News
Valutec delivers 17 timber kilns to Russia
Valutec has won an order for a total of 17 timber kilns from north-eastern Russia’s largest sawmill, Sawmill 25 in Siberian Archangel, which is building an entirely new sawmill plant. The total order value is around EUR 4.5 million, which means that the order is one of the largest ever for the company.
“We have had a long cooperation with Sawmill 25, which already uses our kilns in its other mills. Long-term customer cooperation is something we at Valutec value highly and it therefore feels especially good that they continue to entrust us with their business,” says Robert Larsson, CEO of Valutec.
The order comprises five progressive FB kilns and a total of 12 E-wagon fed batch kilns. The total drying capacity amounts to approximately 300,000 m3 per year, a volume that corresponds to nearly 19,000 football fields with boards laid side by side. The drying facilities will be used for the drying down of spruce and pine boards and planks, which is also the main product of Sawmill 25. The kilns are also equipped with a total of 130 pressure frames to ensure the quality of the timber packages’ top layer.
“We design and manufacture the kilns and then transport the units by boat to Archangel,” explains Robert Larsson.
The deliveries will begin in the spring and the kilns will be assembled and commissioned before the end of the year.
“Our Russian colleagues lead the project and at our customer Sawmill 25, the same people are involved as when we assembled and commissions the kilns in their Tsiglomen sawmill six years ago,” says Robert Larsson.
Sawmill 25 is a part of the Titan Group, which consists of more than 20 companies in the area around Archangel. Annual sales amount to more than EUR 100 million. For Valutec, the order is the largest in Russia since the delivery to AsiaLes in the Russian far-east nearly two years ago. That delivery comprised a total of 11 timber kilns.
The largest deal that Valutec secured is the delivery of timber kilns to the construction of Holmen’s mill in Braviken in 2010.