Sector Focus: Cladding & Shingles | 45
SUMMARY
■ A fourth reactor is boosting Arnhem’s output of Accoya by 33%
■ Accoya Color is increasingly being used in cladding applications
■ Accsys is in a joint venture with Eastman Chemical to build an Accoya plant in the US
■ A debut TV campaign will air in late February
ACCSYS UPS ACCOYA OUTPUT AND PROFILE
Accsys has ambitions for increasing the use of Accoya in cladding in the UK and internationally. Mike Jeffree reports
“Demand over the past year has been strong as ever, but has outstripped supply as we’ve been installing a fourth [acetylation] reactor at our Arnhem plant in the Netherlands to stay ahead of market growth,” said Mr Neel. “It’s taken a bit longer than expected, so our distributors and approved manufacturers have been somewhat short of product. It’s a testament to our close relationships– and their patience – that they’ve stuck with us. But it’s been frustrating.” Pandemic sea freight disruption added to production constraints, hitting supply of the New Zealand radiata pine, on which Accoya is based.
Above: The Google HQ at London’s King’s Cross is 300m wide and described as a ‘landscraper’
But with the global logistics picture improving and the fourth reactor on stream (TTJ November/December 2022), boosting Arnhem’s output by 33%, Accsys now sees its supply issues resolving rapidly. “Customers will see the benefits almost immediately and we’re forecasting a 50% increase in Accoya volumes in our second half,” said Mr Neel.
From a Tokyo Apple store, to a multi- million dollar Malibu mansion and Google’s spectacular London HQ, Accoya features in multifarious cladding projects worldwide. Cladding is, in fact, a prime end use for the acetylation-modified timber; taking first or second place in overall sales in markets globally, including the UK. According to marketing, communications and ESG/sustainability director George Neel, Accoya manufacturer Accsys Technologies also sees cladding’s significance for the product set to grow. Driven by its aesthetics
and environmental credentials, the market appetite for timber cladding is developing internationally and, he said, Accsys is increasingly well-placed to satisfy it, with more production capacity coming on stream. This, in turn, will enable it to grow output of its increasingly popular through-dyed variant, Accoya Color, which also targets the cladding market. While Accsys has a distinctly bullish outlook for 2023 and beyond, however, Mr Neel acknowledges it’s recently been through challenging times.
The added benefit of increased Accoya capacity, he said, is that more will be available to make Accoya Color at Accsys’ plant in Barry, acquired from former modified timber manufacturer Lignia in 2021. “Accoya Color has principally sold in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some parts of the US,” said Mr Neel. “At first it was used for decking, where it’s been a real success, but manufacturers increasingly wanted it for cladding too. We undertook trials and it looked really smart, so we’re now selling it across these two applications. We see that ►
www.ttjonline.com | January/February 2023 | TTJ
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