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MEDITE SMARTPLY has announced a \u20ac75 million investment programme to support the next phase of MDF manufacturing at its Clonmel facility, as the company celebrates the 50th anniversary of the MEDITE brand.<\/p>\n
The investment underlines MEDITE SMARTPLY\u2019s long-term commitment to panel manufacturing in Ireland and is expected to strengthen supply resilience for customers across the UK, Ireland and continental Europe.<\/p>\n
At the core of the programme is the replacement and renewal of the facility\u2019s existing biomass boiler system, together with upgrades to fuel handling equipment, drying systems and related infrastructure that support MDF production.<\/p>\n
Operating around the clock throughout the year, the Clonmel plant produces approximately 400,000 m\u00b3 of MDF annually. The biomass boiler system provides the thermal energy needed to dry wood fibres during production, helping to ensure consistent product quality across continuous manufacturing lines.<\/p>\n
\u201cMEDITE has been a long-standing part of the Clonmel community, and this investment \u2013 the largest current investment in MDF production in Western Europe \u2013 reflects our intention to continue manufacturing here long into the future,\u201d said Neil Foot, CEO of MEDITE SMARTPLY.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a significant commitment not only to the site itself, but to the skilled workforce, supply chain and wider regional economy connected to the factory. It ensures the facility remains competitive, reliable and capable of supporting future market demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy renewing critical infrastructure across the site, we are strengthening process control, supporting consistent product quality and investing in the long-term reliability of one of Europe\u2019s leading MDF manufacturing operations. As we mark 50 years of MEDITE, this project demonstrates our long-term confidence in the business, our people and the markets we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
The investment programme forms part of MEDITE SMARTPLY\u2019s broader renewal strategy and will modernise several key manufacturing systems across the Clonmel site. Major European suppliers, including Dieffenbacher and Sunds Fibertech, will provide the core technologies required for the project, supporting upgrades to energy generation, fuel handling and fibre drying operations.<\/p>\n
The project has already received planning approval through Ireland\u2019s Strategic Infrastructure Development process. It also includes measures covering environmental protection, waste management, water supply and ecological monitoring.<\/p>\n
According to the company, the new infrastructure is expected to improve process control, reduce downtime and enhance overall plant reliability, helping the facility meet growing operational and regulatory requirements in the years ahead.<\/p>\n
In addition to operational improvements, the new system will eliminate the use of natural gas and transition the facility entirely to renewable biomass as its primary heat source. MEDITE SMARTPLY expects this change to significantly reduce fossil fuel-related CO\u2082 emissions and support the company\u2019s efforts to lower Scope 1 emissions while advancing its broader climate objectives.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98991,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n