Sofidel: agreement with Meva Energy for the supply of renewable gas to the Kisa production site in Sweden

New renewable gas (bio-syngas) generation plant produced through innovative technology developed with the aid of the collaboration with Pisa University
It boosts Sofidel’s commitment to “low carbon” production: a reduction of a further 8,500 tons of CO2 emissions a year once fully operational
22 September 2021 – Porcari (Lucca) – Sofidel, one of the leading global groups in the production of paper for hygienic and domestic use known in Italy and Europe for the Regina brand in particular, has signed a long-term agreement (10 years) with Meva Energy for the construction of a renewable bio-syngas generation plant at the Kisa site in Sweden.
The new plant will supply renewable energy that Sofidel will use directly at its Swedish site, replacing fossil fuel sources within two years. As well as benefiting from additional green energy, the agreement will enable the Group to reduce CO2 emissions by a further 8,500 tons compared to the current carbon footprint generated by the consumption of LPG. Meva Energy will run the plant, which will have a generation capacity of at least 4.2 MW.
The plant will deploy innovative technology developed by Meva Energy – a world leader in gasification technology for the production of renewable energy – in collaboration with Sofidel’s Technical Office, the Andritz Group and the Department of Energy of Pisa University (UniPi).
“At Sofidel, we believe in building an inclusive and sustainable future and in our commitment to minimize our impacts on natural capital and encourage the transition to a low-carbon economy we are increasingly focusing on renewable energy. The renewable gas supply agreement signed with Meva Energy will help Sofidel to achieve its 2030 emission reduction targets, that have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with the reductions needed to limit global warming to well below 2°C under the Paris Agreement” says Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO of Sofidel Group.
The agreement with Meva Energy is perfectly in line with Sofidel’s strategy, which envisages the greater involvement of its partners in achieving the sustainability goals set for the benefit of communities. This process had already begun with the partnership with RWE Renewables, thanks to which Sofidel is the sole buyer of energy produced at the Alcamo II plant in Sicily. This is an onshore park with a capacity of 13.6 MW, the construction of which was made possible by a Power Purchase Agreement that ensured its financial sustainability by means of the drafting of a contract for 26 gigawatt hours a year.
This partnership is a further step towards the achievement of the Group’s reduction targets of -40% emissions per ton of paper by 2030 compared with 2018 base year. The Group’s commitments were approved by the Science Based Target Initiative (STBi), the partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations’ Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which promotes best practices and helps companies pursue the aim of reducing climate-changing gases in line with climate science. Sofidel’s commitment to involve suppliers in the fight against climate change gained the maximum score on the Supplier Engagement Leaderboard 2020 of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which acknowledged the Group as a world leader in the support of sustainable development.
The agreements with Meva Energy and RWE Renewables are a responsible and effective opportunity for Sofidel to procure renewable energy for the Group’s activities and, at the same time, generate additional capacity aimed at supporting the green transition.