SWM has commissioned a new €25 million biomass boiler at its Quimperlé site in France, replacing most of the mill’s natural gas-based thermal energy with renewable biomass.

The 20 MW installation is designed to generate approximately 118,000 MWh of renewable energy annually, equivalent to around 85% of the site’s thermal energy requirements.

Once fully operational, the biomass unit will replace the site’s existing boilers and displace approximately 110–120 GWh of natural gas consumption per year.

The project also incorporates flue-gas treatment and a process designed to convert captured carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate for reuse in papermaking.

Biomass to Supply 85% of Site’s Thermal Energy

SWM’s new biomass plant has a thermal capacity of 20 MW and is designed as a highly automated installation supporting the Quimperlé production site.

The company expects annual renewable energy generation of around 118,000 MWh.

This would allow biomass to provide approximately 85% of the site’s thermal energy needs, significantly reducing its dependence on natural gas.

For an energy-intensive paper production facility, shifting the heat supply represents a direct route to reducing fossil-fuel consumption without changing the fundamental production process.

SWM said the project combines three elements of its sustainability strategy: renewable energy, emissions management and circular resource use.

Waste Wood Sourced Within 100 Kilometers

The boiler will use waste wood sourced within a 100-kilometer radius of the Quimperlé site.

According to SWM, the sourcing strategy is intended to utilize wood that would otherwise go unrecovered while limiting the transportation distances associated with supplying the biomass plant.

Using waste wood also creates an additional outlet for an existing regional material stream rather than relying solely on virgin biomass.

The facility includes advanced flue-gas treatment technology designed to control emissions while maintaining the energy supply required for paper production.

SWM Targets 25,000 Tonnes of Fossil CO₂ Reduction

Replacing natural gas with biomass is expected to avoid approximately 25,000 metric tonnes of fossil CO₂ emissions annually, according to SWM.

The project goes further by incorporating a system that the company says will capture an additional 4,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ per year from the flue gas.

Rather than treating the captured carbon solely as an emission stream, SWM plans to use it as an input for another material required by its manufacturing operations.

Captured CO₂ Converted Into Calcium Carbonate

The carbon utilization component is one of the more distinctive elements of the Quimperlé investment.

SWM says captured CO₂ will be converted into calcium carbonate, which can then be reintroduced into the papermaking process as a raw material.

Calcium carbonate is widely used in paper manufacturing, including as a mineral filler and in coating formulations depending on the paper grade and production process.

The system therefore creates a circular material pathway in which part of the carbon captured from energy generation becomes an input for paper production.

For SWM, the approach connects energy decarbonization with raw-material utilization rather than treating the two areas independently.

Second Biomass Boiler Within SWM Group

The Quimperlé installation is the second biomass boiler within the group and represents a significant investment in reducing fossil-fuel use across its manufacturing operations.

SWM said the asset will support its longer-term effort to progressively remove fossil fuels from its emissions profile while maintaining production capability.

The investment also illustrates how decarbonization projects at paper mills are increasingly moving beyond simple fuel substitution.

In this case, biomass energy generation is being combined with local waste-wood sourcing, flue-gas treatment and carbon utilization within the manufacturing process.

Quimperlé Produces Technical and Lightweight Papers

SWM’s Quimperlé operation, historically known as Papeteries de Mauduit (PDM), specializes in technical and lightweight papers manufactured from natural fibers.

The site’s substantial thermal requirements explain the scale of the biomass investment. Paper manufacturing can require significant heat for drying and other production processes, making the energy source an important component of a mill’s direct fossil emissions.

Once the new boiler reaches full operation, the planned displacement of 110–120 GWh of annual natural gas consumption should substantially change the energy profile of the Quimperlé site.

The project also provides an example of a broader shift taking place across the European paper industry: mills are increasingly examining how biomass, waste streams and carbon utilization can be integrated into existing industrial processes rather than managed as separate sustainability initiatives.

Last Updated on 20/08/2026 by Jota Machinery