Between January and September, Sweden-based forest industry major Södra supplied 15 times more green electricity to the public electricity grid compared with the same period in 2015. The electricity is produced as a byproduct from the forest raw material that is processed at Södra’s pulp mills.
We are very pleased with this substantial increase. It shows how we can use innovation and investments in green industry to meet important societal needs, said Roine Morin, Sustainability Director at Södra.
During 2017, Södra has delivered 15 times more electricity compared with the same period in 2015, an increase from 11 to 167 GWh. The electricity is mainly generated at the three pulp mills in Värö, Mörrum and Mönsterås.
In 2016, major investments were made at these mills, that provided the basis for the increase in deliveries. The largest investments were made at the Värö pulp mill, which increased its electricity generation by almost 70 percent, from 232 to 390 GWh, compared with January to September 2015.
The electricity is a by-product created through the use of resource-efficient solutions in production. This is one example of how the forest has a key role to play in the transition to a bioeconomy, Morin said.
Södra has been self-sufficient in green electricity since 2007. At the same time, Södra is working to reduce its own electricity consumption. One of Södra’s sustainability targets concerns the efficient resource utilisation of electricity, with the aim of reducing consumption by at least 10 percent by 2025.
