Sonoco dedicates $75-million biomass boiler facility
By Canadian Packaging Staff
General biomass boilers SonocoUpgrade is all part of a $100-million investment in sustainability.
HARTSVILLE, S.C.—Sonoco, a global provider of industrial products, consumer packaging, protective solutions and packaging services, today dedicated the new biomass facility at its Hartsville, S.C., plant, part of a $100 million investment in the Darlington County compound.
“A key part of Sonoco’s culture is our commitment to sustainability, including our dedication to improving the environment and our contributions to the future of the communities in which we operate,” said Sonoco President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Sanders. “This boiler is proof of that commitment.
“We took more than two years to complete final engineering, fabricate the boiler, put together the infrastructure and complete construction of what we believe to be one of the nation’s most state-of-the-art biomass co-generation boiler systems.”
In 2011 Sonoco committed to a $75 million investment to replace two aging, coal-fired boilers and add the new biomass boiler at its plant in Hartsville. The new boiler is fueled primarily by woody biomass from regional logging activity, but can also run on natural gas. The boiler will produce about 16 megawatts of green energy that will be consumed by the manufacturing complex, as well as steam that is used in the paper making process.
“South Carolina is being called the fastest growing economy in the Southeast,” said Governor Nikki Haley. “One of the reasons is because of innovative projects like Sonoco’s biomass boiler. Advancements like this help businesses grow and succeed, attract new customers and bring talent and high-paying jobs to the State.”
About Sonoco Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $4.8 billion, the Company has more than 19,900 employees working in 347 operations in 34 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is a proud member of the 2013/2014 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information on the Company, visit www.sonoco.com.
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