Stora Enso opens dry forming production unit in Skene, Sweden

Stora Enso proudly announces the opening of its groundbreaking dry forming production unit in Skene, Sweden. The facility is the largest and most advanced of its kind, marking a significant milestone in sustainable packaging technology. Production is set to begin in Q4 2024 after successful large-scale testing.

The Skene production unit utilizes an innovative dry forming process to produce high-performance formed fiber products, such as cup lids, designed to replace traditional plastics in food and beverage packaging. Unlike conventional wet forming, the dry process reduces water and energy consumption significantly, thus offering an even more sustainable manufacturing method for fibre-based packaging. Additionally, any excess material is recaptured and reused, ensuring a circular process with minimal waste.

At the heart of this innovation is the advanced technology developed by PulPac, the leading company in the field. Their Dry Molded Fiber technology provides efficient production at high speeds, enabling Stora Enso to meet growing market demand for fully renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable fibre-based packaging solutions.

The products produced with dry forming technology offer a significantly lower CO2 footprint compared to single-use plastics. The dry forming process offers also flexibility in barrier additives for customized functionality as well as an excellent surface finish with the option to advanced decoration possibilities.

“Stora Enso is the first producer to successfully implement this new dry forming technology on a large scale,” says Anna Stenström, Operations Director at the Skene Production Unit. “We are truly excited to pioneer this new approach and to explore all the possibilities it offers to shape the future of sustainable packaging.”

Juuso Konttinen, senior vice president of Biomaterials Growth Businesses at Stora Enso, added, “The Skene production unit represents another great advancement in biomaterials by Stora Enso. Dedication of our team and the collaboration with PulPac and other suppliers has enabled us to scale up this innovative technology to meet the continuously growing demand for high-quality and more sustainable products.”

"It's fantastic to collaborate with forward-thinking leaders like Stora Enso. We are proud to see Dry Molded Fiber powering their scale-up of dry forming, and we remain committed to supporting their success every step of the way" says Sanna Fager, chief commercial officer at PulPac.

With sustainability at the core of its operations, Stora Enso continues to lead the transition to circular, low-carbon solutions in the packaging industry, making a lasting impact on both the environment and the communities it serves.