Opening production line for wood fiber in Kelpen-Oler to make cultivation more sustainable

Opening production line for wood fiber in Kelpen-Oler to make cultivation more sustainable

On Thursday, February 10, Stephan Satijn, deputy of the province of Limburg, together with Piet Verlinden, deputy mayor of the municipality of Leudal, opened the new wood fiber production line of Den Ouden Groep at Groenlocatie Midden-Limburg in Kelpen-Oler.

Den Ouden will use this new line to produce 'Hortifibre': a high-quality and RHP-certified wood fibre. Together with other circular raw materials, the fiber will offer a sustainable and local alternative to the use of peat in cultivation substrates and potting soil.

Substrates and potting soil are developed for plant growth. These often consist largely of the mineral peat, which is extracted in peat areas. Peatlands are an important natural carbon store on land. It is therefore important that these areas are preserved. For this reason, the Den Ouden Group company is looking for renewable alternatives that are produced locally, such as this wood fibre.

Jeroen den Ouden, chairman of the board at Den Ouden: “Partly due to the ideal business climate of the province of Limburg, this sustainable innovation got off the ground. We thank the province of Limburg and the municipality of Leudal for their trust. This way we can work together on solutions that contribute to a sustainable living environment for future generations”.