Sonoco’s subsidiary, Sonoco-Alcore is investing in three of its uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) mills located in Europe to enhance environmental performance, product offering and energy efficacy.
The improvements will be completed during the slated downtime in the months of August and September 2011. Adam Wood, who serves as Sonoco-Alcore’s Division Vice President and General Manager, said these investments are part of the company’s ongoing program to enhance the cost competitiveness and product quality of its coreboard mills in Europe. The company is giving importance to customer satisfaction and sustainability during its capital planning process, he added.
The Director of European Operations at Sonoco-Alcore, Dino Kiriakopoulos stated that the company’s mill in Cirie (TO), Italy, will get CHP upgrades, a new energy-from-biogas system and new DCS and its effluent treatment system is being improved. The company’s investment in Cirie mill is the continuation of its 2010 capital investment efforts that are targeting the reduction of energy costs and environmental performance. The company will also be investing in its mills located in Nordhorn, Germany, and Kilkis, Greece, this summer, he added.
Kiriakopoulos further said that at Kilkis mill, the company will be deploying a new heat recovery system, high-efficiency boiler and drive upgrades that will increase the capacity and reduce energy costs. The company is upgrading the press and refining sections at Nordhorn mill to further decrease the electricity and steam consumption for the production of every ton of the superior quality specialty board products, he added.