Titan has also signed a research agreement with Scion to strengthen Titan’s market position and improve the offering of acetylation technology for licensees around the world. Scion will deliver the programme through Ensis, its joint venture with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation.
Accoya, which will be supplied in the UK by BSW Timber from the end of 2006, claims to offer performance equivalent to or better than the best tropical hardwoods by increasing the amount of acetyl molecules in softwood.
“The acetylation technology has been under development at Scion for some time and has been proven on a small pilot plant scale,” said Scion chief executive Dr Tom Richardson.
“In order for the technology to really move forward, it needs to be taken to a large scale plant which is capable of processing commercial quantities of timber.”
Dr Richardson said the technology could shorten process cycle times and increase throughput. He also said the move could help open up a new market for New Zealand radiata pine in Europe, as Titan was specifically applying its technology to the species.
Titan, a subsidiary of UK-based Accsys Technologies plc, says it is close to completing the world’s first full-scale commercial production plant for Accoya – a 30,000m3 production facility in Holland. Its pilot plant has been in operation since 1999.
