Smurfit Kappa to invest $100 million to drive down emissions in Colombia

Smurfit Kappa, world leader in paper-based packaging, is investing almost USD100 million in a sustainable biomass boiler which will reduce its global Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions by approximately 6%.

The ambitious project is the latest example of the circularity that permeates every aspect of the company’s operations. Smurfit Kappa has successfully implemented biomass boilers at several other locations including the Nervion, Piteå and Sangüesa paper mills in Europe.

The boiler, which will be constructed at its paper mill in Yumbo, Colombia, will replace the fossil fuels currently used with different types of organic waste to generate cleaner energy. The organic waste will be comprised of pine and eucalyptus bark from the company’s own forestry plantations, waste from its wood treatment plant, and ashes and sludge generated during the paper-manufacturing process.

When the new boiler is operational, the mill will significantly reduce the site’s fossil fuel usage and deliver significant cost savings.

Laurent Sellier, CEO of Smurfit Kappa in the Americas, said: “This investment reinforces our commitment to Colombia, a strategic growth market, and to our sustainability targets. The commissioning of this state-of-the-art biomass boiler is a further material step towards our 2030 and net zero emissions targets and to protecting the environment and creating a greener world.”

Alvaro J. Henao, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Colombia, added: "The construction of this boiler reflects the circularity that is the foundation of our sustainability strategy and runs through all of our operations, as we are finding another use for our own waste. It is also a very important project for the region, as it will contribute to expanding the use of renewable energies and is a timely response to the increased global demand for paper.”

The new boiler is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.