Russia’s ULK Group is investing more than Euro 400 million in one of the country’s biggest sawmill investments in modern times. The ambition is to have one of the world’s largest and most modern sawmills, with an annual capacity of more than 1 million cubic meters (425,000 MBF) sawn timber and 600,000 t pellets annually, when completed in 2023. Valutec will deliver eight TC continuous kilns to ULK, making it the biggest deal in company history.
“Our ambition is to build the world’s most modern sawmill, and to do so we must exclusively use suppliers who are technology leaders,” says Artem Samuhin, Deputy General Director for Development of ULK Group.
“Valutec was the kiln supplier offering the most modern, efficient solution. In the end the superior capacity and flexibility of the TC kilns, boosted by the Valmatics 4.0 control system made it an easy choice.”
Valutec is the only company offering TC kilns, where individual drying zones makes it possible to combine high capacity and flexibility with optimum quality.
”Few companies get the chance to take part in the construction of a brand new sawmill, and we are honored that they chose to invest in Valutec kilns,” says Timo Kanerva, Managing Director at Valutec LLC, a subsidiary headquartered in St Petersburg.
To improve logistics and safety, ULK will use a closed traverse system instead of fork lifts to move timber packages.
“In a big project like this we can’t afford to take chances on prototypes. Valutec’s traverse system solutions are proven and have been installed, with good result, in numerous projects all over the world,” says Artem Samuhin.
The TC kilns are equipped with Valutec’s control system Valmatics 4.0, which has an integrated simulator that enables simultaneous optimization of capacity, quality and energy consumption.
The ULK Group is one of Russia’s biggest sawmill groups. In addition to the TC continuous kilns, the sawmill is investing in several lumber sorters with X-ray scanners, last generation of sawing lines up to 200 m/min, same kind modern and efficient green sorters, as well as one of the most extensive pellet production nowdays. Power supply for the new sawmill is heating and power plant, which provides the enterprise with heat and electricity completely.