Innovation
Pfeifer invests in the future: New sawmill and waste wood recycling boost the Uelzen site
With two major projects, the Pfeifer Group is sending a strong signal for even greater resource conservation and a functioning circular economy. A state-of-the-art sawing line and a new waste wood recycling plant are being launched at the long-established Uelzen site – both part of a comprehensive investment package to secure and sustainably develop the plant for the long term.
Pfeifer has always utilised 100% of the valuable raw material wood – and is now going one step further in Uelzen: the new waste wood recycling plant will process regional class A1 and A2 waste wood to produce pressboard pallet blocks. This will keep wood products in USE longer and store climate-damaging CO₂ for an extended period. At the same time, the new sawmill ensures greater efficiency and an even better raw material yield.
Clemens Pfeifer
CTO Pfeifer Group
Waste wood recycling strengthens the circular economy
The centerpiece of the new waste wood recycling plant on the expanded site at the port of Uelzen is the striking recycling tower. Here, Pfeifer recycles material exclusively in accordance with the Waste Wood Ordinance. Wooden pallets that can no longer be repaired are also recycled, ensuring that Pfeifer complies with the new European Packaging Ordinance (PPWR). Deliveries are first visually inspected and analyzed in the laboratory to ensure the consistently high quality of the end products. Contaminants are removed in the cleaning tower and sent for recycling. The cleaned wood is shredded, temporarily stored in silos and finally processed into standardized pressboard blocks. The waste wood is sourced exclusively from the surrounding region, further reducing transport costs and the CO₂ footprint.
Sustainable diversification of raw materials
With the construction of the waste wood recycling plant, Pfeifer is advancing resource-saving, sustainable material utilization. Whereas in the past, pallet blocks were manufactured exclusively from by-products of sawn timber production in Uelzen, in the future the company will rely on a mix of fresh chips and cleaned recycled wood – a step that not only maximizes the USE of raw materials but also reduces dependence on fresh wood.
Successful commissioning: fitters and project participants present the first squared timber from the new saw.
Investment in modern sawing technology for greater efficiency
In parallel with the recycling project, Pfeifer is also modernizing the log cutting process at the Uelzen site: a new, high-performance sawing line is set to replace the more than 30-year-old system in the second half of 2025. The aim of the investment is to reduce production costs, increase yields and boost output to ultimately make the entire production process even more efficient. State-of-the-art technology ensures precise cutting accuracy, which optimizes raw material yield – another important contribution to conserving resources. Round timber from sustainably managed forests in Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt is processed to produce sawn timber and pallet blocks for the German and international markets.
Conversion during ongoing production
After construction began in May 2024, the new sawing line was installed directly in the existing sawing hall, which required raising the hall roof by about two meters to make room for the new technology. The integration of the new saw took place without interrupting production – an organizational tour de force.
Tobias Keller
Plant Manager
When the new line is finally commissioned in the coming months, the long-serving saw will be retired.