Stora Enso has announced two investments of several tens of millions of euros, which will strengthen its production of specialty pulps. At its Enocell site in Finland, the ?10 billion paper manufacturer is committing ?38 million to the production of unbleached kraft pulp (UKP), and at its Skutskär site in Sweden, an additional ?42 million to improve fluff pulp production.
The Nordic manufacturer expects to meet the growing demand for unbleached renewable packaging materials and hygiene products. According to Stora Enso, "long-term trends indicate a consumer preference for renewable packaging products based on less bleached or brown fibers."
"By optimizing our pulp portfolio, we are improving the offering of more specialized pulp, while optimizing production and sustainability performance. This will allow us to meet the growing demand for the use of unbleached and less bleached pulp in packaging and hygiene applications." says Johanna Hagelberg, executive vice president of the Biomaterials Division at Stora Enso, in a statement.
The Finnish mill, which employs 280 people, is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2024. The Enocell facility will then have the capacity to flexibly produce UKP and Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp.
The carbon footprint per ton of UKP will be more than 20% lower than the equivalent amount of bleached pulp produced at the Enocell site, due to the reduced use of bleaching chemicals.
As for the Skutskär site, which has 420 employees, with this investment the group will be able to meet the demand for specific roll sizes, improve work safety and increase the production of fluff pulp. The project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024.
