvijas Finieris plans to process approximately half of the Group’s veneer log volume outside Latvia in the coming years.”
  
Source:  finieris.com