OREANDA-NEWS. November 01, 2011. BSW Timber has announced further investment plans to expand capacity at both its Fort William and Latvian Mills in a drive to produce more than 1.3 million cubic metres of sawn timber per year across all mills.

The new plans are a major part of the company's GBP 50 million investment programme over a five year period ending in 2015. The expansion plans in the Fort William mill began three years ago, creating around 45 new jobs at the sawmill, as the company said in a press release received by Lesprom Network.

Since 2008, the site has benefited from 10 new Mahild kilns and a battery of pressure treatment vessels. Current projects nearing completion include two 5MW KIV biomass kiln heating plant and a high speed planing and grading line, provided by Ledinek and Springer.

To complete the current investment phase at the site, an order has been placed for the latest Hewsaw SL250 3.4 Trio line which has been extended to include an automated horizontal saw, allowing for maximum flexibility.

An agreement has been reached to purchase the equipment from the technically enhanced Finnforest, Kyroskoski sawmill, which was mothballed in 2009. The equipment will be used not only to create a world class mill at Fort William but also to double the capacity at the BSW Latvia operation. Work on the new sawmills will commence in November this year, and will be completed by early 2013.