OSB production in North America is expected to grow this year by 3%, according to a biennial survey completed by industry newsletter Random Lengths.
It found that Canadian OSB manufacturers expect output to rise 5% compared to last year, while US mills predict a 2% increase.
But the growth is forecast to accelerate by 2007, when a number of new plants are scheduled to be commissioned. The expansion is a result of strong OSB prices in the past two years.
Two new factories are coming on stream this year – Georgia Pacific‘s plant in Hosford, Florida, and a joint venture between Louisiana-Pacific (LP) and Canfor in British Columbia.
Some 10 OSB plant constructions are expected to be completed in 2006-07, adding up to six billion ft2 of capacity. Most of the projects are in south-east and western Canada, with the biggest being the expansion at Ainsworth’s Grande Prairie Alberta plant, where capacity will be expanded to 1.3 billion ft2.
Random Lengths’ survey shows LP remains the largest OSB manufacturer in North America, producing 5.5 billion ft2.
