As we announced last month, DS Smith, UK manufacturer of corrugated packaging, 90 million investment is building a steam production unit at its Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray site near Rouen in the Seine-Maritime region of France. The foundation stone for this gigantic project was officially laid on November 15. The project, to which the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe) is contributing 15 million euros, will see the installation of a biomass boiler.
This imposing 56 MW boiler, built by Finnish manufacturer Valmet and approaching the height of a 10-storey building, will replace the current coal-fired boiler used in the manufacture of corrugated board by the first quarter of 2025.
The switch to biomass energy should, according to the Group, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 99 million tonnes a year and cover at least 80% of the Normandy site's heating needs.
The biomass boiler will require 94,000 tonnes of biofuel, made up of 30% plant by-products and 70% various wood wastes.
"As with all our businesses, implementing large-scale carbon reduction initiatives is a priority for DS Smith as we seek to meet our immediate and long-term sustainability goals. By moving away from coal and installing a new biomass boiler from waste, we will achieve significant CO2 savings, which will contribute not only to our own operations, but also to those of our customers through their Type 3 emissions." says Niels Flierman, DS Smith Paper and Recycling Sector Manager.
The back-up boiler fleet, already comprising a gas-fired boiler producing 34 t/h of steam, will be strengthened by the acquisition of two new units with the same production capacity.
The installation of a steam turbine to provide 10 MW of electricity with a maximum steam supply of 65 t/h is also under study.
