Mercer International Inc. Plans New Sawmill Investment Project in Arneburg, Germany

Mercer International Inc. has announced that it is once again pursuing a new sawmill investment project for the Saxony-Anhalt, Germany region. The original plans were brought to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, during the summer Mercer submitted the building application to the responsible planning office of the Stendal district.

The project also includes expanding the existing rail facilities in the industrial and commercial park, with the goal being to handle the additional shipments of lumber to the Arneburg site primarily by rail. In doing so, the truck traffic loads already approved for the Stendal pulp mill will not be exceeded for the region.

The Arneburg site was chosen for the new sawmill location because of its proximity to the pulp mill, allowing for numerous synergies. With the sawmill located here, some of the current deliveries of wood chips to Mercer Stendal for pulp production will be eliminated. These freed-up capacities absorb transport costs of raw material for the sawmill to a relevant extent while ensuring the material can be used twice.

The residual products will not only be used in the pulp mill for the production of its core product, but also for biochemicals and the bioelectricity that powers the mill. The heat generated from this energy in the pulp mill’s existing power plant will then be used to dry the lumber at the sawmill.

The new sawmill will be part of the Mercer Timber Products umbrella of companies. Mercer Timber Products currently operates one of Germany’s largest sawmills out of the Thuringia region.