Irish Panel Manufacturer To Replace Natural Gas With Biomass 

Wood-based panel manufacturer Medite Smartply will replace natural gas with biomass for energy production using a Dieffenbacher 55 MW biomass firing system at its medium-density fiberboard (MDF) plant in Clonmel, Ireland. Dieffenbacher Energy will be responsible for the engineering, equipment supply, and installation and integration of the new energy plant during ongoing operations.

Medite Smartply CEO Neil Foot comments, “As we mark 50 years of Medite, this project demonstrates our long-term confidence in the business, our people and the markets we serve.” Alongside operational improvements, the new system will eliminate natural gas usage by transitioning fully to renewable biomass as the primary heat source. This is expected to materially reduce fossil fuel-related CO₂ emissions and support Medite Smartply’s work to reduce Scope 1 carbon emissions as part of its broader climate action commitments. 

The grate and dust combustion firing system from Dieffenbacher Energy will supply 20 MW of process steam, 25 MW of flue gas for the dryer and 6 MW in thermal oil for the continuous press system of the MDF manufacturing line, which was delivered by Dieffenbacher in 2002. The scope of supply also includes a comprehensive wet-fuel handling system for flexible fuel sourcing.

Construction of the Dieffenbacher Energy biomass firing system is scheduled to begin in February 2027. Commissioning of the new energy plant is expected to take place about a year later. Medite Smartply’s Clonmel MDF plant has an anuual production capacity of 400,000 m³.