How Norske Skog will reduce its carbon footprint by 210,000 tonnes CO2 per year

The Norwegian pulp and paper company, Norske Skog is upgrading its Golbey facility in France and adding cardboard production to its operations.

As a key part of this upgrade, Norske Skog has invested in a biomass-fired cogeneration plant. The project, known as Green Valley Energie (GVE), is a joint venture between Pearl Infrastructure Capital, Veolia, and Norske Skog.

"The biomass boiler will ensure a stable, long-term supply of cost-competitive and 100 percent renewable steam as an alternative to fossil energy sources like natural gas, shielding us from increasingly volatile energy markets," Norske Skog CEO Sven Ombudstvedt said.

When it enters into service in Q3 2024, the GVE cogeneration plant will be the biggest in France and will:

• produce 200 GWh/year of green electricity; equivalent to 13,000 households
• produce 700 GWh/year of green steam
• save 210,000 tonnes CO2 per year

 AET was selected to provide the project with a 131 MWth AET Biomass Boiler, flue gas treatment plant with NOx catalyst, 25 MWe steam turbine, air-cooled condenser, Organic Rankine Cycle plant, and mechanical and electrical balance of the plant.

The high-performance combined heat and power plant will supply electricity and steam to Norske Skog and will also supply electricity to the local grid. The design of the cogeneration plant has been calculated with several heat balance scenarios reflecting the paper mill's energy needs. It has a typical efficiency range of 75 to 88%. 

The project supports Norske Skog’s desire to diversify into the packaging market and reinforces its development strategy, enabling it to:

• benefit from local green fuels to replace imported gas
• create a local use of class B waste wood and on-site paper sludge, which will be transformed into green energy
• strengthen Norske Skog’s competitiveness and sustain +350 on-site jobs.

The GVE project is just one of many decarbonisation success stories. To read other case studies, download our free e-book.