The environmental footprint of products, including those in the food, non-food, and publishing sectors, is improved through production using entirely fossil free energy.
delfort, a global leader in the development and manufacturing of specialty papers, is setting new standards for sustainable industrial processes. With the commissioning of the world’s largest steam‑generating heat pump and an electrode boiler at its Finnish site in Tervakoski, the mill can now produce all specialty papers entirely without the use of fossil energy. “This project represents an important milestone on our journey toward net zero and simultaneously supports our customers in achieving their own sustainability goals,” says Hannes Kinast, COO of delfort.
With the installation of the heat pump as the final step in the site’s energy‑supply decarbonization project, one of the world’s most modern and highly efficient paper production facilities has been created, in which fossil fuels can be completely replaced. With a total investment of more than 50 million euros, delfort is reducing energy consumption, eliminating the use of fossil fuels, and enabling the site to achieve zero emissions. “For us, this is a major step toward decarbonization, increased efficiency, and long‑term resilience,” says CFO Ilkka Saarinen, “as it significantly strengthens our overall performance.” “The system is a showcase example of industrial energy transformation and highlights our substantial contribution to climate protection as well as our innovation leadership within the industry in developing responsible and sustainable paper solutions for our customers,” adds Kinast.
The new heat pump utilizes industrial waste heat and supplies steam for paper production. delfort customers in sectors such as food packaging, energy transmission and storage, printing, pharmaceuticals, and FMCG benefit and thus improve their environmental footprint. “For delfort, this is a decisive contribution to meeting our net‑zero greenhouse‑gas targets by 2050 at the latest,” says Saarinen.
The project was partially funded by Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the European Union NextGenerationEU program.