Biomass boiler and decarbonisation

Project Description

The Navigator Company recently inaugurated a new biomass boiler at its Figueira da Foz industrial complex, in an overall investment totalling €55 million. This investment will allow the company to cut its fossil carbon dioxide emissions at this complex by around 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes CO2 per year.

The new biomass boiler will phase out the consumption of fossil fuels for steam generation needed for the pulp and paper production process in Figueira da Foz, and thus replacing the capacity previously assured by the natural gas combined cycle power plant and old biomass and natural gas boilers.

Around 400,000 tonnes of biomass will be consumed each year to operate this new biomass boiler. Half of this is comprised of bark and sawdust, residues from wood handling operations (debarking and screening), coupled with 200,000 tonnes of residual forest biomass acquired from abroad from operations involving forest management and the cleaning of rural areas.

This investment is part of the decarbonization strategy of the company, who decided in 2019 to meet European targets early and achieve carbon neutrality at all of its industrial complexes by 2035, achieving an 86% reduction in its CO2 emissions by this date

Project Purpose

Using residual forest biomass, the new boiler will generate thermal energy for the company’s production processes, making power generation significantly more renewable based and efficient, using co-generation technology.

The new biomass boiler will have a higher capacity and much more rigorous environmental performance, as a result of The Navigator Company’s investment in the best technology currently available for this purpose.

Project Evaluation

The Figueira da Foz mill will be the first of the group with electricity and heat produced entirely from renewable sources. Navigator’s remaining mills will trend towards producing 100% of the electricity they consume from renewable sources, reducing fossil CO2 emissions using new technologies, decreasing specific energy consumption and, finally, offsetting the remaining CO2 emissions

Frederico Miguel Claro Pisco

Corporate Energy Manager

The project is the first key step of the Navigator’s Roadmap
to a Carbon Neutral Company, with the goal to achieve
carbon neutrality at its industrial sites in 2035, representing
86% reduction in CO2 emissions versus 2018 values.
The Roadmap involves a total investment of 158 million €,
between 2018 and 2035. With this ambitious plan for
investment in its industrial facilities, Navigator is one of the
first Portuguese companies to bring forward compliance
with national and European decarbonisation targets by
15 years.
The new biomass boiler represents an investment of 55M€
and will replace not only the existing boiler but also the
natural gas combined cycle power plant of Figueira da
Foz mill, with electricity and heat produced entirely from
renewable sources.

Main features:

CO2 Emissions saved (tCO2)
150.000 – 200.000 tCO2

Investment
Investment 55 M€

Partnerships
Andritz as the biomass boiler supplier
and Raumaster as the biomass handling supplier

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