Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso has opened the new €285m containerboard machine at Ostroleka mill in Poland. The mill consists of a pulp and paper mill, a corrugated board and boxes mill and a sack mill.
The new light-weight containerboard machine BM 5, which went on stream in early 2013, runs on recovered fiber and has the capacity to produce 455 000t of product annually.
Stora Enso collects packaging material and transports them to the collection stations, where it is separated from other waste material and baled.
Later on, the final raw material is transported to the company's Ostroleka mill and made into new products such as cardboard boxes and board packaging.
According to Stora Enso, the investment in Poland is yet another step in the company's transformation into a renewable materials company focusing on growth markets.
Stora Enso Renewable Packaging EVP Mats Nordlander said the demand for modern light-weight corrugated packaging is increasing rapidly and the market in Central and Eastern Europe is expected to grow by over 5% per year.
"Our new BM 5 will strengthen our position in the growing markets of Central and Eastern Europe, and at the same time supporting our packaging growth strategy," Nordlander said.
The Ostroleka mill manufactures single-wall and double-wall corrugated board of all types of flute, which are used to produce various American-type boxes and die-cut boxes.