Focus on MDF Part Two: Rest of the World | 31
installed capacity for MDF of 640,000m3 but based on the current product mix and efficiencies, are apparently now producing in the region of 700,000m3
annually.
The economy in New Zealand, which is highly trade-exposed and export dependent, especially in the forest products sector, continues to respond to the global financial and economic challenges with vigour. The building and construction cycle is still forecast to shift to a strong growth path in New Zealand (albeit from a small base) over the next two years.
The biggest news recently was Daiken shutting down its original and famous pioneering (Customwood) MDF line in Rangiora. The decision to retire the line, which has been in production since 1975, follows Daiken announcing a restructure in 2023. A second line will continue to operate,
in conjunction with Daiken’s sister plant in Southland. Volumes in the main listing have been adjusted accordingly. Looking now at North Africa, both Algeria
and Egypt have joined the nations of MDF producers in recent years. The Algerian family-owned company, Bigstar Sarl via its subsidiary Panneaux d’Algérie runs a Dieffenbacher line at El Tarf in the far north- east of the country. This first continuous press operating in North Africa has been operational for over three years. In Egypt, Nile Wood SAE has a 200,000m3 capacity MDF facility in Sadat City, Egypt, with capacity planned to double when a second production line is added later. Downstream processing capabilities are also planned. Nile Wood is using sesbania wood from its own plantations as the raw material. Conversely, Egypt might offer new expansion opportunities for the Kronospan Group. In November 2024, the company signed an agreement in principle for an MDF/ HDF project and to build an SPC flooring production plant there. Also in Egypt, Wood Technology Co
(WOTECH) saw its 205,000m³ annual production capacity MDF plant established at Idku, near Alexandria in 2024. The plant, which is designed to process rice straw as the raw material, has been added to the main listings. WOTECH is the second customer after
CalAg, LLC California, to ask Siempelkamp for an MDF plant based on rice straw. The plant is considered an important step in Egypt’s government initiative to use rice straw in a value-adding, CO2
-reducing and
sustainable way. The 8ft x 48.7m ContiRoll press line is designed to produce 3-40mm thick products. The panels produced will primarily go into the furniture industry in the local or Middle East region. For South Africa, private sector housing is
still projected to grow annually and certainly the demand for furniture and wood-based panel products has strengthened there considerably over the past decade. Only one MDF producer has been under expansive construction in South Africa in the last year, and this is PG Bison, which has an existing MDF facility at Boksburg in Gauteng Province, with a current installed capacity of 132,000m3
capacity of 207,000m3
out of a total South African .
PG Bison previously unveiled a ZAR2bn (equalling roughly €110m) programme of investments involving both PB and MDF installations. Owned by the South African conglomerate KAP Industrial Holdings, PG Bison said that the investments involved the installation of a new MDF/HDF line with a capacity of 275,000m3
The new MDF line went operational in 2024 and features a Siempelkamp 6ft x 38.7m ContiRoll press. According to PG Bison, the new plant will produce MDF, light MDF and HDF in thicknesses between 3-35mm. Total capacity for MDF/HDF sold by PG Bison under the name SupaWood will increase from currently 420m³ to 1,200m³/ day. Additional investments to the tune of around ZAR400m are envisaged for downstream projects between now and 2026. MDF consumption in South Africa has increased annually over the past five years. The relatively strong growth in production
and consumption of furniture in the past decade, as well as projections for strong growth to 2025/26, suggest that it will be a key sector continually driving growth in the consumption of MDF and particleboard. For Iran we have recently been able to
completely update our main listings which shows Iran’s MDF name plate production capacity up to an impressive 3,705,000m3
. at the Piet Retief site.
In recent times the Ministry of Industries, Mining & Trade in Iran banned the exports of timber, chipboards and MDF. The measure was said to be aimed at regulating the domestic market, as furniture producers and business in the field had recently complained of scarcity and high prices of raw materials used in their trades. There has been considerable change in the MDF manufacturers’ evolution in Iran during the last few years. A lot of new companies came into the
market with both new and second-hand lines installed, so our listings in WBPI have been updated again this year. Furthermore, there are also the two
new investments in Iran for MDF lines now listed in our future capacity table which are under construction – the Arta Industrial Group 2 at Ardebil with 300,000m3
, and
Melamin Sazeh 2 at Azarshahr, Tabriz with 500,000m3
.
In Iran, MDF still has further potential for more to be produced locally as nearly 800,000m3
was imported only in the last years, mainly from Turkey and China.
to 1.77m3
HOW THE LISTING WAS COMPILED The WBPI listings published in 2024 were reviewed and modifications made, using other published sources and data received directly from the mills and specific industry experts. Published information was reviewed for news of capacity changes. These sources include relevant trade magazines, association reports, press releases and equipment suppliers’ reference lists. The mills own reported capacities are used wherever possible because this is the basis upon which they can make their estimates of future capacity and production changes. Where this information is not available, published sources are used, usually on a basis of 330 operating days per year. Conversion to ft2 .
to m3 /year is made with 1,000ft2 to m3 /year is made with 1,000ft2 equal
In September 2011, Geoff Rhodes established GRA as a specialist forest products and international trade consultancy, providing independent in-depth assessment of markets and market potential for wood-based panel products. Geoff is well known for his pioneering work over many years driving the introduction and huge expansion in the use of MDF in the UK and international markets. He is a former President of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF), the European Association of MDF Manufacturers (EMB), the Fibre Building Board Federation (FIDOR) & a former Board Member of the European Panel Federation (EPF). He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and since 2016, he has been President of the Institute of Carpenters (IOC). In 2017 he was the recipient of the TTJ’s Lifetime Achievement Award for services to the timber industry.
geoffrhodes.associates@
gmail.com
www.wbpionline.com | August/September 2025 | WBPI
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