SCA has given timber drying technology specialist Valutec its third biggest ever order, worth SKr80m, to supply kilns for two of its Swedish sawmills, .
At the Gällö mill, Valutec will install a 50,000m³ progressive kiln and at SCA’s Bollsta site a progressive unit and six batch kilns with combined capacity of 150,000m³ a year.
“And Bollsta’s progressive kiln will be able to handle around 90,000m³, making it one of the largest anywhere in the world,” said Valutec chief executive Robert Larsson.
The installation at Bollsta forms part of a programme to boost annual output of sawn pine at the plant from 455,000m³ to 525,000m³.
Earlier this year, preparatory to the arrival of the new drying technology, the mill installed a new biofuel boiler, making it completely independent of fuel oil.
Following this, according to mill manager Katarina Levin, the new kilns will further reduce Bollsta’s carbon footprint, with the control systems adapted to its quality and output requirements to reduce energy consumption.
“Wood drying is far and away a mill’s most energy-demanding sawn timber than any other in the Nordic region,” said Ms Levin. “So, at the same time as making best use of our high quality raw material, we have to be sensible of our energy consumption.”
Mr Larsson said Valutec was focused on producing technology that could be adapted to users’ specific drying quantity and quality requirements to minimise energy use and added that Nordic customers, who were themselves increasingly shifting to “customised quality”, were making greatest use of it.
“This is giving them advantages over their international competition,” he said.
He added that Sweden-based Valutec has increased its workforce this year to meet demand and that its 2012 order books were already “well-filled”.
Installation of the new kilns at both Bollsta and Gällö will be completed next year.
