Stora Enso opens a new corrugated packaging plant in De Lier, the Netherlands. The site is part of the recently acquired De Jong Packaging Group, now the Western Europe business unit of the Packaging Solutions division. The robust expansion was designed with a strong focus on sustainable operations.
The expansion adds a new second plant to the De Lier site and equips it with two new corrugators on top of the two existing ones. With the expansion, the site is now the largest and most modern corrugated packaging plant in Europe. Products at the De Lier plant currently include boxes and trays for fresh produce, horticultural and industrial applications, e-commerce and transportation.
The new De Lier plant uses a number of sustainable solutions, such as the 3.8 MWp of solar panels installed on the roof, which will provide electricity to an equivalent of a thousand households. Waste heat generated by the undulators will be used to heat the site’s offices, further reducing the carbon footprint.
«This expansion allows us to increase our market share in renewable and circular packaging solutions while serving our customers from an extremely favorable position in Western Europe. We are excited to strengthen our position as a strong regional player in the European corrugated packaging market» says David Ekberg, executive vice president of Stora Enso’s Packaging Solutions division.
De Lier’s new state-of-the-art technology facility boasts a fully automated paper reel warehouse, two corrugators and converting machines using a multilevel conveyor, as well as an advanced waste management system. It also features an improved internal conveyor system that facilitates safer movement during the production process, reducing the need for forklifts.
«The facility expansion with a new plant significantly optimizes the flexibility and efficiency of our processes, allowing us to better support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals. By reducing our carbon footprint and incorporating renewable energy, we are taking important steps toward more sustainable operations while improving our manufacturing processes and workplace safety» says Ad Smit, senior vice president, BU Western Europe, Packaging Solutions division.
The De Lier site develops and sells premium fiber-based packaging products and services and employs about 500 people. The new plant is now in the start-up phase, with the first orders already delivered.