Smurfit Kappa, a leading manufacturer of paper-based packaging solutions, has announced a significant investment of over €30 million in Spain.
This investment aims to reduce the company's environmental footprint and promote a more circular production process at its Sangüesa and Nervión paper mills.
The centerpiece of the investment at the Sangüesa mill is a massive solar panel system, the largest of its kind in the Navarra region. This system, alongside existing biomass and recovery boilers, will generate more than 50% of the mill's annual energy needs, equivalent to powering over 3,600 homes. This shift to renewable energy is projected to cut the mill's CO2 emissions by over 3,000 tonnes annually. Notably, the Sangüesa mill has already achieved a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, exceeding 51% since 2005.
The Nervión mill investment focuses on achieving a fully circular production process. This ambitious project represents Smurfit Kappa's largest landfill reduction initiative to date. It is expected to divert a staggering 75,000 tonnes of waste from landfills and eliminate approximately 450,000 kilometers of road transport each year.
"The recent inauguration of both the Sangüesa and the Nervión investments are milestones for the Smurfit Kappa paper division," said Javier Rivas, COO of Smurfit Kappa Paper & Board Europe. "These projects align perfectly with the EU Green Deal's transition towards climate neutrality by promoting clean energy technologies."
Garrett Quinn, Chief Sustainability Officer at Smurfit Kappa, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the company's commitment to sustainability. "These two projects demonstrate the Group's continued investment to deliver on its sustainability goals," Quinn remarked. "With over €30 million invested in these initiatives alone, we are actively reducing emissions and making our production process significantly more circular."
The inauguration events for the Sangüesa and Nervión mills were attended by Smurfit Kappa Group CEO Tony Smurfit. This significant investment underscores Smurfit Kappa's dedication to sustainable practices throughout its packaging production chain.
