Martinsons to rise CLT production capacity up to 22,000m3 per year
“Demand is strong. There is a lot of construction going on throughout Sweden and CLT meets the need for efficient industrial construction with the lowest possible climate impact,” said CEO Lars Martinson.
CLT consists of solid panels of planed spruce that are glued together, with every other layer being cross laid. It is often used in walls, floors and ceilings. Martinsons has so far manufactured panels with a width of 1.2 metres, but with the new line in Bygdsiljum will also be able to offer storey-high panels, with a width of three metres.
“We have been manufacturing CLT since 2003 and know the product inside and out, so we feel confident about this launch. We will implement a controlled start-up and then gradually increase production,” said Olov Martinson, production manager at Martinsons.
Cross-laminated timber has long been established as a building material in Central Europe, but has been less commonly used in Sweden. Use has increased sharply over the past year, not least because it meets the growing need for time-efficient and simple building processes.
“We have done what we can to spur on development in Sweden, including investing heavily in training designers and appointing a product manager for CLT. We know that those who begin using the material frequently increase their purchases over time and that is naturally an excellent testimony,” Lars explained.
Martinsons has had environmental product declarations for its CLT and glulam construction components produced by EPD Norge ((The Norwegian EPD Foundation). They show that one cubic metre of CLT, taking into account extraction of raw material and transport, binds a net total of 658 kg CO2-eqv.
“These are figures we are proud of and are the result of our substantial efforts to minimise our environmental impact. Our plants, for instance, are wholly powered by renewable electricity from hydropower and our transport activities use fossil-free diesel,” added Olov Martinson.
Original link - IHB
