05 Aug 2022 --- This week in industry news, Smurfit Kappa’s paper mill in Nettingsdorf, Austria, launched a sustainable district heating project. Meanwhile, Berry Global announced its first three sites in North America to achieve the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, and Herrmann added a new function to its TSM top seal module for space and cost savings. In brief: Environmental sustainabilityThe Smurfit Kappa paper mill in Nettingsdorf, Austria, unveiled a sustainable district heating project that will benefit 20,000 homes across three communities when completed. The scheme will capture excess heat generated from the mill to provide heating for local homes, businesses and schools. Civil works have commenced on the project, with the first trenches excavated and pipes laid in June. The central heat distribution building and equipment will be erected in the coming months and it is planned that a local elementary school and the kindergarten in Nettingsdorf will be the first premises to benefit from the scheme early next year. This follows a recent €134 million (US$137 million) investment at the mill, which included the installation of a new boiler that allows the recovery of biomass generated in paper pulp production. This move not only boosted energy optimization but cut CO2 emissions by 40,000 metric tons annually. The production process will generate up to 25 MW of heat that will help save approximately 21,000 metric tons of CO2.
