Franz Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau (left) and Richard Stralz proudly present the CLT plant which is taking shape in Leoben © Günther Jauk
You one become aware of the actual scale of this project when you enter Mayr-Melnhof Holz’s new production halls in Leoben. At the former Novopan site, directly next to the group’s sawmill and headquarters, the biggest investment project in the company’s history is currently being carried out on a production area of more than three hectares.
As far as the law allows and it makes sense from a technical point of view, the production hall is built in wood, using 11,500 m³ of CLT, glulam and three-layer boards from Mayr-Melnhof Holz’s own production. The construction project is PEFC-certified. In fact, it is the world’s first PEFC-certified timber construction project of this size according to the company. Timber construction company Strobl Bau of Weiz is responsible for the execution.
High-performance planing mill
In addition to the cross-laminated timber plant, Mayr-Melnhof Holz is also building a post-sorting and planing line for 700,000 m³ a year. In the future, the company plans to process around 500,000 m³ a year in Leoben and at other production sites. According to Chairman of the Board and CEO Richard Stralz, the remaining 200,000 m³ of lumber and planed timber are to be sold to external customers.
Extraordinary logistics system
In the future, up to 28,000 m³ of lumber can be stored in the high-bay storage system © MMHolz / Klaus Morgenstern
Right behind the sorting line, a fully automated high-bay storage system with space for 28,000 m³ is being built where the lumber is managed fully automatically according to the principle “first in, first out”. If necessary, it can also be loaded or transported to the CLT plant. The storage system is a solution developed by German company Hermann Logistik. “For us, the software behind the steel construction rather the construction itself was decisive,” Manuel Staber, Construction Project Manager, says, explaining the decision to work with a logistics expert from outside the industry.
For the cross-laminated timber plant itself, Mayr-Melnhof Holz chose Ledinek as the main supplier, while Hundegger is responsible for the CNC joinery machines. Once the expansion is completed, the plant is to have an annual production of around 140,000 m³, which brings the total capacity to over 200,000 m³ a year. In the Holzkurier ranking, this means that Mayr-Melnhof Holz will likely be among the Top 4 of the biggest CLT manufacturers worldwide. The plant is going to go into operation in spring 2023. From the summer of next year, the company wants to produce in one shift, before switching to a two-shift operation in early 2024.
Further investments planned
Furthermore, there are plans to modernize the sawmill in Leoben over the next three to five years by putting a new saw line into operation. “This completes the modernization of the site, from its log yard to the saw line and further processing,” Stralz says, summing up the massive investment package in a few words and adding that there is still room for the further finishing of cross-laminated timber.
