Russian timber industry news #12-2015

– On 5 June 2015, Arkhangelsk PPM started the equipment of the new hemicellulose plant in the start-up & commissioning mode. The technology used for this production is one of the variations of kraft cooking process.

– Martin Hermansson, the top manager of RusForest company in 2010-2012, became CEO and one of the principal owners of Novoyenisseysky LHK mill. Simultaneously it became known that the Austrian company Springer Maschinenfabrik will install log and lumber sorting lines at the enterprise.

– Russian producers of coated paper lowered their prices, as reported by Vedomosti business paper. For the last month, price of the coated paper produced in Russia fell by 20%, after appreciating since the autumn of 2014. Among other reasons, experts note this could be the reaction of producers to the government’s threat to impose export paper duties and reset import ones.

– In the framework of the working visit to China, the delegation of Tomsk region held talks with prospective investors of RosKitInvest pulpmill. During the talks, the representatives of Chinese companies planning to participate in the construction, who are potential consumers of mill products, proposed to speed up the project. In addition to AVIC Forestry, which will play a leading role in the implementation of the project, two more Chinese companies are going to participate as investors: Fulida CO (the largest manufacturer of viscose staple fibre) and XinJiang Chemical Supplies, uniting the enterprises for the production of chlor-alkali, raw salt, calcium carbide, coke and other chemical products.

– The total annual production of pulp and paper products by Ilim Group in 2014 exceeded 2.9 million tonnes.

– Last year’s 35% rouble reduction against euro became one of the reasons of the Russian manufacturers market share growth on the wooden housing market. The current price for a turn-key house stands at 50,000 roubles per m2 (802.38 EUR/m2, as of June 9, 2015), according to a press release by Segezha Group. In the first four months of 2015, glulam output in the European Russia came up about 45,000 m3.

More detailed news of the Russian timber industry and review of global market trends of roundwood, lumber, wood panels and pellets; exclusive articles and interviews; over 25 pages of price charts are available in our digital Russian Timber Journal.