Rob Harris, CEO cutting the ribbon at the opening of the fourth wood acetylation chamber
.
Accsys, the manufacturer of highly sustainable Accoya wood, has successfully expanded production capacity at its facilities in Arnhem, the Netherlands. The first commercial batch of Accoya wood has been produced from its new, fourth acetylation chamber.
Accoya wood is highly durable, stable and sustainable, and is in strong demand for windows, doors, cladding, decking and more.
Accsys has invested over €30 million in expanding the Arnhem site, including improving the wood handling for the whole site. The new acetylation chamber, which weighs in at 65 tonnes and over 14m long, increases the production capacity at Arnhem by a third, up from 60,000m3 to 80,000m3 (25.4 to 34.0 million board feet) a year.
In addition to the new acetylation chamber, Accsys has also invested in developing the Arnhem plant’s facilities. The improvements include: new capabilities to support safe and rapid handling and logistics of the increased volumes of wood; and a new quality monitoring and assurance technology with cameras, infrared scattering and x-rays to examine every board to ensure customer satisfaction with the products. A new 20,000m2 (200,000 sq ft) warehouse opened in October at Hoevers, which will provide 35,000m3 of raw material storage close to the Arnhem site.
Fourth wood acetylation chamber completed and now fully operational at Arnhem site
Rob Harris, CEO Accsys commented: “The world urgently needs solutions for sustainable construction. Durable, sustainable, and with incredibly high performance, Accoya is in high demand – and we’re working as hard as we can to produce much more of it. We have earned a loyal customer base and our priority is to deliver more of what they need. Our expansion at Arnhem is a significant step in the right direction of getting more Accoya out to the market. It’s part of our ambitious growth plan to expand production and fulfil our purpose of changing wood to change the world.”
Alongside the expansion at its existing site in Arnhem, Accsys is developing a facility in North America. In April this year Accsys began groundwork for a new factory in Kingsport, USA, which is anticipated to begin producing in 2024. The project is a joint venture with Eastman Chemical Company and is due for completion and first production batch in Q1 2024.
John Alexander, Group Sales Director, Accsys commented: “Reduced output from the Accoya facility in Arnhem over the past 12 months due to the engineering work on site for the 33% capacity expansion has created some challenges for our customers. We now have the benefit from that work addressing the demand and significantly increasing supply to our distributors. As we look ahead to early 2024, having two world scale facilities for production of Accoya provides for continued market growth and increased resilience of supply.”
Accoya wood has been on the market since 2007 and is now sold by stocking distributors in more than 35 countries. The drive to net zero and rise in conscious construction have accelerated demand for timber construction materials. Unlike other woods, Accoya is long lasting and is manufactured so as not to visibly swell, shrink or distort. It is a natural carbon sink and is certified at the C2C Gold level for its circular economy benefits.
