Making the most of every tree with our partner, Papierholz Austria

Our teams are passionate about harvesting the power in and beyond trees for decarbonisation and CoCreating solutions with partners who share our ambition. Papierholz Austria is one of those partners.

Papierholz Austria provides Sappi’s Gratkorn Mill with renewable bio-based fuel called woody biomass that's key to reducing the mill’s carbon footprint. This is in addition to the woodfibre that the company supplies so we can manufacture our sustainable paper and packaging solutions. Using woody biomass for energy has enabled the mill to phase out coal and over time will reduce its dependence on natural gas as well.  

Since we don’t own any forestland in Europe, suppliers like Papierholz Austria play a vital role in our supply chain. Founded in 1997, they have been a trusted and reliable partner for sourcing the woodfibre we need, and now woody biomass too.  

Using woody biomass as part of a cascade 

The use of woody biomass in the forest-based industry follows the cascading principle. This means harvested mature trees are first milled to make long-lasting, dimensional products like those used in construction. Sawmill residues and smaller-diameter trees  harvested during thinning  operations are used  to make pulp and paper.  ​ 

In contrast, forest residues like treetops, branches and bark that have limited use in products can become a source for renewable energy where suitable. “The woody biomass we source for  Gratkorn  Mill  is a great example of  making the most of every tree harvested and responsible forest management”, says the Head of Renewable Energy Sources at Papierholz Austria, Wolfgang Schopfhauser. It also shows that together, we can harness the power of nature to support the transition to a low-carbon future.  

Sourcing woody biomass responsibly  

The company works with forest owners and forest  managers in Austria and neighbouring countries to source the  woodfibre and woody biomass that Gratkorn needs. As our trusted partner, Papierholz Austria works to source these materials responsibly from managed forests.  

“At  Papierholz  Austria,  we’re proud to ‘CoCreate for decarbonisation’ with Sappi”, says Schopfhauser. All of us at Sappi are too. By acting on climate change together, we can accelerate our journey to a thriving world.