The upgrade of MEDITE SMARTPLY’s OSB factory in County Waterford, Ireland, is on schedule—despite the anticipated setbacks of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The investment was procured to upgrade the drying facility, which had been in continuous operation since 1996, and is now on its way to delivering a world class drying, energy and screen system that will enhance resource efficiency and asset reliability. It will also greatly increase factory capacity.
The first announcement of the investment came at a critical time for MEDITE SMARTPLY, part of Coillte, Ireland’s largest commercial forestry and land solutions company, as it looked to scale up production levels to meet the continual strong demand for its products. This demand has not diminished throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021, leading progress on factory improvements to be driven at full speed.
This was the second significant investment to be made in SMARTPLY in the last five years, with an injection of Euro 59 million into the company taking place in 2016. Initial forecasting showed project completion in 2Q of 2022 for which the outlook remains positive.
