An inauguration phto of the new wood fiber plant. | Pindstrup
Last week, Pindstrup – a global supplier of growing media for the horticultural industry – opened a wood fiber plant at its factory in Kongerslev, Denmark. At the opening ceremony, a commemorative plaque was unveiled by the Mayor of Aalborg, Lasse Frimand Jensen, and Pindstrup CEO René Gjerding.
This €4 million investment marks a significant step in Pindstrup’s transition towards a more sustainable future. The company is actively working to reduce the CO2 footprint of its growing media by replacing peat with renewable and circular raw materials.
CEO René Gjerding says, “For decades, Pindstrup has incorporated wood fiber into its growing media and has been producing it at our factories in Northern Ireland and Latvia. We are pleased to now bring wood fiber production to our factory in Denmark, using locally sourced, PEFC-certified wood chips. The plant runs on renewable energy, further reducing our CO2 footprint.” He adds, “This investment also highlights the importance of the Danish market for Pindstrup. While we are a global company serving customers in 100 countries, Denmark remains our foundation and point of departure for future expansion.”
The new plant will allow Pindstrup to increase the share of wood fiber in growing media for the Danish market. Currently, growbags for the retail market, produced at the Kongerslev factory, already contain up to 50% wood fiber – a number that will increase as more wood fiber becomes available and as demand grows. For professional growers, the share of wood fiber is currently lower. Gjerding says, “Using more sustainable growing media is indeed an option, and with this investment in the new plant, we contribute to driving the important transition. This is how we create the change that is necessary, and we believe that our professional customers will also take peat-free and peat-reduced products to heart.”
The development of peat-reduced and peat-free growing media is carried out internally in the company as well as in research projects, e.g. the BioSubstrate project, which brings together the University of Aarhus, the Danish Technological Institute, suppliers, and customers to develop and test new growing media mixes that match the performance of traditional peat-based products.
Pindstrup’s goal is for 40% of its total raw material base to consist of peat alternatives by 2028, with wood fiber playing a major role. In 2024, this figure was 31%. The new plant will significantly contribute to reducing peat use, and in addition to this investment, Pindstrup will also expand its wood fiber production in Northern Ireland this year – bringing the total investment to €8.5 million. Additional wood fiber plants at Pindstrup’s other factories are being planned.