Ence challenges long-fiber imports with its new eucalyptus fluff line in Navia

The European market for absorbent hygiene products has historically relied on imported long-fiber fluff pulp, primarily from the United States. This logistical and operational dynamic has just experienced a significant shift. On October 8, Ence officially inaugurated three industrial projects at its Navia biofactory in Asturias, materializing an investment of over 200 million euros that reconfigures its portfolio toward specialty pulps.

The bulk of this capital injection, exceeding 160 million euros, has been allocated to process expansion and the commissioning of a fluff pulp line based entirely on eucalyptus. This is the first and only facility in Europe capable of producing this type of pulp from short fiber, a development that required six years of research and development.

Import substitution and ongoing qualification

The new fluff line has an installed capacity of 125,000 tonnes per year. The most commercially relevant data point is that the company is already in the qualification phase with more than 70 international clients. In the absorbent products industry, qualification processes are stringent, but the initial traction suggests a latent demand for European-manufactured alternatives that offer a lower carbon footprint compared to transatlantic imports.

Wood yard efficiency and decarbonization

Beyond fluff pulp, the investment package includes 48 million euros dedicated to modernizing the wood yard and improving energy efficiency. The biofactory has incorporated new infrastructure equipped with two debarkers and a chipper, capable of processing 5,400 cubic meters per day of wood up to five meters in length. This technical upgrade allows the facility to process all eucalyptus with bark, increasing the availability of internal biomass for its boiler.

In parallel, the company has completed the decarbonization project for its lime kilns, an operational step that reduces the facility's direct emissions and improves the Asturian complex's competitiveness in an increasingly demanding regulatory environment.

The molded fiber horizon

The diversification strategy in Navia does not stop at fluff pulp. The company maintains on its roadmap the development of a molded fiber plant, designed to produce 10,000 tonnes annually, translating to roughly 400 million food packaging units. This move confirms Ence's intention to position itself not just as a raw material supplier, but as a direct player in the European sustainable packaging value chain.