Resource efficient production

Energy

We have already come a long way with phasing out fossil fuels in production. Our efforts to minimize the negative environmental impact are based on systematic work for constant improvements and investments in new technologies, with the goal to run efficient operations with consideration for the surrounding environment and the local community. We have reached a 98% fossil-free production in Region Europe and are working to minimize the usage of fossil fuel in Region North America, which currently is 72% fossil-free.

Billerud’s production is energy intensive. Most of the energy consumed is generated in the pulp process, where large amounts of waste heat are released. This excess heat is mainly used directly in production, but also provides local communities with district heating. In Europe, all electricity that is produced internally or purchased is covered by Guarantees of Origin (GoOs), and in the US we purchased Emission-Free Energy Certificates (EFECs) corresponding to 60% of the total purchased volume in 2023.

We work continuously to increase the overall energy efficiency of our facilities and to find new ways to further increase the amount of energy produced from renewable resources. 

Water

We are committed to minimizing the impact of our water use and our impact on water quality. Water is used in a number of processes, for example to wash pulp and to dilute the pulp at our paper and board machines. We reuse it several times before it becomes wastewater, and only 2–5% is consumed through evaporation or in our products. Since our mills are located near rivers and lakes, we can use surface water with minimal impact on the flow of water.

We are making progress toward our 2030 goal of reducing water emissions from our processes. Our European target is to reduce wastewater discharge by 10% compared to 2020, which contributes to reduced pollution to water and improved water efficiency in production.

To support this, we have created a Water Investment Fund which is active from 2025. It will finance projects to reduce wastewater emissions and is a key measure in our strategy.

Reuse and waste

Billerud strives to use raw materials in the most efficient way possible. For example, most of our energy comes from the fiber residues in our manufacturing process, whereby the cellulose fibers in the digester process are extracted using cooking liquor containing inactive chemicals as well as fiber residues. When incinerating the concentrated cooking liquor in the recovery boiler we recover and reuse the chemicals as well. In the production process, the significant material flow of waste and waste recovery can be described as follows:

• Bark from wood logs is used in solid biofuel boilers for energy production.
• In the recovery process the cooking chemicals are recycled and energy is recovered from wood residues.
• Turpentine is a by-product from the pulping process, and we supply it to other industries.
• Soap is another by-product that can be traded to an external manufacturer or processed into crude tall oil within the mills. Crude tall oil can be used as an energy source internally or traded to biorefineries that, for example, produce renewable fuels and biobased chemicals.
• Paper and paperboard material waste is dissolved and returned to the production process. The paper and paperboard production also provides residues from coating chemicals that can be used as cover material for landfills after external processing.
• Fiber and bio sludges are separated from the wastewater and are either incinerated for energy recovery or used for soil improvement.

Management systems and certifications

Our production units hold many ISO certifications, and we are actively working to certify several additional mills in specific areas.

Below is a list of units that hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001 certifications.

1. Excluding the Baltic wood supply operation.

For more information about our other certifications, please visit our certificates and standards page.