Spanish group Lecta's Condat paper mill in the Dordogne is to be equipped with a waste derived fuel (RDF) boiler, at a cost of 56 million euros. To be installed by June 2024, this boiler will, according to the company, bring multiple environmental and economic benefits to the two-sided coated paper mill.
"This energy project is an important step in Lecta's ongoing transition to new growth markets and the use of more sustainable energy. The new boiler will ensure a stable, long-term supply of competitively priced, 100% renewable steam in place of fossil energy sources such as natural gas." says Gilles Van Nieuwenhuyzen, CEO of the 3,000-employee paper group.
The new boiler will be fuelled by local sources of high-grade biogenic waste, helping to reduce the volume of waste that cannot currently be recovered and ends up in landfills.
It will cover around 50% of the plant's steam requirements, reducing gas imports by around 280 GWh per year. And gas-related CO2 emissions will be reduced by 55,000 tonnes per year.
45 million euros of project financing was provided by Kyotherm, a French investment company specializing in renewable heat generation projects. The French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe) provided a grant of 14 million euros.
