40 | Panel Perspectives: Russia update


RUSSIAN PANELS MARKET BOOMS


Good market dynamics exist in the Russian wood-based panels market, with a rise in plant investment projects there, reports WBPI Russia correspondent Eugene Gerden


T


he Russian boards’ sector shows good dynamics this year despite the ongoing pandemic and the sky-rocketed prices for most of the industry’s product range. These have been observed since the beginning of the current year, according to recent statements made by representatives of leading local producers and analysts in the region.


This year a number of large-scale


investment projects were resumed in the industry after a long pause of almost a year caused by the pandemic and its consequences. That led to additional supplies of boards to the domestic market, which currently experiences an increased demand, triggered by a booming construction sector. “The main driver of the current growth of the demand for boards in Russia is a rapid development of housing construction in Russia,” said Timur Irtuganov, general director of the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia (AMDPR). “In fact, the demand for boards in the domestic market has been steadily growing since June 2020,” continued Mr Irtuganov. “According to our data in the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, the demand significantly exceeded the pre- pandemic figures.” The existing demand contributes to


the growth of investment activities in the industry. According to Mr Irtuganov, in 2021, two


factories launched by Kronospan started operating at full capacity again. These are the enterprises of the former Russian Laminat group of companies – chipboard factories in Sergiev Posad, Moscow Region, and in the Smolensk Region, in the Igorevsky District. The total capacity of the factories is about 400,000m3


of


particleboard per year. “The Kronospan company also launched a large-scale production of MDF in the Kaluga region; in September this year,” said Mr Irtuganov. “In November, the plant should reach its design capacity, which will be about 400,000m3


of MDF per year.”


Representatives of Kronospan Russia were not available for comments.


OSB INVESTMENTS In the meantime, the Austrian company is not the only global major that continues to strengthen its position in the Russian market. Swiss Krono – another global major, operating in Russia – is currently involved in the building of a large-scale OSB plant in Sharya, which is in the Kostroma region, with the planned volume of investments of about RUB20bn.


Production is scheduled to start in 2023 and it is planned that the Sharya plant will produce over 600,000m3


of products per year


and will have the status of being the largest OSB plant in Russia. In general, the OSB segment is currently on the rise in Russia, which stimulates the launch of new investment projects in the local market, both from foreign and domestic companies. One such company is CJSC Murom, the Russian producer of boards and plywood, which is based in the Vladimir region of central Russia. CJSC Murom’s new OSB plant is gradually reaching its design capacity of 230,000m3


the current year. The volume of investments in the project


amounted to RUB7bn (US$98.2m). It created more than 200 new jobs, while future output of the plant will be supplied both to domestic market and for exports. According to the company, the new production is waste-free, which is a first for Russia.


“This is a truly unique technology,” said Olga Tikhonova, director of the company, during the official launch of the plant. “It will be used for the first time in Russia.


We already have orders for our products and are planning to sign other contracts with both Russian and foreign customers.


after its commissioning in June of


Above left: Commissioning of the OSB plant in Murom Above right: Preparation work for the construction of the Luzales MDF plant WBPI | October/November 2021 | www.wbpionline.com


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