The Chapelle Darblay paper mill near Rouen is preparing to write a new chapter after a closure that left 230 employees jobless in 2020. Formerly a producer of recycled newsprint, the site is now the focus of an ambitious industrial conversion project supported by Fibre Excellence and Veolia. This initiative aims to transform the PM6 machine to produce 400,000 tonnes of paper for packaging board, in response to growing demand in this segment.
The relaunch of Chapelle Darblay requires a total investment of 245 million euros, including 70 million euros of equity. While Fibre Excellence's parent company has committed 27 million euros, the project remains conditional on 43 million euros of public support to reassure private investors and finalize the financial package. With the December 20, 2024 deadline just a few days away, the government is under pressure to release this crucial investment.
Read Chapelle Darblay stationery bought and sold on the same day
For Veolia, a major player in the project, Chapelle Darblay is an opportunity to implement a true circular economy. The site could transform the large deposits of used paper from the Rouen and Ile-de-France regions.
We are prepared to supply the site with large quantities of waste paper over a ten-year period, and this initiative will help reduce the export of recoverable waste, a critical issue for the industry," says Jean-François Nogrette, Managing Director of Veolia France.
recycling capacity of 480,000 tonnes per year, the site could become a model of ecological and industrial transition. To achieve this, the French government, local authorities and private players must work together to make this revival an example of successful synergy.
