The production base of the Portucel Soporcel Group consists of these three manufacturing centres at Setúbal, Figueira da Foz and Cacia.

A MODEL UNIT IN THE SOUTH OF EUROPE

The Industrial Complex at Setúbal, situated at the Mitrena site, next to the Sado estuary and just 8 km from the town, includes two industrial units that work in an integrated way. The mill producing bleached eucalyptus pulp sends almost 40% of its production to the printing and writing paper mill. These plants have capacities of 340 thousand tonnes/year and 270 thousand tonnes/year respectively.

The Setúbal pulp mill is one of the most important in Southern Europe, both in its size and its technology. Its foremost competitive advantages are an excellent energy performance and its ecoeffiency (it is self-sufficient in energy production and by means of burning biomass generates an excess that is sold to the national grid).

Using the Eucalyptus globulus from Portuguese forests as the raw material, this mill employs the "kraft" process in the production of white pulp for the manufacture of high quality printing and writing papers.

The paper is produced in three PM’s and transformed in cut-size formats (near 50%), folio-sizes (30%) and reels (20%). Its destiny is the domestic and european office paper’s market, offset, pre-print and envelopes. Its differentiation comes from the quality and application’s results.

The industrial operations of this complex take place within a framework of a continuous development programme that is aimed at achieving operational efficiency and environmental performance, through substantial investments and processes of reorganisation and optimisation.

With 800 employees, Portucel Setúbal is certified under Standard ISO 9001:2000 and has an environmental management system based on Standard ISO 14001:1999.


THE LARGEST PULP AND PAPER MILL IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA

Installed inside the Lavos Industrial Complex at Figueira da Foz, this is one of the most efficient pulp and paper production units in Europe. It guarantees an annual volume of production and processing of fine uncoated papers of some 750 thousand tonnes, and represents the biggest mill site in Europe for uncoated woodfree paper.

Since its inauguration in 1984, this industrial unit has been equipped with advanced technology. With the installation of the second paper machine in 2000, which represented the state of the art in the sector, the Figueira da Foz mill was established as a benchmark for the European fine uncoated paper industry.

The operation of the Figueira da Foz mill is vertically integrated, from forest to paper, with 550 thousand tonnes of bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp passing through its production process.

This unit has 850 employees who have a high level of education and specialist training.

The pulp production is partially integrated with the uncoated printing and writing paper production. Almost all the paper produced is transformed internally into sheets for the graphics industry (large format) and into sheets for office use (A4 and A3). The present portfolio comprises almost 7,000 different product items as the result of the combinations of different grades, grammages, brightness, packaging specifications and consignies, etc.

In 2001, the mill at Figueira da Foz has her Enviromental and Quality Management System certificated in accordance with standard ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:1999.


PULP DESIGNED FOR SPECIAL PAPERS

Located in the central region of Portugal, 8 km from Aveiro, the Cacia mill is set in the heart of the largest area of eucalyptus forest in the country. The proximity of this raw material is a key advantage that this unit has exploited to the full to make it more competitive and increase the value of its product.

The mill's production of 260 thousand tonnes/year of pulps "designed" for special applications - which are greatly appreciated by the demanding clients of central Europe - is a justifiable source of pride to its 300 employees.

The Cacia mill has already achieved a well-established position at an international level in market segments with its "décor" papers, its coated papers and also with its high quality "tissue" papers.

In July 1999, this unit obtained certification for its Environmental Management System, being the first manufacturing unit in the sector to obtain this diploma. In addition, the Cacia mill has been pioneering in the implementation of Quality Systems certified by the Standart ISO 9001:2000, its processes having been certified in 1988, at the same time as the Setúbal mill, so making Portucel the first certified company in Portugal.

It was at the Cacia mill in 1957,by the kraft process, that pulp and paper were first produced from eucalyptus at an international level. This innovative attitude has been a constant feature at this industrial unit, which has capitalised on the know-how accumulated over decades.