📅 From 6 August 2026, the revision of the European REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) will impose new, more restrictive limits in Europe for all products that emit formaldehyde, including wood-based panels, furniture, construction products and, in 2027, vehicle fittings.
Applicable throughout Europe from that date, the new threshold will halve the limit for permitted formaldehyde emissions, reducing them to 0.062 mg/m³, measured in accordance with standard EN 717-1. No wood-based panels exceeding this threshold, commonly referred to as E0.5, will be allowed to be sold in the European Union.
For more than 15 years, the THEBAULT Group has chosen to modify its manufacturing process so that it only offers its customers plywood panels with formaldehyde levels below the values that will soon be imposed.
With TEBOPIN, TEBOPLUS and TEBOPLY plywood, you can confidently anticipate upcoming regulations without worrying about storing non-compliant products that will be banned from sale after 6 August 2026!
As the TEBOLVL plant construction site enters its final phase before commissioning at the end of 2025, here is a progress report on the various phases to date.
Curretn state of progress
Initially scheduled, the symbolic “out of water/out of air” stage has been reached, enabling the finishing work to be completed, such as the passageways for the various flows and the fittings around the future production line. The availability of the finished frame has enabled the first machine tests to be successfully launched, particularly on the conveyor side. The final stage involves the assembly of the unwinding unit, which has just been delivered to the site. The production line will now be ready for final adjustments and the first TEBOLVL production tests. Outside, the imposing structure of the boiler for the steaming process is being completed, so that the first tests can begin shortly.
The construction of the offices
The construction of the future offices and common areas will make extensive use of wood. This choice means that users can enjoy a comfortable working environment and high thermal performance in both the hot summers and sometimes harsh winters typical of the region. The construction principle is based on timber-framed walls combined with floors and ceilings.
LVL load-bearing panels. The XXL format of the panels, 8m long and 1.80m wide, means that this structural element can be installed quickly and to a high standard. The exterior cladding will be made of Douglas fir cladding with a contemporary design. The structure will be completed by mid-July, when the finishing work begins. The teams will then be able to move in at the start of the new academic year.
Left: office building with LVl floors · Right: lifting and installing LVL floors
THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE PLANT
Particular attention is being paid to the exterior of the site. Roadworks have begun and will make it easier and safer to travel between the various parts of the plant. Work is continuing on the planting of trees in the immediate vicinity of the production site. The basins have been completed and are now receiving topsoil.
LVL
ARRIVAL OF THE LAST CONTAINER
The container containing the decoiler components has arrived. Symbolically, it is the last container to enter the factory. In a few weeks’ time, the containers will leave in the other direction for international customers. They will be carrying TEBOLVL® produced at the Lempdes- sur-Alagnon plant. The construction adventure will be over. Now it’s time to focus on the quality and sustainable production of a biosourced, agile building material.
Left: boiler being assembled · Right: machines being assembled in the factory
The eco label Nordic Swan was created to reduce the impact of production and processing of consumer goods on the environment. The SWAN range of construction materials allows professional purchasers and providers in the building trade to choose the most environmentally respectful materials and to ensure their building projects comply to the stringent requirements of carrying the SWAN label.
THEBAULT plywood made from Maritime Pine, Poplar and Okuma wood can now be included in the range of construction materials awarded the eco label Nordic SWAN, an award that highlights technical standard and low environmental impact during its production, here in France by the THEBAULT Group.
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“The SWAN eco label determines requirements that the production of materials must meet and which guarantee the performance of the goods manufactured. The fact that we volunteered for this application to certify our plywood destined for construction, demonstrates not only the high quality of environmental responsibility implied in its production but also its reliability of performance.” explains Bruno PIALOUX, manager for Responsible Development and Wood Expertise at Groupe THEBAULT.
* The eco label Nordic SWAN is widely referenced by northern European countries, mainly Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
100% natural for a renewable energy: Tebo densified logs! Made in France, they have many advantages.
100% natural manufacturing
The compacted or densified logs are made from chips and sawdust from Maritime Pine veneer offcuts certified PEFC™ . The different components have a moisture content of less than 10% and will undergo a strong compression, of almost 200 bars, to be agglomerated and solidified without any additives, glue or chemical products. The compacted logs are 100% natural. They have a higher calorific value than wood. Thus, 1 ton of densified logs (or 1 m³) is equivalent to the calorific value of 4 steres of dry wood.
Valorisation et investissements
Located in Solférino, in the heart of the Landes forest, the densified log line has a production capacity of 6,000 tonnes per year, for a controlled investment of less than one million euros. Environmental benefits The brand new production line completes the THEBAULT Group’s Maritime Pine peeling and softwood plywood manufacturing facilities. The compressed wood logs allow the direct valorization of wood chips and offcuts from the transformation of veneers into panels.
