Surrounded by the scenic mountains and forests of Trentino in northern Italy, the over 130 employees atCondino Millare especially conscious of their environment. The mill achieved a major eco-effective win in 2020 by turning sludge that would normally go to landfill into a valuable new resource for construction and the circular economy.
Reflecting the pure nature of Glassine, one of the main paper grades produced from Condino, the mill's sludge is rich in fibre with low-chemical content and other additives. With this profile, mill directorMisa Bursacknew that the sludge had special value. He just needed to find the right partner to appreciate it. Remarkably, he found just the right one nearby in Trentino. La Società Specialized Polymers Industry(SPI) is an award-winning start-up that is making waves by turning paper-making sludge into thermal insulation panels for use in buildings.
By transforming the sludge into a building material that will last for years, this is an eco-effective solution with long-term benefit. Preparing the sludge for SPI also requires relatively little energy. The mill only presses it to remove some of the water, without having to dry it completely as normally required in recycling processes. Since SPI is located in the region, carbon emissions during transport are also minimal. This project exemplifies the kind of eco-effective co-operation that makes Sappi a leader in the circular economy.
Becoming more energy efficient
Pulp and paper manufacturing is energy intensive. But with Sappi, the energy we both consume and produce is increasingly efficient and beneficial to surrounding communities.
Condino Mill relies on a combined heat and electric power plant (CHP) that uses methane to generate the mill’s electricity and steam. The technology enables us to recover waste heat that would normally be lost in the power generation process for use in other activities. With the CHP we are thriving producers, not just consumers of energy.
In 2014, Sappi signed an agreement with the municipality of Condino to distribute residual thermal energy from the mill to the community. After some infrastructure investments, today the mill supplies this recovered energy to heat the local schools, senior home, nursery, public library, police and fire stations, city hall, community houses and even the public pool.
In 2020, the mill delivered 3,200 MWh of thermal energy to the community. If local users burned this with conventional gas instead, it would emit 600 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. The heat recovery system still has capacity to deliver extra heat that our teams are enthusiastically exploring with the town.
The project is yet another example of how Sappi invests in the communities that we also call home and enhances people’s everyday lives.