Södra: Digitisation increasing number of seedlings



Södra: Digitisation increasing number of seedlings | Sodra, investment, Sweden, forestry,

Södra has now completed an investment of SEK 10 million in the nursery at Flåboda. The investment will enable more digitised production and increase capacity by 20 percent, from ten million to twelve million seedlings per year.

"The increased digitisation of the nursery, including more computer-controlled platforms, will be highly significant for raising the quality and quantity of production. The nursery's resources can be used more effectively, which will help us improve our contribution to ensuring new forests in Sweden," said Ida Karlsson, Manager of Södra's nursery at Flåboda.

The investment includes a new greenhouse covering 4,900 square metres, which uses wood pellets from Södra's sawmill at Långasjö for heating. The second part of the investment is three new platforms, on which the seedlings are placed outdoors for watering and continued growth. The new platforms have replaced some of the old models and are larger, more modern and more digitised.

"Both forest owners and society will benefit from the higher rate of production. The seedlings we are growing today will help create conditions for the transition to a fossil-free society, and for a future bioeconomy," said Ida Karlsson.

The expansion project to increase production commenced at the end of 2015. The nursery has previously made a considerable investment in fossil-free operation, a goal that was achieved in May 2015. Now that the investment to increase production is complete, the nursery has a total of four greenhouses and 28 platforms. It will now be possible to produce twelve million of the just over 35 million seedlings that Södra supplies annually.