Focus on MDF Part 1: Europe & North America | 19
Above: Investment in MDF capacity has slowed
These realities have been seen across all markets.
The outlook for 2025 is certainly somewhat subdued, with the continued global uncertainties with tariffs and economic stagnation being major factors. With MDF being one of the more energy
intensive products to manufacture, there has been reduced output, with energy costs and reduced consumption weighing on producers.
News of upcoming new European MDF mills is listed in Table 1. Included are the major investments planned by Yildiz Entegre of Turkey overseas in Vladimir, Russia; the Homanit replacement and upgrading MDF project in Germany and the Kronospan new plant planned for Slovakia. Additionally added are the planned investments in Russia by Lesplitinvest, AVIC Forestry and Monolit Stroy.
The planned Slovakian Kronospan MDF
remains on the drawing board. Kronospan filed an application with the Slovakian Ministry of Environment for an environmental impact assessment for an MDF mill planned in Zvolen back at the start
mill in Zvolen with an anticipated capacity of 450,000m3
of 2021 and according to the submitted paperwork, the new mill is to make MDF 6-38mm thick. Work to build the mill was planned to commence within two years of receipt of the required permits, and news, we understand, is still awaited. It will then take another 18 months for commissioning to take place. The positive news in the US remains the announcement by Roseburg Forest Products (RFP) to invest US$700m to upgrade and expand its manufacturing operations in southern Oregon. And, in Canada, the Great Plains MDF project is still trying to finalise funding, but all the current financial chaos isn’t helping. In Mexico, the positive capacity
developments outlined previously have progressed well and the South America- based wood-based panel giant Arauco is running the former Masisa’s MDF facility in Durango. It announced in November 2021 a US$200m MDF project in Zitácuaro (Michoacán) to double its capacity, and this is due to start up later in 2025. Proteak Uno (Pro MDF) has been renamed Technotable, in Huimanguillo and this is highlighted in the main listing.
Sustainability continues to be of key
interest in the European market both from a carbon and forestry point of view. The impending EUDR regulatory changes will only heighten this, and customers / users are becoming more vigilant than ever, as to the credentials of the product they are sourcing. EU regulations on formaldehyde levels are raising interest from customers about the resins used in MDF manufacturing. This has led to the growing research and commercial interest in bio-resins. One of the biggest focus points and requirements for the MDF industry is from a regulatory perspective in having to comply with the REACH requirement of supplying only E1/2 product to the market by mid-2026. This year’s survey once again provides listings of design capacity in the two regions as at the end of 2024. We also show the changes to capacity expected during 2025 and beyond. Total all-European installed capacity reached an estimated 31,455,000m3 2024 compared to 31,575,000m3 30,021,800m3 in 2021.
in in 2023, in 2022, and 29,526,800m3 All MDF mills continue to work hard to
www.wbpionline.com | June/July 2025 | WBPI
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