Major Investment at Smurfit Kappa's Austrian paper mill to boost production

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Smurfit Kappa, the world’s leading manufacturer of paper packaging, has announced major investment at its Nettingsdorf paper mill in Austria. The investment involves installation of state-of-the-art technology which is expected to boost the mill output and significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. The investment will help Smurfit Kappa to reinforce its position as the industry leader in paper industry in terms of lowest energy consumption.

As part of the project, the company will build a new recovery boiler by 2020. The boiler will use biomass to produce energy, thereby reducing the CO₂ emissions from the Nettingsdorf mill by 40,000 tonnes per annum. This equates to a 1.5% reduction in total CO₂ emissions by all Smurfit facilities across the world. The state-of-the-art boiler will help the company move one step closer to its 2020 target. Incidentally, the company has set a target to achieve 25% cut in CO₂ emissions by 2020. The recently released Sustainability Report had stated that the company has already cut emissions by 23%. In addition to the boiler, the investment also covers installation of a new steam turbine by 2022. Sustainability has been a critical element of the company’s business model over the recent years.

Günter Hochrathner, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Nettingsdorf noted that the multi-million euro investment is a positive step for the mill. The new boiler and steam turbine will make the mill more efficient, thereby benefiting the employees and nearby communities. Further, the new investment in technology will provide security to the long-term future of the mill, by upholding its sustainability features. The new development will ensure long-term supply of high-quality, sustainable container boards to its existing and future customers, Hochrathner added.

Meantime, Saverio Mayer, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Europe stated that the investment is part of its long-term vision and that it reinforces the company’s commitment to build sustainable future based on responsible principles. It will create value for our customers, shareholders and the communities surrounding the Nettingsdorf mill site.

The company had recently won the prestigious Swiss Packaging Award for its innovative Universal Box packaging in the construction category. The packaging was designed and developed by Smurfit Kappa designer for BIRAL AG, a leading manufacturer of pumps.

Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging solutions in the world, with around 45,000 employees in approximately 370 production sites across 34 countries- 21 countries in Europe and 13 in the Americas. In addition, it also owns 229 packaging converting plants, 50 recovered fibre facilities and 31 other production facilities.