Portugal-based The Navigator Company has launched gCELL, a new brand that brings its pulp business under a single identity as the company seeks to strengthen the positioning of its eucalyptus fibre portfolio in global markets.
The new brand consolidates an activity that has been at the core of Navigator’s business for more than seven decades and reflects the company’s strategy of creating greater differentiation and value in the pulp sector.
Navigator said gCELL is built on its long-standing expertise in the production of Eucalyptus globulus pulp, a fibre widely recognized for its performance across a broad range of paper and packaging applications.
The launch also highlights the company’s historical role in the development of eucalyptus kraft pulp. In 1956, a team at Navigator’s Cacia mill in Aveiro, Portugal, successfully demonstrated what the company describes as the world’s first industrial production of kraft pulp from eucalyptus. The project, known internally as TE-24, helped establish the commercial viability of eucalyptus fibre and paved the way for the large-scale production of eucalyptus kraft pulp and papers made from 100% eucalyptus fibre.
Today, Navigator is Europe’s largest producer of eucalyptus-based pulp, with an annual production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes.
According to the company, the creation of a dedicated brand reflects the growing importance of eucalyptus fibre across a diverse range of end uses. In addition to printing and writing papers, Navigator’s pulp is used in tissue products, packaging papers, décor papers, specialty papers and emerging moulded cellulose applications.
“gCELL represents a natural evolution of our pulp business,” said João Escobar Henriques, Global Pulp Sales Director at The Navigator Company. “By creating a dedicated brand, we are reinforcing the unique value of our fibre and strengthening our connection with customers.”
Navigator said its integrated operating model, spanning sustainably managed forests through industrial production, supports consistent quality and supply reliability. The company also highlighted the versatility of Eucalyptus globulus fibre, which has become a key raw material for a growing range of fibre-based products.
Sustainability is another element of the gCELL positioning. Navigator noted that its pulp is sourced from responsibly managed forests certified under FSC® and PEFC standards. The company also points to the resource efficiency of eucalyptus fibre, which can deliver high performance while requiring less wood for equivalent end-use applications compared with some alternative species.
The launch of gCELL follows Navigator’s broader strategy of expanding higher-value fibre-based businesses. In recent years, the company has invested in tissue, sustainable packaging and moulded cellulose solutions as it seeks to broaden the range of products derived from its eucalyptus fibre platform.
With the introduction of gCELL, Navigator is giving its pulp business a dedicated identity while reinforcing its position as a leading supplier of eucalyptus-based fibre to global markets.
Additional information about the new brand is available at gcell-pulp.com.
About The Navigator Company
The Navigator Company is an integrated producer of forest products, pulp, paper, tissue, sustainable packaging solutions and bioenergy. The company operates production facilities in Portugal and is Europe’s largest producer of eucalyptus-based pulp, with an annual pulp production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes.
In 2025, Navigator reported revenue of €1.97 billion. More than 90% of its products are sold outside Portugal and reach customers in 117 countries. The company is also a major producer of renewable energy and has committed to reducing direct CO₂ emissions from its industrial operations by 86% by 2035, compared with 2018 levels.
