Smurfit Kappa paper mill to provide heat for up to 20,000 homes in Austria

A Smurfit Kappa paper mill is set to provide heating for up to 20,000 homes in Austria, as part of a sustainable district heating project.

Excess heat from the paper mill in Nettingsdorf will be captured and used to heat local homes, businesses and schools in the nearby villages of Kremsdorf, Haid and Ansfelden, replacing fossil fuels. Work is already under way, with the first phase of civil work due to be completed this summer and the first premises to benefit from the scheme — local schools in Nettingsdorf — on track to start service from early next year.

The move follows a recent €134 million investment at the mill, which saw a new recovery boiler installed. This allows the recovery of biomass generated in paper pulp production, boosting energy efficiency and also cutting CO2 emissions by 40,000 tonnes annually.

“This project is another important step forward in advancing sustainability here at our mill in Nettingsdorf,” said Günter Hochrathner, chief executive of Smurfit Kappa Nettingsdorf. “We will capture the waste heat in an innovative and efficient way to sustainably heat homes and businesses. We anticipate that this will significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of the surrounding district.”

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A similar scheme at Smurfit’s Pitea paper mill in Sweden has been converting excess heat into central heating for domestic and business premises in the local community for more than 40 years.

“Supporting our local communities is every bit as important as our day-to-day business of creating packaging. We are focused on working in partnership with local people to identify the sustainability projects that will make a positive difference to their lives,” said Garrett Quinn, chief sustainability officer at Smurfit Kappa. “The innovative district heating scheme under way at Nettingsdorf is the latest example of this type of community sustainability initiative and will be a great resource for the area.”