The Värö sawmill in Sweden seems to be Södra’s biggest investment, with a raw material consumption of 1.2 million cubic meters. Värö produced a sawn timber volume of approximately 600,000 cubic meters in 2015, according to the company. This is due to many upgrades made in recent years, that enlarged the sawmill’s production volumes. The sawmill at Värö has been functioning since 1974.
The sawmill supplies Germany, the Netherland, Belgium, Sweden, China and South Korea and it produces 80% spruce and 20% pine. Still, its full production capacity hasn’t been reached yet.
Anders Pålsson, Värö sawmill Manager, says that "The type of construction timber produced at Värö is used for housing construction, for example, and is in high demand. We have more capacity. Working in an industry with high demand, interested customers and strong regrowth of the raw material is positive. Wood has many advantages. It absorbs CO2 throughout its entire lifetime, for example, which makes a positive contribution to the climate."
The new facility of the sawmill was authorized in 2011 and expanded fully in 2014, being adapted many times as to increase the efficiency of the production.
Moreover, the increased production capacity is also due to the fact that the sawmill and the pulp mill at Värö work together in a combined plant, that is electrically self-sufficient. Thus, the handling of bark, sawdust and chips that are converted to green energy and district heating, are easier and more efficient.
