Saica reduces natural gas reliance by 89 percent with an 86 million euro biomass plant in France

The heavy industrial decarbonization of Europe’s paper sector continues to gain tangible momentum through capital-intensive infrastructure rather than distant corporate pledges. In July 2026, Saica Group achieved a major structural milestone by officially integrating its third large-scale biomass boiler into its French operations. Located at the Saica Paper mill in Nogent-sur-Seine, this €86 million energy infrastructure overhaul represents a definitive move away from fossil fuels for one of the continent's leading producers of recycled paper and corrugated packaging.

Addressing the thermal energy chokepoint

For containerboard and packaging producers, steam generation has historically been the primary chokepoint in reducing Scope 1 emissions. Saica’s strategy confronts this directly. The newly commissioned 49.75 MW thermal biomass plant is engineered to generate 450,000 tonnes of low-pressure steam per year, equivalent to approximately 300 GWh of renewable energy. This immense thermal output successfully meets 90% of the mill's total steam requirements, while a supplementary biogas system handles the remaining 10%.

The engineering footprint extends beyond steam generation. Crucially, the Nogent-sur-Seine installation incorporates a 5.5 MW steam turbine capable of producing 37 GWh of electricity annually. By feeding this power directly back into the facility, the biomass plant covers 28% of the site's base electrical demand, shielding the operation from ongoing fluctuations and price spikes in the European power market.

Following similar and highly successful infrastructure deployments at its Venizel and Champblain-Laveyron facilities, Saica is systematically stripping natural gas out of its production matrix. The Nogent-sur-Seine project replaces roughly 30 million cubic meters of natural gas annually, cutting the plant's overall fossil fuel consumption by an impressive 89%. In terms of climate impact, this translates to a 75% reduction in the mill's Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions, preventing 50,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every single year.

Hyper-localizing the fuel supply chain

Transitioning from predictable pipeline gas to solid biomass introduces new logistical complexities, primarily around fuel sourcing. Saica has mitigated this operational risk by hyper-localizing its supply chain. The boiler requires approximately 65,000 tonnes of wood waste per year, entirely procured within a 100-kilometer radius of the Aube department. This local sourcing model not only minimizes transport emissions but also sustains around 40 regional jobs in the forestry and waste recovery sectors.

Furthermore, the facility acts as a closed-loop system for the mill’s own industrial waste. Over 97% of the by-products derived from cleaning the recovered paper and cardboard during the pulping process—amounting to nearly 50,000 tonnes annually—are now recovered and utilized as raw fuel for the boiler, ensuring virtually zero waste leaves the site.

Initiated as a landmark project in 2021, the complex administrative and engineering phases culminated in rigorous testing throughout 2025, reaching official operational status in May 2026. The strategic importance of the facility was recognized at the highest institutional levels, receiving €14.99 million in backing from the French Government through ADEME and the European Union’s NextGenerationEU recovery fund. The commissioning also directly created 15 new permanent technical positions at the mill.

In the highly competitive European containerboard market, controlling input costs is paramount. By securing its own thermal energy supply through locally sourced waste, Saica Paper effectively decouples its Nogent-sur-Seine production costs from volatile international gas indices. This investment secures the plant's future, ensuring that its output of 100% recycled containerboard remains both cost-competitive and highly attractive to fast-moving consumer goods brands striving to lower their own Scope 3 emissions.

Saica's methodical rollout of heavy biomass infrastructure across France demonstrates that achieving true energy independence in the paper sector is less about lofty corporate pledges and more about deploying hard capital into proven thermal engineering. As energy volatility continues to pressure European paperboard margins, how long can competitors afford to delay similar capital-intensive transitions away from natural gas? Follow The Paper for daily news, market signals and key updates from the global paper, corrugated and packaging industry. — Sigue toda la actualidad del sector en www.thepaper.ai