ÖkoFEN doubles production area and builds 14,000m² logistics centre

ÖkoFEN is one of the world's leading producers of pellet boiler systems. Now the company is once again expanding its European headquarters in Niederkappel/Upper Austria and building a state-of-the-art logistics centre. In total, the production area will be expanded by 14,000 m² to a total of 28,000 m². After the extension built in 2020, the new addition creates urgently needed space for the production of pellet boiler systems. ÖkoFEN is thus also creating 50 additional new jobs in the region and is building in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner. The ground-breaking ceremony for the 20-million-euro project in Niederkappel took place in the presence of Markus Achleitner, the regional councillor for economic affairs, and Dr. Gerhard Dell, the energy commissioner of the province of Upper Austria.

Corporate headquarters to be expanded to 28,000 m²
"We have already proven with the new building in 2007 and the expansion in 2019 that economic efficiency and sustainability can go very well hand in hand. For the next expansion stage, we have again sought the best solution for people and the environment. Regional wood as a building material, renewable heat and electricity and clever measures for biodiversity will be consistently implemented," explains ÖkoFEN Managing Director Stefan Ortner. The groundbreaking ceremony has now marked the start of the 14,000 square metre extension. The construction work will take about a year and the new two-storey hall is scheduled to start operations in spring 2022.

Growing production for more climate protection
The plant expansion enables ÖkoFEN to significantly increase its production capacity and thus respond to the rapidly growing demand for climate-friendly heating systems "Made in Austria". "With the expansion, we are doubling production capacity to up to 40,000 pellet heating systems per year. It is also very important to us to create 50 new jobs," reports Managing Director Stefan Ortner.

"ÖkoFEN has been a pioneer in the use of renewable energies for many years. The company stands for cutting-edge eco-energy technology 'made in Upper Austria', which is supplied from the Mühlviertel region all over the world. ÖkoFEN thus not only supplies heating systems for the implementation of the energy transition in our country, but also worldwide with an export share of more than 90 %. I congratulate this model eco-energy company on its expansion project, which not only doubles production capacity, but also creates 50 new jobs. Especially in the current challenging times, this is an important signal for the entire Upper Austrian business location," emphasised Economics and Energy Provincial Councillor Achleitner at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Sustainability takes centre stage in new timber construction
Sustainability and environmental awareness have top priority in the new construction project. The modern logistics centre is again being built in timber construction in cooperation with the ‘Brüder Resch’ construction company from Ulrichsberg. Around 1,800 cubic metres of timber construction materials from the region will be processed in the double-storey hall. This corresponds to a total of about 3,300 solid cubic metres of round timber. Once again, ÖkoFEN is setting a clear example for the environment. Around 3,600 tonnes of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide will be removed from the atmosphere and saved in the long term. This is equivalent to the amount produced by almost 1,000 return flights from Vienna to New York.

Thanks to sustainable forest management in Austria, the amount of wood used for the new building grows back in the domestic forests in just 30 minutes.

Humans and the environment in harmony
Ecology is also a high priority around the new building. A specially created insect meadow, a biotope, shrub hedges and trees will provide valuable habitats for plants and animals. ÖkoFEN is also taking measures against land sealing: the parking spaces will be integrated into the lower storey of the extension building. This will avoid the sealing of around 3,500 square metres of parking space.

In addition to the environment, ÖkoFEN also focuses on the individual employee. The company attaches great importance to a pleasant working atmosphere and offers quiet workplaces, without assembly lines and with sufficient daylight. Furthermore, shift work is dispensed with.

Expansion of the existing photovoltaic system - green electricity also for electric cars
In addition to the heat supply from pellets from the region, power supply and mobility are also a key issue at ÖkoFEN. The existing photovoltaic system is being expanded by 130 kW and additional electricity storage units are being installed. "What makes us all particularly happy is that we are also expanding our charging park for electric vehicles by 100 charging stations. Next year we will also relaunch our "E-car for everyone" campaign and then expect 50 to 70 electric cars to be charged here every day with renewable electricity," says Stefan Ortner.