Stora Enso and EcoTelligent partner to advance sustainable wood-based telecom towers
STORA ENSO OYJ PRESS RELEASE 29 September 2022 at 9.00 EEST
Within the partnership, Stora Enso and EcoTelligent Oy will establish mass timber as the material of choice for telecommunication support structures. The collaboration is set to provide an alternative that will reduce the dependency on steel and concrete in telecom masts, through sustainable towers that naturally blend in with the environment.
EcoTelligent is a Finnish-based company committed to adding renewable wooden elements to communication towers. Their towers are proving to be a significant step in the transition towards more sustainable construction, integrating our community spaces with the local environment.
The 5G and beyond towers will be constructed with laminated veneer lumber (LVL). LVL is a mass timber product that, in proportion to weight, is twice as strong as steel. In addition, the material has a high load-bearing capacity that can easily support telecommunication equipment. Unlike steel and concrete, LVL is relatively lightweight to transport and can be assembled in modules on site without heavy-duty equipment. Furthermore, LVL is a renewable material with a minimal carbon footprint.
“We are proud to enter into a partnership with EcoTelligent who, like us, strives to push boundaries and demonstrate the many possibilities with wood,” said Lars Völkel, Executive Vice President, Division Wood Products, Stora Enso. “As one of the largest sawn wood producers and private forest owners in the world, we play an important role in the global transformation to a more sustainable world. With this partnership, we intend to develop a competitive and reliable supply chain for the growing market of sustainable wooden telecom towers.”
"There are thousands of telecommunication towers under construction worldwide at this very moment. It is increasingly important to consider emissions in this sector. The commitment of Stora Enso to replace fossil-based materials with renewables is a perfect match for EcoTelligent,” said Gyöngyi Mátray, CEO of EcoTelligent.
About Stora Enso
Part of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in wood construction, packaging, biomaterials and paper, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world. Stora Enso believes that everything made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has approximately 22 000 employees and sales in 2021 were EUR 10.2 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Oy (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm AB (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY). storaenso.com
About EcoTelligent Oy
Founded in 2017 in Finland, EcoTelligent Ltd develops, sells and builds Engineered Wood Product (EWP) based passive telecommunication infrastructures. EcoTelligent has received development funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.
For more information, please contact:
Cathrine Wallenius, SVP Communication and marketing, Stora Enso division Wood Products
For more information, please contact:
Cathrine Wallenius, SVP Communication and marketing, Stora Enso division Wood Products