8 | News
Unilin plans major €100m investment at Oostrozebeke PB factory in Belgium
Unilin plans to invest over €100m modernising its Unilin Panels Oostrozebeke (Belgium) site. The site, which produces particleboard panels commonly used in kitchen cabinetry, furniture and wall or floor applications, will embark on one of the largest industrial upgrades in the company’s recent history. Unilin aims to strengthen its production capabilities while further improving efficiency, product quality and safety. The Oostrozebeke plant, previously known as ‘Spano’, employs around 370 people and produces particleboard using 100% recycled waste wood. At the heart of the project is the planned installation of a new continuous particleboard press, replacing two existing presses,
combined with a broader renewal of key production processes across the site. The new installation will maintain a similar production capacity of 575,000m³, while being less energy-intensive (-8%) and more efficient in raw material use. If the necessary permits are obtained, the modernisation programme will start in the third quarter of 2026 with preparation and engineering. If progress continues as planned, the upgraded installation is expected to be fully operational by 2029. “This investment is about preparing our Oostrozebeke production plant for the next decades,” says Bert Vandenkendelaere, President Unilin Panels. “By combining state-of-the-art
technology with 100% recycled wood as raw material and a clear product focus across our different sites, we aim to confirm our reliability as a supplier and set our customers up for success in the years to come.
The planned investment also reflects Unilin’s continued commitment to Belgium as a key industrial base. The project has been confirmed to receive up to €6m support from the Flemish Government.
Bert Vandenkendelaere (President Unilin Panels) and Ben Vandenbroucke (GM Chipboards) inspect existing press operations at Oostrozebeke
Lignatherm starts production of wood fibre insulation boards
Switzerland once again has a woodfibre insulation board manufacturing plant, with Schilliger Holz’s Lignatherm factory producing its first board on May 21. The Küssnacht am Rigi plant will ramp up production gradually of wood fibre insulation boards with bulk densities of 110, 140 and 180 kg/m³.
Schilliger Holz established the subsidiary Lignatherm AG six years ago following the closure of the last Swiss
production site for wood fibre insulation boards in Cham a year earlier. The aim was to close the resulting gap in the Swiss timber processing chain. “The proximity to the existing production site in Haltikon in particular creates useful synergies,” said Ernest Schilliger, Managing Director of Schilliger Holz. “This allows us to keep the transport distance short for the wood chips from Haltikon, which serve as the raw material for the production
of Schilliger Lignatherm wood fibre insulation boards.” Schilliger Holz has invested
over 100 million Swiss francs in the project. This includes a wood-fired power plant with a thermal output of approximately 20 megawatts, which supplies the production facility with heat and steam. “It is no small feat that
the commissioning of such a highly complex system was completed without any major problems,” said Tobias Osterwalder, Managing
Director of Lignatherm AG. He said building with Swiss timber was very much “in vogue,” with Schilliger Lignatherm wood fibre insulation boards bearing the Swiss Timber label. The company also stocks Flex
wood fibre insulation boards with a bulk density of 50 kg/ m³ and blow-in insulation as commercial products. However, it is possible to expand the facilities at a later date so that these products can also be manufactured from Swiss timber in Küssnacht am Rigi.
First board produced at the Lignatherm plant WBPI | Summer 2026 |
www.wbpionline.com
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