The Generalitat and the multinational Kronospan signed an agreement yesterday that involves an investment of 150 million euros in a new line of OSB boards (wood shavings) in Tortosa and l’Aldea, which will lead to the addition of seventy-five jobs work With this, the Austrian multinational already exceeds the 600 million investment and the creation of 250 jobs.
The new line was announced yesterday by the directors of Company, Roger Torrent, and Territory, Ester Capella, and the general director of Kronospan, Javier Macicior. The new line will be located in the Catalunya Sud industrial estate, in the company’s 25-hectare factory for the production of wood-derived boards.
According to Roger Torrent, “this new investment means a strategic boost for the Terres de l’Ebre, it will translate into jobs and prosperity for the territory, and will contribute to strengthening the productive system of Catalonia”. Torrent highlighted the Government’s support for the project because it “contributes to the goal of reindustrialising Catalonia with sustainable industry” and “will help to energize the local economic fabric and that of the Terres de l’Ebre as a whole”. Capella said that in order to boost the area’s competitiveness, a new urban master plan is being drawn up “with the aim of reorganizing 675 hectares of economic and logistical activity, with future access to the railway network and the possibility of establishing – there is an intermodal freight terminal”.
For his part, the general director of Kronospan, Javier Macicior, announced the future creation of the wood cluster, and for this reason he has acquired more than one million square meters. He also emphasized the sustainable bet, since all the boards that are manufactured in Tortosa are made from recycled wood, a 10 MW photovoltaic installation is being finished and the feasibility of a small generation park is being analyzed ‘wind energy in the area.
The multinational began building its first production plant in Tortosa in 2021 with an initial investment of 180 million euros, which has been expanding ever since. With the new project announced yesterday, Kronospan’s total investment in Catalonia already exceeds 600 million euros and the creation of 250 direct jobs. According to the company, its activity in the Baix Ebre will also lead to the generation of 1,500 additional indirect jobs.
Headquartered in Austria, Kronospan has fifty production plants worldwide and a workforce of over 15,000 employees.
