Metsä Wood develops wood-based solutions for better future

 Thursday, September 14, 2023

Metsä Wood decides to responsibly take sustainable construction to a fresh height with the development of wood-based solutions that can easily replace carbon-intensive construction materials. The company has been taking serious steps to play its role in the considerable reduction of CO2 emissions of buildings while expanding its business responsibly. It is bringing innovations to the market to move towards net zero infrastructures.

Metsä Wood is currently developing different kinds of solutions with its partners to reduce the carbon footprints of buildings, increasing the carbon storage capabilities. The company has recently initiated a cross-industry collaboration to create synergy benefits by combining concrete and wood in future building structures. It has been estimated that a hybrid wall element combining concrete and Kerto® LVL can achieve up to 70 percent lower carbon footprint compared to traditional concrete wall elements.5

Speaking about the company’s “sustainable” moves for a better future, Maija Pohjakallio, VP Climate and Circular Economy at Metsä Group said, “Metsä is actively investing in the future. In many applications our products replace fossil and other non-renewable materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is an important global climate action. We are increasing the production capacity of long-life wood products which have carbon-storing benefits.”

Using wood collected from sustainably managed forests in construction is believed to be an efficient way that will lead to a reduction in the weight of buildings and lesser CO2 emissions. Wood usage is believed to reduce the dependency of the construction process on non-renewable resources like sand and gravel. The storage time of biobased carbon in wooden construction elements can be further extended by reuse models. 2,3,4. Metsä Wood plans to see a carbon-freematerials future whereby the company thinks that considering wood as a prospective building material is very important. Marking Metsä Wood’s main call for responsible business expansion, Jaakko Anttila, Executive Vice President at Metsä Wood said, “Most of the carbon footprint of construction comes from the building materials. The construction industry is now seeking more sustainable alternatives, so we are seeing growing interest in construction materials based on renewable raw materials.”

Tags: Metsä Wood, wood, wood and panel, woodworking, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking and processing, woodworking industry, woodworking UK