Stora Enso Postpones Decision to Convert Paper Machine at Langerbrugge Mill to Recycled Containerboard

In June of 2022, Stora Enso announced the start of a feasibility study that would focus on the conversion of the site's newsprint paper line to recycled containerboard.

May 20, 2024 - Stora Enso has decided to postpone potential plans to convert a paper machine at its Langerbrugge paper mill in Belgium from the production of recycled newsprint to recycled containerboard.

Currently, the Langerbrugge mill has two machines: one produces recycled newsprint and the other produces recycled supercalendered magazine paper. The mill has the capacity to produce 540,000 tonnes per year of recycled paper.

In June of 2022, Stora Enso announced the start of a feasibility study that would focus on the conversion of the site's newsprint paper line. The conversion, Stora Enso said, would enable the company to further grow its recycled and recyclable packaging materials capacity and to meet the growing demand in end-use segments.

In an article posted on Stora Enso's website (May 17, 2024) highlighting the Langerbrugge mill, Rebekka Thielemann, VP, Product and Sales Recycled Containerboard, commented on the recent feasibility study and machine conversion decision.

"Our study on the opportunity to deliver more recycled packaging to the market proved positive. However, as the availability of recycled containerboard in Europe currently meets market needs, we decided to postpone the conversion decision, which will be taken in due time," Thielemann explained.

"While we remain agile and responsive to market trends, our dedication to our paper customers is unwavering. We are fully committed to continuing to provide the high-quality products and service excellence that our clients have come to expect from us for the foreseeable future, solidifying Langerbrugge's legacy as a cornerstone of paper production," she added.

Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials and wooden construction, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world.

SOURCE: Stora Enso