Automation, digitalization, energy and resource management: Sofidel explains how technological and industrial choices are reshaping tissue production in a context of unstable markets and increasingly stringent environmental targets.
In a scenario marked by market instability, cost pressures, and growing attention to environmental issues, Sofidel consolidates its role in the international tissue landscape through targeted industrial decisions and long-term structural investments. The company has developed a production model capable of combining operational efficiency, plant reliability, and technological development, while strengthening its presence beyond European borders. In this interview, Davide Mainardi, Chief Technical Officer of the Group, provides a technical and strategic perspective on the ongoing transformations, from digital solutions to resource management, and the sector’s future prospects.
“Sofidel is the second largest player in the European market and one of the global leaders in the tissue sector,” explains Mainardi. “The Group stands out for its innovative and sustainable solutions, with hygiene and household paper products that simplify people’s lives while ensuring comfort and hygiene, with a constant focus on continuous improvement of processes and products.”
What have been the main drivers of growth in recent years?
“Essentially three. First, the integration of sustainability as a competitive lever has been the cultural catalyst that allowed the company to grow globally, improving products and corporate processes to create long-lasting shared added value. Second, the quality of production assets, with plants that guarantee high production efficiency and environmental performance. The third factor of growth has certainly been internationalization: in recent years, we decided to invest in the United States, where we operate with 14 production plants. The North American market now represents about 50% of our global turnover, and there we hold a very important share in the Private Label segment.”
How has the industrial strategy adapted to market turbulence: energy, raw materials, demand?
“In the context of volatility and uncertainty that has characterized recent years, Sofidel’s internationalization strategy has represented a significant factor in risk mitigation. The expansion of production has indeed allowed the company to better handle currency fluctuations and the repercussions of geopolitical crises, making the company more resilient and antifragile.”
What are the main technical challenges in producing high-performance tissue?
“In terms of efficiency and reducing emissions, I would highlight the need to develop thermal energy for the paper drying phase. At present, this process cannot be fully electrified, and we are working to find practical solutions that combine production efficiency, environmental impact, and economic sustainability. Another challenge relates to fibers: from the use of alternative fibers to the use of short fibers instead of long fibers, while maintaining the qualitative characteristics of the final product.”
What recent investments have been made in automation and digitalization of the plants?
“These are two very relevant topics for us. For some time now, for example, we have been working on the automation of our plant warehouses, through AGVs and WMS (laser-guided vehicles and automatically managed warehouses). A striking example is the use of autonomous electric trucks for transporting finished products within the Sofidel Poland plant, from the converting department to the automated warehouse, over distances dictated by plant layout.
Moreover, to mention another significant activity, we have experimentally developed, together with an important industrial partner (Valmet), a virtual sensor project that allows real-time calculation of process parameters without the use of any additional instruments, ensuring product quality in line with the center line of specifications required by our production.
For years, all our production lines have been equipped with a unified process data collection system, allowing us to summarize the vast amount of data collected into monitoring dashboards usable by management. The new computing and data mining capabilities create conditions to exploit this valuable information even more effectively.
From our perspective, plant digitalization also involves the communication infrastructure and data centers used to support all the software applied in production, both in the pulp mill and in converting. Sofidel adopts an innovative approach that allows all software to be installed in dedicated data centers located at production sites. This approach eliminates the need for numerous devices installed directly on machinery, transferring them to plant data centers where they operate as virtual machines. This technology was gradually introduced starting in 2012 and today covers 100% of European plants and 90% of US plants. The goal is to reach 100%, including newly acquired facilities.
A special mention goes to MES (Manufacturing Execution System) for the pulp mill environment, where for many years we have had a validated standard across all Group plants called RollData. This system, developed with a specific partner, interfaces with OT systems (DCS-PLC) on continuous machines to collect process and production data, and then communicates with the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning).
In recent years, we have developed a more advanced version of RollData called RDCE (RollData Corporate Edition). This version collects data from all sites worldwide and communicates with the corporate management system, where the data is subsequently processed for specific summaries and used for administrative and planning purposes.”
What solutions have been adopted to reduce energy consumption in tissue production?
“In its commitment to reduce emissions as close to zero as possible, Sofidel aims at increasing the use – either self-produced or purchased – of energy from renewable sources. This energy transition policy is implemented through a multi-option strategy, adapting to regulations, infrastructure, and climate conditions of the countries where we operate. A pragmatic, concrete, and flexible approach, considering photovoltaic, wind, biomass, syngas, and hydrogen solutions.”
How are water and wastewater managed in the production cycle?
“Sofidel has historically paid close attention to water management, demonstrated by particularly positive performance in some plants and the company’s ongoing improvement process. For wastewater management, we use different levels of treatment – chemical-physical and biological – adapting solutions to the specific needs of each plant. Key management measures include using recycled water for operations originally requiring fresh water, employing dry-seal pumping systems, collecting rainwater, and installing alarm and control systems to alert personnel to abnormal consumption.
Among the most significant investments over the years is the Waste Water Reuse plant in Italy, at the Soffass Cartiera plant on Via Giuseppe Lazzareschi in Porcari. The system, designed for reusing wastewater for production purposes, is equipped with three purification stages – biological process, ultrafiltration membrane banks, and reverse osmosis – saving approximately 230,000 cubic meters annually.
Another relevant intervention was at the Intertissue plant in Baglan, UK, where a rainwater recovery system covering over 73,000 square meters reduced water consumption by about 65,000 cubic meters per year. Other rainwater collection systems have been installed in Roanne, France, and are being built at the Soffass plant on Via Leccio in Porcari, Italy.
I would also like to mention two other points. In the Gila Bend plant in Arizona, USA, where primary water is treated via desalination in a desert context before production use, allowing its reuse. Finally, all Sofidel pulp mills are equipped with biological treatment plants, many integrated within the production facility and others external, managed by third parties.”
Which technological developments will most influence tissue production in the coming years?
“Energy transition represents the main technological challenge, with increasing complexity and investment obsolescence risks. Investments in new technologies are increasingly costly with longer payback periods, in a regulatory context that is evolving and revising priorities. After periods of rapid acceleration, incremental improvements slow down, making innovation increasingly difficult in the tissue sector.”
How will market demands change in terms of quality and sustainability?
“The European market is mature and characterized by overproduction: the ability to offer sustainable quality becomes the main differentiation factor. It is essential to create added value and innovate, offering consumers products that deliver functionally and environmentally higher performance.”