Video: €20m investment in Mondi Frantschach

Mondi Frantschach expands and modernizes the fumigation plant. One of the largest cranes in Austria was used.

FRANTSCHACH- str. Gertraud. A year ago, Mondi packaging and paper announced a €20 million investment in the Frantschach mill to further improve the sustainability of pulp production and take an additional step towards a circular economy and resource efficiency. Construction work commenced immediately, and some major components of the station parts for the new steaming station were recently installed at the station.

90 meter high crane

Although much preliminary work was done before the innovative pieces of equipment were delivered, their arrival has certainly been the highlight of the project so far. Several heavy-duty transports and a 90-meter, 800-ton crawler crane—one of the largest in Austria—were required to lift the parts for the new steaming plant to their destination.

Wood as primary raw material

The focus on sustainability and the circular economy puts fiber and pulp based products in the spotlight. Wood is used as a renewable resource as a primary raw material for the manufacture of pulp and then paper. Mondi Frantschach produces kraft papers that are used, for example, in food packaging, building materials and animal feed. In order to use the wood optimally, the investment also increases the proportion of other by-products, such as tall soaps, which can be used in the production of paints, adhesives or laminates, for example.

More district heating

The factory in Frantschach-St. Gertraud has been energy self-sufficient for many years and supplies surrounding industrial communities and businesses with surplus heat from pulp production. Upgrading and expanding the evaporation plant increases the proportion of heat extracted – while reducing the amount of fresh steam required. In addition, the chemical oxygen demand of the biological wastewater treatment plant is reduced by 140 tons per year.

Project completion 2023

“The success of this achievement – the installation of the main components and parts of the plant for the new evaporation plant – is an important step towards the successful completion of the project in the second half of 2023, which allows us to look forward to a future based on energy and resource efficiency. Our ambitions in the field of sustainability are evident through an action plan Mundi 2030 (MAP2030): By focusing on circular packaging and paper products; “Qualified personnel and actions to combat climate change, we are convinced that we can achieve the biggest positive changes and thus contribute to a circular economy,” says Gottfried Jouham, Managing Director of Mundi Franschach.