HEINZEL GROUP develops Laakirchen paper mill into one of the largest production sites for recycled packaging paper in Europe
October 26, 2021The supervisory boards of Laakirchen Papier AG and Heinzel Holding GmbH
have decided to make extensive investments in the sustainable development of
the Austrian paper mill Laakirchen for an environmentally friendly future. As
part of an investment program of well over 100 million euros, paper machine 11
(PM11), which today produces supercalendered paper for magazines, catalogs, and
advertising, will be converted into a highperformance machine for lightweight
containerboard made from recycled paper. “Recycled packaging papers are
the product of the future for the circular bioeconomy,” says Kurt Maier,
CEO of HEINZEL GROUP. “With a total of more than a million tons of
production on two paper
machines, Laakirchen will become one of the largest production facilities for
these products in all of Europe.”
Preparations for the conversion and for obtaining the necessary permits have
already started. Containerboard products from the PM11 will be available on the
market for the first time in mid 2023. “This also means that we will withdraw
entirely from the publication paper market in 2023,” says Franz Baldauf, CFO of
Laakirchen Papier AG. “Until then, we want to reliably supply those customers
who purchase SC paper from us today. This is important, given the current paper
shortage on the market,” says Baldauf.
With a width of 8.90 meters, the PM11 will produce lightweight recycled
containerboard with a basis weight from 70 grams per square meter upwards.
These so-called testliner and fluting products from Laakirchen will be marketed
under the product name “starboard” and are particularly suitable for ecommerce
packaging, but are also used for industrial packaging and packaging for
agricultural products or consumer products. At full capacity the PM11 will
produce more than 550,000 metric tons of paper per year. The production switch
requires extensive investments at the company site in Laakirchen. For example,
an additional anaerobic wastewater treatment system will be built to produce
biogas, which will reduce the use of fossil fuels in the mill.
“With this investment, HEINZEL GROUP is further expanding its position as
a leading producer of recycled packaging paper,” says Sebastian Heinzel,
shareholder of HEINZEL GROUP. “This market is expanding strongly, not least
because of the increases in ecommerce and the growing displacement of plastic
packaging. The Laakirchen paper mill has unbeatable advantages: its location in
the heart of Europe and its efficient and modern machines.” The recycled fiber
supply for Laakirchen will be ensured by Bunzl & Biach, the recovered paper
trading company of HEINZEL GROUP. The papers from Laakirchen will be sold
together with the Raubling Papier GmbH products via the group’s own
heinzelsales network.