Four of Smurfit Westrock?s French plants underwent modernization in 2025 to reduce their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The Irish manufacturer of paper and cardboard packaging replaced gas and fuel oil boilers with heat pumps and electrified some of its material-handling equipment. These investments are expected to save 230 MWh of energy and prevent the emission of 300 metric tons of CO2 per year.
The plants in France that have benefited from these investments are Dore Emballage, located in La Chapelle-Agnon, in the Puy-de-Dôme department, Distribution Vin in Beychac-et-Caillau, in the Gironde department; Nord Emballages in Hirson, in the Aisne department; and Somica in Saint-Amand-Montrond, in the Cher department.
According to Smurfit Westrock, the four sites have achieved net-zero operational emissions for Scopes 1 and 2, which include direct emissions and emissions related to purchased energy.
Boilers Replaced with Heat Pumps
At the Nord Emballages and Somica sites, the old gas- and oil-fired boilers have been replaced with electric heat pumps combined with adiabatic cooling systems. These systems use the existing air distribution networks to heat and cool the buildings.
LPG- and gasoline-powered forklifts have also been replaced with electric models at the four plants.
In addition, the facilities switched to an almost entirely renewable power supply by 2025, largely thanks to green power certificates.
About 20 European factories are targeted by the end of 2027
These projects are part of a broader initiative by Smurfit Westrock to eliminate net operational emissions from its European industrial sites, covering Scopes 1 and 2. Five other plants have already been modernized, bringing the total to nine. The manufacturer aims to reach about 20 sites by the end of 2027.
To date, Smurfit Westrock has primarily modernized small plants where certain equipment needed to be replaced. It will now turn its attention to larger industrial sites, with the possibility of using government grants to finance the necessary investments.
