BELGIAN GROUP UNILIN INVESTS 20 MILLION IN ITS ARDENNES PLANT

2025 will be a key year for the Unilin plant in Bazeilles (Ardennes – Eastern france). The Belgian group has announced a 20 million euro investment in a new production line dedicated to recycling MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) panels.

AN INVESTMENT IN A RECYCLING LINE…

It’s an ambitious project for the Belgian Unilin Group, renowned for its innovations in interior design and construction. Operational in September 2025, the new production line aims to reinforce the sustainability of the plant’s activities. It will then be the world’s first fully circular MDF plant.

While the pilot line set up in Bazeilles in 2021 had a capacity of 10,000 tonnes, the one planned for 2025 will be capable of processing 70,000 tonnes of wood fiber per year. By 2030, it will incorporate 30% recycled materials.

This new technology has been patented by Unilin, but the Belgian group would like to offer it to other companies. The aim? To help the entire sector move forward,” says Véronique Hoflack, President of Unilin Panels.

At the same time, Unilin is developing its entire collection chain in the Ardennes. “The idea is for us to look far beyond the Ardennes for this consumer waste, in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany,” explains Véronique Hoflack.

25 years after its establishment in Bazeilles, the Belgian group Unilin’s plant is now an essential center of innovation and production.

… TO PURSUE THE GROUP’S SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES

Established in 1999 in the Ardennes region (Eastern France), Unilin’s Bazeilles plant is the group’s largest in France. Manufactured from wood fiber, panel construction requires one million tons of fresh wood. This fresh wood comes from forests and suppliers located within a maximum radius of 200 kilometers. This makes the Ardennes plant the largest MDF plant in Europe.

To guarantee the sustainability of this wood resource, Unilin has set up a planting program with its suppliers and the ONF. With sustainability in mind, the plant also intends to install wind turbines to continue producing its own energy.

Sources :

https://www.lardennais.fr/id648672/article/2024-10-09/bazeilles-toujours-ete-un-site-clef-unilin-investit-20-millions-deuros-dans-les

https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/unilin-investit-20-millions-d-euros-sur-son-site-de-production-de-bazeilles-pour-le-recyclage-des-panneaux-en-bois.N2220118

https://www.lesechos.fr/pme-regions/grand-est/unilin-investit-20-millions-dans-les-ardennes-pour-recycler-des-panneaux-en-fibres-de-bois-2124139

https://www.lunion.fr/id649703/article/2024-10-11/une-simple-cocotte-minute-lorigine-dune-machine-de-recyclage-du-bois-20-millions