Located approximately 200 km northeast of Helsinki, Finnish company Kieppi Sawmill produces around 70,000 m³ of lumber a year, primarily from redwood logs. 80% of the production output is exported. With the new continuous kiln, Kieppi’s drying capacity doubled from one day to the next. The new kiln is expected to bring up to 60,000 m³ of lumber a year to the desired moisture content. As a result, energy demand for drying has also increased, making an investment in a new heating plant inevitable. The project was carried out to Kieppi’s complete satisfaction by Urbas from Völkermarkt.
Easy operation
The Urbas heating plant has a maximum output of 8 MW © Jakob Wassermann
The heating plant has a capacity of 8 MW at full load, that is four times the output of the old plant. It supplies heat not only to the continuous kiln but also to nine batch kilns, the offices, and the production halls. In addition to bark, Kieppi Sawmill also uses scraps from production as fuel. The furnace is specially designed for the extreme weather conditions of Finnish winters. All plant components are suitable for temperatures as low as -45°C. According to Tomi Seppänen, technical director of Kieppi Sawmill, the bunker has space for enough material to operate the plant for 24 hours. “We simply have to fill the bunker with material. The remaining steps are fully automated, and the plant largely runs autonomously,” Seppänen says, satisfied with the ease of operation.
At full capacity, material consumption is estimated at around 14 stere/h © Jakob Wassermann
The fuel is fed to the furnace exclusively via hydraulic conveyor systems. This robust construction ensures the disruption-free operation of the plant.
Turnkey plant
Satisfied with the Urbas plant: Tomi Seppänen and Hannu Nupponen (from left) © Jakob Wassermann
With the exception of the foundation, which was built by a local company, all components were supplied by Urbas. The Carinthian plant manufacturer not only built the boiler structure but also handled all of the other work, such as installing the piping, building the boiler house, and installing the stage technology – all from a single source. “Installation took place in October 2022. We are now entering our fourth season with the heating plant. So far, no repairs have been necessary. Initially, we occasionally had questions during operation, and Urbas’s employees were always available to answer them and help us out,” Seppänen tells us.
To keep emissions as low as possible, the plant is equipped with both mechanical and electrical filter systems.
