Milestones

Milestones

1953

Start-up of Companhia Portuguesa de Celulose at Cacia, producing raw pine pulp. This project was led by Manuel Santos Mendonça (grandfather of the present Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pedro Queiroz Pereira);

1957

Companhia Portuguesa de Celulose becomes a pioneer worldwide when it starts producing sulphate bleached eucalyptus pulp, through the kraft pulping process;

1964

Start-up of Socel - Sociedade Industrial de Celulose, SARL, at Setúbal, producing eucalyptus bleached pulp;

1965

Incorporation of Inapa, Indústria Nacional de Papéis, SA, viewing the construction of a mill at Setúbal, close to Socel, to produce fine writing and printing papers;

1969

Beginning of paper production by Inapa’s PM I, from pulp suspension coming from Socel;

1972

Paper produced from Eucalyptus globulus pulp starts to be sold throughout Europe;

1976

Incorporation of Portucel - Empresa de Celulose e Papel de Portugal EP, a company resulting from the nationalisation process of the cellulose industry;

1980

Start-up of Inapa’s PM II, enlarging the range of papers produced;

1984

Start-up of Soporcel - Sociedade Portuguesa de Papel, SA and its Figueira da Foz pulp mill;

1985

Wiggins Teape Group (a leading European paper group) controls 42.8% of Soporcel;

1987

Restructuring of Inapa Group through the creation of Papéis Inapa, SA;

1990

Entry into service of Papéis Inapa, SA’s PM III, positioning the company amongst the largest in the sector in the Iberian Peninsula;

1991

Start-up of Soporcel’s first paper machine (PM I);

1993/February

Incorporation of Portucel - Empresa de Celulose e Papel de Portugal SGPS, SA, the holding for all the companies included in the Portucel Group;

1993/June

Incorporation of Portucel Industrial - Empresa Produtora de Celulose, SA, to produce and sell eucalyptus bleached pulp, with two mills, respectively at Cacia and Setúbal;

1995

Privatisation of 44.3% of Portucel Industrial;
Soporcel’s Figueira da Foz mill uses for the first time eucalyptus fibre with PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate), an additive conferring greater opacity, whiteness and homogeneity to paper;

2000

Acquisition of 100% of Papéis Inapa, SA by Portucel Industrial, giving origin to Portucel - Empresa Produtora de Pasta e Papel, SA;
Start-up of Soporcel’s PM II, an example of the most advanced technology in the sector;

2001

Portucel - Empresa Produtora de Pasta e Papel, SA acquires the entire share capital of Soporcel - Sociedade Portuguesa de Papel, SA, giving origin to the present Portucel Soporcel Group, one of the largest producers of uncoated woodfree papers in Europe;

2003

Beginning of second phase of the privatisation of Portucel, SA;

2004

Semapa Group acquires 67.1% of Portucel, SA, becoming a decisive and structuring driver of the Portuguese economy;

2006/February

The Group announces investment in a new paper mill at Setúbal, which will allow it to assume a leadership position in the European uncoated woodfree paper (UWF) market;

2007/October

Signature of contract for the acquisition of the new paper machine to be installed at the Setúbal mill;