The pulp and paper industry is a sector that in the last five years has made significant investments amounting to 1,754 million euros (an amount close to 8% of its turnover), mainly in capacity expansions and technological renovation and innovation.
Thanks to the boom in e-commerce and the great effort in research and development in new products and in the improvement of manufacturing processes, production will reach 6.7 million tons of paper and 1.8 million tons of pulp in 2021, with an increase of 1.5 million tons. increase of 6.2% for paper and 7.7% for pulp. All types of papers increased their production in 2021 and all, except graphic papers, were above pre-pandemic levels.
However, due to the escalation of energy prices and the increase in the cost of raw materials and transportation during this 2022, (at the expense of closing figures for this year) there is hardly any increase in paper production and a fall in pulp.
It is a sector in continuous transformation that is focusing on markets with greater growth potential, such as packaging, and on higher value-added products, such as specialty papers for a wide and growing range of applications.
Water use and consumption
Within all industrial water consumption, the paper and cardboard industry accounts for 27% of water consumption, ahead of the chemical and agri-food industries.
The Spanish paper industry contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and especially to responsible production and consumption(SDG12), with the efficient use of water and energy and circularity in the management of process waste. The goal is to manufacture with less water and less waste.
An example of this is the evolution of water consumption in production processes. From 1990 to 2020, total water use in Spanish pulp and paper mills will be 102 million m3 of water per year.3This implies that water consumption has been reduced by half since 1990, taking into account that production has increased by 60% since that year.
Of the 102 million m3of water used in 2020, only 4% was consumed. The remaining 98 million m3( 96%) was returned treated.
Efficient and responsible production process. Quality of discharges
Throughout the decade there has been a significant improvement in the quality of discharges in all indicators. All discharges from pulp and paper manufacturing are treated in the sector’s own treatment facilities.
Primary treatment has been reduced over the last decade from 30% in 2011 to 7% in 2020.
