Finnish softwood lumber producer Keitele Wood is moving ahead with another stage of its \u20ac40 million investment programme at the Keitele sawmill, where the company ultimately plans to increase annual production capacity from 420,000 m\u00b3 to 600,000 m\u00b3.<\/p>\n
The latest project concerns the mill's small-diameter log line and is scheduled for implementation in autumn 2027. Keitele will replace the existing saw feeding and debarking section, which has been in operation since 2002, with new equipment designed to increase throughput and improve log preparation.<\/p>\n
The modernization is one element of the wider investment programme rather than a standalone capacity expansion. Keitele's broader \u20ac40 million programme is intended to raise the sawmill's annual softwood lumber capacity by 180,000 m\u00b3, or approximately 43%, to 600,000 m\u00b3 under two-shift operation.<\/p>\n
For the small-log line itself, the new equipment is expected to increase capacity by almost 50%. Processing speeds will exceed 200 metres per minute, while the new debarking system is expected to improve the quality and consistency of logs entering the sawing process.<\/p>\n
The project will replace the front end of a production line that has been operating for more than two decades. By increasing the speed of log handling, debarking and feeding, Keitele expects to remove an existing constraint as the sawmill prepares for higher overall production.<\/p>\n
Finnish suppliers will provide the principal equipment. Nordautomation Oy has been selected for the conveyor systems, while Valon Kone Oy will supply the new debarking machine. Both companies have worked with Keitele on previous investment projects.<\/p>\n
The high share of domestically supplied machinery also means that a significant part of the investment will remain within Finland's sawmill technology and engineering sector.<\/p>\n
Sawmill capacity targeted at 600,000 m\u00b3<\/strong><\/p>\n Keitele currently has annual softwood lumber production capacity of around 420,000 m\u00b3. The wider investment programme is designed to take this to 600,000 m\u00b3 while operating on two shifts.<\/p>\n That represents an additional 180,000 m\u00b3 of annual capacity compared with the current level. The expansion will also increase the sawmill's raw material requirements, with higher production translating into greater demand for sawlogs from its procurement area.<\/p>\n Keitele expects this additional wood consumption to have a direct impact on the regional timber market.<\/p>\n Matti Kyl\u00e4vainio, CEO of Keitele Wood, said the increase in wood use would generate additional stumpage revenues for forest owners in areas surrounding the mill. Higher harvesting volumes would also increase demand for logging and timber transport services.<\/p>\n \u201cIncreasing wood use brings significant stumpage income to forest owners in nearby areas and strengthens the vitality of the area,\u201d Kyl\u00e4vainio said, adding that higher harvesting and transport volumes would also increase employment across the contractor network.<\/p>\n The latest small-log line project therefore represents one step in a broader restructuring and expansion of production at Keitele rather than the full investment programme itself.<\/p>\n Once the various projects are completed, the company expects the sawmill to be capable of producing 600,000 m\u00b3 of softwood lumber annually in two-shift operation, around 43% more than its current capacity.<\/p>\n Keitele Wood is part of Keitele Group, a Finnish producer of softwood lumber and further-processed wood products.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Finnish softwood lumber producer Keitele Wood is moving ahead with another stage of its \u20ac40 million investment programme at the Keitele sawmill, where the company ultimately plans to increase annual production capacity from 420,000 m\u00b3 to 600,000 m\u00b3.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99569,"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-99568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n