The global consumption of energy keeps increasing, and the construction sector uses a significant share of global energy. The Metsä Wood mill in Lohja, Finland, produces Kerto LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) in a way that generates more bioenergy than is used in the production process. The rest of the bioenergy is used by the surrounding town.
100% energy self-sufficient mill
The Metsä Wood mill in Lohja is an example of the joint production of construction products and bioenergy. As much of the wood as possible is used for Kerto LVL. Part of the sawdust and wood chips generated in processing the engineered wood are used for pulp, and the rest for bioenergy production. A bio heating plant has been built next to the mill in order to capture the potential of the production. The heat energy produced at the plant covers the needs of the mill – and the excess is provided to help meet the needs of the surrounding town, which makes the Lohja Kerto LVL mill 100% energy self-sufficient. The heat produced for district heating compensates for the purchase of electricity needed for the mill’s operation.
Powering a town as a by-product
The remaining heat from the Kerto LVL production process is sold for district heating to the town of Lohja.
Sustainable buildings require sustainability in material production
The focus of improving efficiency has to shift from the energy used to operate a building to the production of the construction materials – the most energy intensive phase in a building’s life cycle. The European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires all new buildings to reach nearly zero energy class by 2020. However, zero energy buildings are not enough.