Joint Russian-Chinese facility to be started up in Asino

A wood processing mill is getting ready for start-up in Asino. This is the first and only Russia's facility set up under a Russian-Chinese cooperation agreement.

Three years ago first structures appeared on the site of once-thriving Asino mill. China's Evic Forestry, the key investor, started building a major wood processing complex which will consist of MDF and veneer plants and a power plant. The Chinese partners admit that Tomsk Region was not a random choice.

"I think this is a very healthy area because when we came here looking for a site we looked everywhere. What's most important, you don't have to bring wood here," explains Peng Guo Qing, General Director of ZAO RosKitInvest.

A number of production facilities have already been completed. Equipment is coming and start-up work is under way.

"It is a very serious project with obvious advantages. It will provide jobs with decent salaries for the local people and 1 billion rubles of taxes to the regional budget by 2020. The facility will be one of the major contributors to the budget. That is important for Asinovsky District and vital for Tomsk Region," stressed Oksana Kozlovskaya, Speaker of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Region.

The investments will total around 20bn rubles. The new mill will produce MDF board, particleboard, veneer, and finished products.

• 
• Jule
•