Argentina is preparing to enter industrial-scale cross-laminated timber production, with a new CLT plant in Corrientes province scheduled to begin equipment installation in September. The project will add an initial 15,000 m\u00b3 of annual capacity to a South American mass timber market that has expanded rapidly in recent years.<\/p>\n
The plant is being developed by Cambium Build, part of Argentina's Insud Group, at the former Pomera Maderas sawmill site in Virasoro, one of the country's main forestry and wood-processing centres.<\/p>\n
More than US$20 million is being invested in the project. A new 4,800 m\u00b2 production facility is being built, while the manufacturing equipment is being supplied by Slovenian machinery producer Ledinek. The final equipment shipment is reportedly on its way to Buenos Aires, with installation expected to start in September.<\/p>\n
Commercial production is planned for late 2026 or early 2027. Initial capacity is expected to reach 15,000 m\u00b3\/year, while the investment is projected to support around 300 direct and indirect jobs.<\/p>\n
New outlet for Argentina's plantation resource<\/strong><\/p>\n The investment gives Argentina its first industrial production line dedicated to CLT and represents another step in developing higher-value markets for the country's plantation timber.<\/p>\n Corrientes is particularly well positioned for such production. The province has around 500,000 hectares of planted forests and a large established sawmilling industry, providing the raw-material base required for structural timber manufacturing.<\/p>\n Until now, Argentina's mass timber sector has remained relatively small, with structural components generally produced for individual projects rather than through a dedicated industrial CLT production system. The Cambium Build investment will introduce automated processing and manufacturing technology designed specifically for engineered structural timber.<\/p>\n The project is also part of a much larger investment pipeline in the Corrientes forestry sector. Four major projects under development in the province reportedly represent combined investments of more than US$2.5 billion, putting the region at the centre of Argentina's current forest-industry investment cycle.<\/p>\n South American CLT capacity continues to expand<\/strong><\/p>\n Argentina is entering a South American mass timber market that is still relatively small but already has established industrial production. Uruguay's Arboreal plant has operated since 2022 with capacity of around 50,000 m\u00b3\/year of CLT and glulam, supported by an integrated sawmill. The company supplies markets across Latin America and has recently secured around US$40 million in financing for further expansion.<\/p>\n Brazil has developed a growing base of commercial mass timber projects. Urbem produces CLT and glulam from plantation pine and has supplied residential, retail and commercial buildings. Its Pra\u00e7a Pitiguari development in S\u00e3o Paulo state used around 1,300 m\u00b3 of engineered wood, including almost 700 m\u00b3 of CLT. Chile, meanwhile, has built structural timber expertise around its large radiata pine resource, including research into the seismic performance of timber buildings.<\/p>\n Argentina has considerable potential to follow. Corrientes alone has around 500,000 hectares of planted forests and an established sawmilling industry, but production of higher-value structural timber remains limited. Cambium's initial 15,000 m\u00b3\/year capacity will be considerably smaller than Arboreal's operation, but provides a new industrial outlet for locally produced structural-grade lumber.<\/p>\n Further growth will depend on both raw-material availability and construction demand. Plantation expansion in Corrientes has stagnated, while new planting in neighbouring Misiones has remained below 12,000 hectares annually for the past decade. Building standards, certification, financing and greater adoption among architects and developers will also determine how quickly Argentina can develop a larger domestic CLT market.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Argentina is preparing to enter industrial-scale cross-laminated timber production, with a new CLT plant in Corrientes province scheduled to begin equipment installation in September. The project will add an initial 15,000 m\u00b3 of annual capacity to a South American mass … Continue reading