Sustainability at the Core of Europe’s Largest Sawn Timber Producer

Written and Provided by FTMA Supporting Partner, Stora Enso

Stora Enso’s Wood Products division is Europe’s largest sawn timber producer and the leading provider globally of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in construction. While supplying the building sector with renewable, low-carbon wood-based solutions that drive the decarbonization of the built environment, sustainability is a top priority across all operations.

Sustainability is integral to Stora Enso’s business strategy, and it is at the core of the company’s actions. “In the Wood Products division, we are committed to continuously and systematically enhancing our environmental performance by setting clear targets, measuring progress, and reporting results,” says Darrin Wheeler, Area Sales Director Australia, Stora Enso.

Stora Enso aims to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 from the 2019 baseline, both in its own production and within the value chain. “There are numerous impactful examples of efforts to minimize the operational carbon footprint, one of the most notable being the establishment of the first fossil-free sawmill in Ala, Sweden,” points out Darrin.

Fossil-free sawmill

Becoming a fossil-free sawmill didn’t happen overnight. In Ala, long-term efforts were made starting with heat produced by its own bio-boilers, an electric boiler and securing that the electricity purchased is fossil-free. Then the mill’s internal logistics were challenged. With the cooperation from sourcing, mill operations, and sustainability, Ala was fully changed to renewable diesel which reduces CO₂ lifecycle emissions by 75-90% depending on the calculating standard.

Renewable diesel is a different fuel from biodiesel. It uses only renewable raw materials, and all suppliers must meet strict sustainability criteria. The processing of the raw materials differs as well. The chosen renewable diesel is vegetable oil that is purified and treated with hydrogen at a high temperature. This gives it a similar chemical composition to fossil diesel and allows it to be refuelled directly into any diesel vehicle without any modification to the engine.

Sustainable Operations + Sustainable Logistics = Greater Environmental Benefits

As the demand for sustainable construction grows, solutions that enhance sustainability across the entire supply chain will remain critical to reducing emissions and driving the transition to a low-carbon built environment.

A case in point is a very high-performance building in Tasmania, adhering to the energy requirements and airtightness standards required by Passive House, designed by Stuart Hall of Next 50 Architects. The residential project built by O’Connor Construction, applied 81 cubic metres of prefabricated Sylva™ CLT Floors, Roofs, and Walls.

The PEFC-certified CLT elements only generated 4 tonnes of greenhouse gases (CO₂e) to manufacture and 14 tonnes of CO₂e to transport by sea freight (typically an energy-efficient way to transport). As a result, despite international overseas logistics, the project’s overall carbon footprint remained comparable to sourcing materials from local suppliers.

About Stora Enso

Stora Enso is the leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, and wooden construction, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world. Stora Enso creates better choices for society by accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy.

Learn more about Sylva: Sylva™ by Stora Enso – Mass timber construction | Stora Enso

Learn more about Stora Enso Wood Products: Wood products offering | Stora Enso