Lucart Gets Green Light for 10-Million Euro Investment for a New Cogeneration Plant

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Lucart, Europe's leading manufacturer of tissue, airlaid and MG paper for flexible packaging, has announced a 10-million Euro investment for the installation of a new high-efficiency cogeneration plant at the company's Porcari factory in the province of Lucca, Italy.

The decision came following an agreement between the Minister of Economic Development Stefano Patuanelli and Confindustria for sharing an overarching industrial strategy in the scope of the European Green New Deal roadmap.

The project will come into fruition with the collaboration of Baker Hughes that will supply NovaLT12 technology entirely designed and produced in Italy.

The NovaLT12 gas turbine to be installed in Porcari can supply a power of 12.5 MW, with cogeneration efficiency of up to 85 percent.

At the same time, compared to older generation turbines, the NovaLT12 will help reduce CO2 and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 11 and 40 percent, respectively.

The new machinery will make it possible to explore the use of hydrogen, when it becomes available and of other renewable sources in the best way possible.

"Now that the Italian Government and Confindustria have finally agreed on a shared strategy for industrial policy guidelines and investments to be put in place to make Italy a leader in Europe, we can start investing again to harmonize sustainability and industrial growth, factors that have always been in our corporate DNA”, said Massimo Pasquini, CEO of Lucart. "The announcement of a plan for the Green New Deal, energy transition and real measures for industrial supply chain competitiveness puts us in the position look to the future with more tranquillity, security and stability".

The investment at the Porcari plant is part of broader industrial strategy of Lucart, which has always been consistent with the logic of protecting environmental and now considers the European Green Deal as an important new opportunity to relaunch a key industry, such as that of paper, exploiting the potential offered by decarbonization.

The new plant completes the energy renewal plan of the Group with the total self-generated power in Italian factories reaching 32 MW.

High-efficiency cogeneration plants are universally regarded as the best technology available for the paper industry. A constant supply of electricity, day and night, and of thermal energy, used in various stages of the process, such as drying paper and sludge dewatering, are needed to make paper with modern technologies. Pending the development of other renewable sources, gas remains the only energy source that can be employed.

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