Project description

Ence aims to meet the growing demand for tissue and packaging products in a sustainable, circular way. The new Biofibras de Galicia plant, located on the site of a former thermal power plant, will have a treatment capacity of 160.000 tonnes of recycled paper per year for the production of 100.000 tonnes per year of bleached recycled pulp with a high degree of whiteness, mainly used for the production of tissue paper.

This first plant in Europe to produce bleached recycled fibre from OCC offers multiple sustainability benefits, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, pressure on resources such as wood and water, and landfill waste.
The application of Ence’s structured project management approach improves the quality, efficiency and overall success of the project.

The implemented solution

The project is based on three elements: innovation, the use of mature technologies and Ence’s own know-how. The designed unit produces a high-quality bleached recycled fibre for any paper use, including the sanitary segment.

The shift from primary eucalyptus wood fibre to secondary OCC fibre involves a change from the Kraft process to a recycled fibre treatment including bleaching.
The project also includes a pilot plant for the recycling of textile fibres through an innovative process.

The key hurdles solved

The project started in early 2023 and industrial activity will start in 2027. The Xunta de Galicia (regional government) declared the plant a strategic industrial project, as part of the philosophy of the Law of Administrative Simplification and Support for the Economic Reactivation of Galicia. This nomination cuts deadlines by half – except for applications and appeals – while maintaining technical, legal and environmental guarantees.

The challenges involved are not only technological, but include development of the required infrastructure for collecting and recovering the OCC raw material.