2021 was quite a year for Austrian and German manufacturers of solid structural timber (KVH). After demand had soared in the first half of the year, demand fell sharply in the third quarter and only started to recover in the course of December. In the second quarter in particular, solid structural timber was difficult to come by in many regions and prices skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.
Weak growth
KVH output did grow in 2021. However, with an increase of 2.3% compared to 2020, the upward trend was significantly weaker than in previous years when production grew by around 5% each year. In its 2021 production survey, Holzkurier identified a total output of 3.02 million m³, of which 575,000 m³ were produced in Austria and 2.44 million m³ in Germany.
Production is likely to see much stronger growth this year. For 2022, manufacturers expect a total production volume of 3.29 million m³. That would be an increase of 9% compared to 2021.
New lines put into operation
Cordes (+30,000 m³), Ante-Holz (+65,000 m³) and Rettenmeier Holzindustrie (+75,000 m³) expect the biggest increases. Cordes Holz is currently investing €50 million in another glued timber production facility in Bremerhaven, which will bring annual capacities in Bremerhaven to 200,000 m³ of solid structural timber and 50,000 m³ of glulam (duo/trio). In 2021, Ante-Holz put a CLT plant into operation in Berga. It has a capacity of 100,000 m³ and can also produce 50,000 m³ of solid structural timber a year. Also last year, the Rettenmeier group started up a 60,000 m³ glulam production line in Hirschberg, which can also be used to produce solid structural timber and duo/triolam.
Three new KVH manufacturers
After a fire in April 2020, Schrage-Holz decided not to rebuild the sawmill, but to build a plant for the production of solid structural timber at its Olpe/DE site instead. Production started in September 2021 and this year, the company wants to produce 25,000 m³ of KVH.
The KVH production site of Ernst Fisch Holzindustrie in Rüthen/DE is still under construction. At the beginning of this year, Uwe Rubin acquired the remaining 50% of the company and announced the construction of a production line for solid structural timber with an annual capacity of around 25,000 m³.
The third newcomer to the solid structural timber market is Bruno Ruhdorfer, which is headquartered in Straßburg, Carinthia. This year, the company wants to produce 7,500 m³. The one-shift capacity is 15,000 m³ a year.
