USD
GBP
EUR
For several years, European production and demand for oriented strand board (OSB) have been growing steadily, giving manufacturers confidence to invest in upgrades and new production lines.
According to the European Panel Federation (EPF) 2016/2017 annual report, European oriented strand board (OSB) production increased by 6.9% in 2016, reaching 5.4 million m³ (compared to 5 million m³ in 2015). While production has been steadily increasing since 2013, 2016 saw the largest increase. European capacity also increased by 490,000 m³ last year, reaching 6.5 million m³. This was due to the commissioning of Swiss Krono's new plant in Vásárosnamény, Hungary, the completion of Norbord's new production line in Inverness, Scotland, and investments by SmartPly in Waterford, Ireland, and Norbord in Genk, Belgium. Norbord noted in its annual report that its European board plants were fully operational in 2017, operating at 99% capacity, the same as the previous year. Shipments from European plants increased by 5% compared to 2016.
The machinery and equipment order market is also optimistic. Of the 14 new wood-based panel (WAP) plant orders signed with Dieffenbacher in 2017, four were from the oriented strand board (OSB) industry, all from Kronospan. One order was for a new laying machine, press, and final finishing line at Kronospan's Sanem, Luxembourg, and the other three were extensions of OSB presses. Unconfirmed reports indicate that these Kronospan plants in Riga, Latvia; Jihlava, Czech Republic; and Strzelce-Opolskie, Poland, all utilize continuous presses. This year, Dieffenbacher expects one of its busiest ever, across all panel types. Two OSB plant projects are anticipated in Eastern Europe and Russia, with two more from the Asian market.