elka modernizes particleboard plant with new CEBRO production line and energy plant from DIEFFENBACHER

elka-Holzwerke GmbH has commissioned DIEFFENBACHER to supply a CEBRO particleboard plant and a 20-MW energy plant at its headquarters site in Morbach, Germany. The order is part of a large-scale modernization project underway since 2022, in which elka will ultimately invest a high double-digit million euro amount. 

The new continuous DIEFFENBACHER line, featuring a CPS+ press system, replaces three single-opening presses supplied by DIEFFENBACHER in 1968, 1973 and 1990. As early as 1961, elka—then operating under the name “Lud. Kuntz GmbH”—had ordered its first single-opening press for particleboard production from DIEFFENBACHER. Another followed in 1965.

For the new particleboard line, DIEFFENBACHER is supplying elka with all key components, ranging from the New Forming Station PB—designed to reduce raw material and energy consumption—to the raw board handling. The scope of delivery also includes a Press Emisson Control System with Inline Scrubber and the EVORIS digitalization platform. In addition, elka has ordered an energy plant from DIEFFENBACHER for flexible and sustainable energy generation from fresh biomass and waste wood, which will provide the thermal energy required for the press and the drying process.

“Our investment in this new DIEFFENBACHER plant sends a clear signal about the future of wood construction,” states elka CEO Larissa Kuntz. “Despite the ongoing challenges in the construction industry, we are convinced that sustainable building with wood will continue to gain importance, especially given the urgent need for housing and the demand for resource-efficient construction methods. With the new plant, we are consistently strengthening our position as a specialty supplier. Our goal is to continue offering high-quality particleboard made from regional fresh timber and to provide the widest possible range of sizes for our esb (elka-strong-board) and esb Plus wood construction panels. This ensures our customers receive exactly the dimensions they need—manufactured by a family-owned mid-sized company that treats them as equals,” Kuntz continues.

In 2025, elka was awarded the German Sustainability Prize and recognized by the expert jury as a “pioneer of transformation in the German economy” and an “exemplary company.” “With the latest technology from DIEFFENBACHER, we are manufacturing our products in a more material- and energy-efficient manner, thereby increasing the value for our customers,” explains Tobias Schmucker, Technical Managing Director at elka. “This reduces the carbon footprint of our products by approximately 40%. AI-powered applications like EVORIS help us further develop the plant in a resource-efficient manner and operate it efficiently,” he adds.

“As with elka, sustainability is a key part of our corporate strategy,” explains Stefan Zipf, CTO and member of the Management Board at DIEFFENBACHER. “We are pleased to help elka modernize its production with our sustainable solutions. And we are proud to reach another milestone in the more than 65-year-old partnership of trust between our two family-owned companies with this forward-looking project,” he adds. 

Installation of the new CEBRO plant in Morbach will begin around the turn of the year 2026/2027. The particleboard line is scheduled to begin operations in the summer of 2027, followed by the energy plant toward the end of 2027.