SWEDEN (News release) -- To ensure the supply of high-quality forest seedlings now and in the future, Södra has decided to build a cold store that holds 40 million forest seedlings. The warehouse will be built near Falkenberg and will be ready in the summer of 2023.

The demand for forest plants from Södra is great. To secure the supply of forest plants, Södra's board has now decided to invest in a new cold store.

With a cold store, Södra can store plants in a way that promotes vitality from cultivation to delivery and planting.

- Today we see a great demand for forest plants from our members and we expect it to continue to increase. Therefore, this new cold store will help us grow with quality and good control. We will be able to deliver even more and even better plants to our members' forests in Götaland, says Södra Skogsplantor's operations manager Peter Karlsson.

Holds 40 million seedlings
The cold store will accommodate 40 million forest seedlings and will be built in connection with Södra Skogsplantor's existing operations outside Falkenberg. The cold store will be run under its own auspices, unlike the current rental solution.

- By building the cold store in close proximity to our nursery and being responsible for the operation ourselves, we will increase both the quality and control of our plants. We make coordination gains with the nursery operations, at the same time as the new construction means that the warehouse lives up to modern requirements, says Peter Karlsson.

The location and construction also mean gains in terms of energy efficiency, which will reduce the business's climate impact.

- The new cold storage means major improvements in our energy efficiency, which results in reduced energy use and thus a clear environmental benefit. Our electricity consumption may decrease by up to 20 percent. We will also have an appropriate layout that promotes the handling of the product as well as safety and working environment, says Södra's project manager Marcus Eklund.

Will be ready in the summer of 2023
The cold store will begin construction in the summer of 2022 and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023. Up to three people will be employed at the new cold store in the coming year. Freezing is expected to begin in the autumn of 2023 and therefore the plants that will be delivered to Södra's members in the spring of 2024 will be from the new warehouse.

- We look forward to strengthening the membership benefit with a new cold store. That annual operating costs as a whole will be in line with, or even slightly lower than, the existing solution is of course also a big plus, says Peter Karlsson.