Finland’s Koskisen Commissions New Channel Kilns at Järvelä Sawmill

Finland’s Koskisen announced that it has successfully commissioned new channel kilns at its Järvelä sawmill, increasing drying capacity by approximately 15% and improving drying quality.

The added capacity removes bottlenecks at the downstream end of the sawmilling process and supports Koskisen’s plan to raise annual sawn timber production from 400,000 m³ toward its second-phase strategic target of 450,000 m³. Storage capacity tied to the drying process has also been expanded to improve internal logistics.

Koskisen said the new kilns benefit from energy synergies between its plywood and sawmilling operations through shared heat generation. A district heating pipeline completed between the factory sites at the end of 2025 allows the company to meet rising energy demand without significant additional investments.

Over the past five years, Koskisen has invested nearly €90 million (US$103.2 million) in the Järvelä sawmill and closely integrated operations, including a new saw line and a new log sorting line.

Commenting on the project, Koskisen CEO Jukka Pahta said:

“We have advanced systematically along the Järvelä sawmill’s growth path, and the completion of the new channel kilns marks the latest concrete step towards our production target of 450,000 m³. Our determined efforts to further develop the sawmill will continue.”