Domestic production of Engineered Wood is needed to truly make the transition from the“make-take-waste” economy to sustainable buildings

ARBORA aims to realize the first Dutch CLT production plant using domestic wood. We see an opportunity for local production of CLT, building the missing link in the Dutch bio-based materials value chain and contribute to the more than 1 million homes needed in the Netherlands between now and 2040. We will be using domestic timber, that is processed in a local plant, to make materials used in Dutch buildings

LEARN HOW

CLT Production plant as the future of building engineering

In the Netherlands, we need more than 1 million new homes towards 2040, but today's approach has not proven to be sufficiently sustainable nor innovative. Using engineered wood – CLT, or cross laminated timber – instead of concrete and steel provides many technical, economic and ecological advantages.

‍Dutch CLT demand is growing with some 15% per year – Today all CLT is imported from Scandinavia and Central-Europe, significantly reducing the environmental impact the material could have.

The factory will have an annual output of some 45,000 m3 of CLT panels in different sizes and with different quality grades. With this production volume, we expect a CO2 impact of at least 33,000 metric tons reduction per year. Important market players already committed to buy the factory's production. Finally, we see this factory as the first of many, a stepping stone to establish a position on the forefront of innovations in engineered woods in Western-Europe.

WHY CLT?

Why CLT? Advantages of engineered wood

Technical

Structural characteristics
- High load bearing capacity
- Low weight (density)

Construction process
- Speed of construction
- Ease of construction

Fire Safety
- Predictable behavior

Economic

Cost saving
- Less material required
- Less transport required
- Less labor required

Time saving
- Prefabrication speeds up construction time
‍
Space creating
-Less structural material allows for more functional space

Ecological

Substitution polluting materials
- Substitute concrete and steel

Reducing construction emissions
- Less transport and on site time required

Lifetime building emissions
- Lower embodied carbon of material
- Better insulation performance

Sustainable forestry
- Wood is replenishable resource, if sustainable forestry program developed
‍
Carbon Capture and Storage
-Trees captures carbon from the atmosphere

The Opportunity

We expect some 1,400 houses to be build in CLT by 2030; most market experts are more optimistic. The market seems ready for Dutch CLT, as we have validated with multiple experts in the field:
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: "We get more and more RfQs for wooden buildings – both residential and offices and the like. We are seriously considering investing in this field“
ARCHITECT: "It is no longer only about sustainability. In this building (in Delft), we included CLT, because we could reduce time and cost in construction at a difficult location in the innercity"
PROJECT DEVELOPER: "We are already the largest developer in wood and intend to step up. We would definitely welcome a more sustainable, local and cost competitive supply of CLT"
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES DRIVE LOCAL DEMAND:"Uitgangspunt is om vanaf 2025 vooralle nieuwbouw van woningen in de MRA een schaalsprong te maken doorminimaal 20% uit te voeren in houtbouw"

+15%

Growth in CLT demand in NL 2023-2030

•More than 50 projects with CLT were realized in 2022, more than 80 in 2023 by developers and construction companies. Green Deal Amsterdam and comparable public-private initiatives increasingly pave the way for more wood construction

33.000+

Metric Tons reduction of CO2

–The CO₂captured during the growth of wood, exceeds the CO₂ generated during its manufacturingand construction phase. When the factory is up and running, this will be the reduction that can be realized by deploying Dutch CLT in Dutch buildings

We see an opportunity to build the first domestic CLT factory, using proven technology and domestic wood

We create the missing link in the Dutch bio-based materials value chain

About ARBORA

Our Vision

We believe that, only through a transition to a circular economy, with an important role for renewable, bio-based materials we will be able to safeguard resources and a livable habitat for future generations. We can explain the problem, and we decided to also be part of the solution

Our Mission

Arbora builds and invests in companies that are reshaping industries, creating the missing links in the value chain that are needed to really obtain impactful and widely adopted solutions Arbora is managed by a professional team, that builds upon more than 90 years of experience across many industries, and we work shoulder-to-shoulder with experts and entrepreneurs that complement our know-how and share our ambitions

Our Brand Story

ARBORA stands for regenerative local business, delivering tailored high-quality materials

Regenerative,
Bio-based business…

…for local application…

…and tailored solutions….

…based on high-quality material.

Our Team,
Our Network

Arbora is an entrepreneurial team of seven people, with a combined 90 years of business, construction and technological experience.

When building ventures, we work closely together with industry experts, academics, entrepreneurs and others to get the necessary know-how on board and build the best team for the project

Jelmer van de Mortel

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Philip Winckel