Switching to renewables at Maastricht Mill with an 'e-boiler'

The steam boilers that Sappi needs for paper production are increasingly part of the solution to climate change. Instead of relying on fossil fuels like gas, Maastricht Mill in the Netherlands has installed an electronic or ‘e-boiler’ so that wind and solar can become part of the energy mix.

Fuel switching from fossil fuels

Steam is pivotal for paper production, from cooking wood chips in the digester to warming rollers to dry the paper and more. The boilers that produce this steam have traditionally been powered by combustion with fossil fuels such as gas. Now, at Maastricht, renewable electricity is a growing share of the energy mix.

Beginning in 2021, the mill began a €6 million project to install an ‘e-boiler’ that can convert electrical power from solar and wind into the steam needed. Now that it’s fully commissioned, the mill’s yearly emissions of carbon dioxide should reduce by some 13 per cent compared to 2019. This represents a reduction of 22,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. Production hours are also expected to increase in the future, reaching a maximum potential of almost 50 per cent of demand.

Far-reaching energy impact

Another benefit of the project is that it is helping to stabilise the high-voltage grid in the Netherlands. Grid operators can struggle to ensure that surplus power from renewables does not go to waste. Now with Sappi, they have a reliable way to offload it.

“Our e-boiler shows that green electricity is not in some distant future,” explains Mill Director Ferdinand Koster. “At Sappi, it’s in the here and now.” It’s also a transition that has proved especially prescient given the high cost of gas and the conflict in Ukraine that has added even greater pressure to energy markets.

A roadmap for decarbonisation at Sappi

Maastricht Mill’s e-boiler is part of Sappi’s global effort to decarbonise our business in a process that we co-create with our partners. By bringing together the brilliance of technology, the power of  nature and the creativity of  people, we’re making real gains towards our climate targets.

Maastricht’s e-boiler project is one of 80 projects planned in Europe alone on our global decarbonisation journey. Sappi teams in North America and South Africa are also co-creating solutions with ambition and ingenuity in their unique operating environments.

More than 100 Sappi experts in mechanical, electric and civil engineering co-created this project together with external partners. Zero injuries were reported, consistent with Project Zero, our group-wide safety initiative.

Acting on Climate Change

By decarbonising our global business and scaling up nature-based solutions, we’re increasingly part of the solution to climate change. Learn more about the solutions we're co-creating.

About Maastricht Mill

Maastricht Mill has much to boast about in addition to its new e-boiler. It houses one of the world’s biggest machines to produce coated woodfree paper and paperboard, averaging 260,000 ton per year in production. Its location on the river Meuse allows for some of the fastest, most efficient delivery times throughout Western Europe.

Our sustainability targets for a thriving world

We’re unlocking the power of trees to make every day more sustainable – for the customers we serve, the communities where we operate and the planet we all call home.

The road to decarbonisation runs through Europe

The EU and its Member States are leading the world towards the sustainable, low-carbon future agreed in the Paris Climate Accord and recently affirmed in the European Green Deal.

Sappi’s science-based targets approved, a significant milestone on our decarbonisation journey

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved our target to reduce carbon emissions 41.5% per ton of product by 2030, as well as our commitment that 44% of our suppliers by spend have science-based targets by 2026.

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.

Co-creating a shift from coal to renewables at Gratkorn Mill

With new state-of-the-art technology, boiler 11 at Gratkorn Mill is shifting from a coal boiler to a multi-fuel boiler in two phases. The goal is to finally use only sustainable and renewable fuels.

Switching to renewables at Maastricht Mill with an 'e-boiler'

The steam boilers that Sappi needs for paper production are increasingly part of the solution to climate change. Instead of relying on fossil fuels like gas, Maastricht Mill has installed an electronic or ‘e-boiler’ so that wind and solar can become part of the energy mix.

Product CoC Claim Options

2023 Sappi Annual Integrated Report