Tissue manufacturer Essity is investing SEK 400m in an integrated facility for the production of pulp based on alternative fibre from plant-based agricultural by-products.
The investment is taking place at the company’s tissue plant in Mannheim, Germany. Production is expected to commence in the second half of 2020.
Essity has signed a license agreement securing exclusive rights to a new proprietary technology to produce pulp from alternative fibre that will have the same quality as conventional wood-based pulp at a competitive cost.
The source of the fibre is agricultural by-products such as wheat straw which is often made into compost or incinerated.
Essity is now evaluating the integration of this alternative fibre as a complement to fresh and recovered fibre as raw material in its production.
Magnus Groth, president and chief executive of Essity, said: “To support our sustainability ambitions, we continuously assess new production methods.
“This is one example of how innovation can contribute to a sustainable and circular society.”
The process will enable a reduction in the use of water, energy and chemicals while the by-product of the integrated pulping process can be further refined to serve as a substitute for oil-based chemicals.
In 2018, Essity decided on new climate targets for 2030 that, according to the Science Based Targets Initiative, are aligned with the ambition of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming.
