Saica invests €41M in its Aisne site

Saica invests €41M in its site at Venizel

The Saica Paper plant at Venizel in the Aisne region, known for the quality of its high-performance papers and its environmental efficiency, has received €41 million of investment. The injection of funds has allowed the installation of a next-generation biomass boiler. This has enabled the European leader in paper recycling for corrugated cardboard to maintain its Aisne site (which has 160 employees) and strengthen its involvement in the local economy. According to the Local Footprint 2017 study, the group’s business generates 1,400 indirect and spin-off jobs, mainly in the region.

An up-to-the-minute sustainable measure

This new biomass boiler puts the Aisne plant on the road to sustainable development, by means of the circular economy. It means the plant is now able to use old wood and by-products of the preparation of pulp to produce the energy necessary for its operations. This reduces its CO2 emissions by more than 70% and natural gas consumption by 89%. Wood energy, as used at the Saica Venizel plant, is the leading source of renewable energy in the Hauts-de-France region. With biogas, biofuels and energy recovery units, bioenergy is an essential asset for the energy transition of the Hauts-de-France as set out in the Rev3 programme.

The Saica group

The Saica group, part of the company of the same name founded in Spain in 1943, has a presence in nine countries including France and employs more than 10,000 people. Saica has 22 sites in France, including four in Hauts-de-France: two in Venizel in the Aisne (Paper/ Pack) and two in the Somme, at Doullens and Poix-de-Picardie, employing 2,300 people in all. Source: Saica