Sustainability
August 4, 2026
A €25 million step toward fossil-free production
Our Quimperlé site in France has commissioned a new biomass boiler, a €25 million investment that marks one of the most significant steps yet in the decarbonization of our production operations. The project brings three of our sustainability priorities together in a single asset: renewable energy generation, advanced emissions management, and the circular use of resources. Once fully operational, the unit will replace the site’s existing boilers and displace the 110 to 120 GWh of natural gas Quimperlé consumes each year.
Renewable energy at the heart of operations
At the core of the project is a 20 MW biomass plant designed to generate approximately 118,000 MWh of renewable energy annually, accounting for around 85% of the site’s thermal energy requirements. Fully automated, the facility has been engineered for efficiency and reliability, and is fitted with advanced flue gas treatment to maintain high environmental performance while supporting production activities.
New value for local waste wood
The boiler runs on waste wood sourced within a 100-kilometer radius of the site. Using wood that would otherwise go unrecovered creates value from an existing waste stream, shortens transport distances and the associated emissions, and strengthens our relationships with suppliers across the region.
A measurable carbon impact
By substituting renewable biomass for fossil fuel, the new installation is expected to avoid approximately 25,000 metric tons of fossil CO₂ emissions per year. The flue gas treatment system captures a further 4,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually, taking the site beyond emissions reduction and toward carbon valorization.
Turning emissions into raw material
What happens to that captured carbon is the project’s most distinctive feature. Rather than being released into the atmosphere, the CO₂ is converted into calcium carbonate – an essential raw material in papermaking – and reintroduced into the manufacturing process. The result is a closed loop in which an emission becomes a production input, and a practical demonstration of what circular manufacturing looks like at an industrial scale.
Investing in a more sustainable future
This is the second biomass boiler in the Group and a significant milestone in the long-term transformation of our operations. It shows how industrial investment can deliver operational performance and environmental progress at the same time. As we advance our sustainability ambitions, the asset will play a central role in progressively removing fossil fuels from our emissions profile while supporting the production of high-quality products for years to come.
Read our Sustainability Report 2025 to learn more about our decarbonation programme.
