Multinational timber group Stora Enso remains the number one in Europe. The Holzkurier estimates that the Finnish company with strong sawmills in Central Europe will produce at least 5.6 million m³ this year, which would be only 1% less than in 2021. This decrease is the result of the shuttering of the two Russian sawmills in early March, which are now up for sale. Production at all other sawmills will likely increase.
While Stora Enso is encountering some bumps in the road in the form of the sale of the Russian sawmills, Binderholz keeps gaining ground. In January, Europe’s number two, which is based in Fügen, took over Scottish company BSW Timber, which brings the total output of Binderholz’s European sawmills to 4.7 million m³ (+7%). Including the US sawmills, Binderholz reported that it plans to produce 5.1 million m³ this year.
From 12 to 3
VidaWood is the third-biggest manufacturer of softwood lumber. Last year, the subsidiary of Canfor, the world’s largest sawmill group, rose from 12th to third place thanks to acquisitions and increases in production. In 2022, the Swedish company wants to raise its production output by 4% to around 2.6 million m³.
Target production +52%
Mayr-Melnhof Holz managed to jump to fourth place. The main reason for this improvement is the purchase of three production sites from Swedish company Bergkvist Siljan in February. As a result of these acquisitions, Mayr-Melnhof Holz’s target production increases by 52% and is expected to reach almost 2.6 million m³. Without the three new production sites, the company would be in 12th place with a lumber output of 1.7 million m³.
The estimate for the Russian site in Efimovski is rough at best, since the current upheaval makes it nearly impossible to estimate production volumes.
SCA Timber is in fifth place. In 2022, the company’s total production is expected to rise by 5% to 2.4 million m³. Compared to the year before, the company thus gained one place from the previous sixth place.
Many changes at HS Timber
A lot is happening at HS Timber Group and Metsä Fibre. In 2021 and 2022, no sawmill company underwent so many changes as HS Timber. On March 30, the company closed its sawmill in Radauti and the panel factory in Siret. As a result, HS Timber Group recorded a nominal decrease of 7% to just under 2 million m³ despite having recently acquired a sawmill in Luvia/FI. In addition, the construction of a new production site in Belarus had to be stopped in March. In Argentina, on the other hand, construction of a new sawmill began in the same month.
Metsä Fibre will reach a production output of only 1.5 million m³ this year. In the third quarter, production is to start at the new site in Rauma/FI which, according to Metsä, will become “the world’s most modern sawmill”. However, two sawmills will be shuttered this year. Production at the site in Kyrö/FI will probably be discontinued this summer, and at the Russian site in Svir, production has stood still since March.
The outlook for the Russian JSC Lesozavod Sawmill 25 is largely influenced by the upheaval caused by the war in Ukraine. The company’s production is estimated at 1.2 million m³ (+5%) in 2022. However, important sales markets are lost at the same time. As a result, the future development of the company is more than uncertain.
German sawmills are turning up the heat
In addition to Mayr-Melnhof, the developments taking place at ante-holz and Rettenmeier Holzindustrie, that is the percentage increases in production, are also worth mentioning. In 2022, ante-holz will raise its production by 29% to 1.9 million m³. This is mainly possible thanks to the new production site in Rötenbach/DE which started operating in June 2021. Rettenmeier Holzindustrie’s softwood lumber production will grow by 15%, reaching a total of almost 2.4 million m³.
Biggest single production site in Bavaria
The sawmill with the highest production output in Europe is operated by Ziegler Holzindustrie. In 2022, the company will produce 1.2 million m³ of softwood lumber at its headquarters in Plößberg/DE. Ilim Timber’s two German sites follow with an average of 825,000 m³.
| Ranked according to 2022 target production (in 1,000 m³) | |||||||
| Place in 2021 | Place in 2022 | Company | Headquarters | Sawmills | Production in 2021 | Target production in 2022 | Diff. in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 ←→ | Stora Enso ¹⁾ ²⁾ | FI | 18 | 5,700 | 5,600 | –1 |
| 2 | 2 ←→ | Binderholz ³⁾ | AT | 17 | 4,430 | 4,740 | 7 |
| 3 | 3 ←→ | Vida Wood | SE | 12 | 2,550 | 2,650 | 4 |
| 9 | 4 ↑ | Mayr-Melnhof Holz ¹⁾ ⁴⁾ | AT | 6 | 1,700 | 2,590 | 52 |
| 6 | 5 ↑ | SCA Timber ¹⁾ | SE | 5 | 2,263 | 2,380 | 5 |
| 7 | 6 ↑ | Rettenmeier Holzindustrie | DE | 5 | 2,050 | 2,350 | 15 |
| 5 | 7 ↓ | Pfeifer Holz | AT | 5 | 2,200 | 2,300 | 5 |
| 8 | 8 ←→ | Moelven Group | NO | 15 | 2,116 | 2,260 | 7 |
| 10 | 9 ↑ | Södra Timber ¹⁾ | SE | 7 | 1,965 | 2,000 | 5 |
| 4 | 10 ↓ | HS Timber Group ⁵⁾ | AT | 4 | 2,090 | 1,950 | –7 |
| 17 | 11 ↑ | ante-holz ⁶⁾ | DE | 3 | 1,490 | 1,920 | 29 |
| 11 | 12 ↓ | Setra Group | SE | 7 | 1,675 | 1,750 | 4 |
| 12 | 13 ↓ | Ilim Timber ⁷⁾ | DE | 2 | 1,650 | 1,650 | 0 |
| 13 | 14 ↓ | Fruytier Scierie | BE | 11 | 1,548 | 1,600 | 3 |
| 14 | 14 ↓ | UPM Timber ¹⁾ | FI | 4 | 1,600 | 1,600 | 0 |
| 15 | 16 ↓ | Metsä Fibre ¹⁾ ⁸⁾ | FI | 5 | 1,710 | 1,500 | –12 |
| 16 | 16 ←→ | Holmen Wood Products | SE | 5 | 1,400 | 1,500 | 7 |
| 18 | 18 ←→ | Versowood | FI | 4 | 1,380 | 1,400 | 1 |
| 20 | 19 ↑ | Ziegler Holzindustrie ⁹⁾ | DE | 1 | 1,210 | 1,210 | 0 |
| – | 20 | JSC Lesozavod Sawmill 25 ¹⁾ ¹⁰⁾ | RU | 3 | 1,113 | 1,170 | 5 |
| Total | 41,840 | 44,120 | 5 | ||||
Information
1) 2022: Holzkurier estimate;
2) Estimated growth: 5%, divestment of two Russian sawmills in 2022 (-350,000 m³/year);
3) Total output: 4.83 million m³ (2021); 5.14 million m³ (2022); figures in the table do not include US sawmills (400,000 m³/year); number of sawmills, production figures and target volumes including BSW Timber’s sites. Company was acquired in January 2022;
4) 2022 production of sawmill in Efimovskij/RU difficult to estimate; production of the three recently acquired Bergkvist Siljan sites estimated at 850,000 m³;
5) 2021: four sawmills. Radauti/RO was shuttered this year – only three sawmills since April 2022; 2022: new acquisition of Luvian Saha (300,000 m³); new construction of sawmill in Belarus was stopped in March; new construction of sawmill in Argentina started in March (fifth sawmill);
6) 2022 target output including the site in Rötenbach/DE which went into operation in June 2021;
7) Figures refer to the two German production sites;
8) Sawmill in Rauma/FI to go into operation this year, production to start at the end of Q3 2022 according to company’s website; in March 2022, shuttering of production in Kyrö/FI in summer 2022 was announced; production in Svir/RU suspended (capacity: 285,000 m³/year);
9) 2021 production figures as reported on the company’s website;
10) Information as of May 16: Ziegler Holzindustrie acquires two sawmills in Sweden (cutting: 750,000 m³/year); 15th place within reach.
