In March 2018, Hamburger Rieger GmbH will start the scheduled construction of its second paper machine at its Spremberg location. Following the project start and the first constructive measures as well as obtaining all permits last year, the start of construction was now approved. Containerboard’s successful development at the location as well as the continuously growing market were decisive factors in running this expansion project. The new plant’s commissioning is scheduled for summer 2020.
With an investment volume of around €370 million, the scheme will create 200 jobs, 15 of which will be apprenticeships. The planned product range includes white and brown corrugated base papers (testliner) based on 100% recycled paper. With a width of 7.80 metres, the machine will produce 500,000 tonnes of paper per year. For the preparation of white base materials an environmentally friendly deinking section will be installed. It combines innovative resource-conserving raw material processing and the paper machine’s patented mode of operation.
“Since the start Paper Machine 1 we have consistently carried out all the necessary preparatory work for further expansion. Paper Machine 2 will allow us to further strengthen our ‘leadership in white’ positioning to more than one million tonnes of white corrugated base paper per year,” said Harald Ganster, Managing Director of Hamburger Containerboard.
As a sustainably operating paper, packaging and recycling enterprise, the Prinzhorn Group has a significant responsibility towards society. “In recent years we have invested some €420 million into Hamburger Rieger, Dunapack Spremberg and SpreeRecycling at the Spremberg location and have thus directly created 500 jobs. Now, with our second paper machine, we increase our commitment to the location even further,” stated Cord Prinzhorn, CEO of the Prinzhorn Group.
Albrecht Gerber, Brandenburg’s Economy and Energy Minister, declared “Brandenburg has become one of the most important paper and packaging locations in Germany. In this context, the Prinzhorn Group in Spremberg stands for a world-class production site.”
With the construction of PM2, the Prinzhorn Group supports its long-term growth strategy of doubling its size following the “Grow2030” Group vision. Since 2015, this strategy has repeatedly led to strategic investments in Germany and abroad.
In the course of the approval procedures, Hamburger Rieger GmbH was awarded the EMAS Certificate. EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) stands for the European Union’s voluntary environmental management system based on the requirements of DIN EN ISO 14001:2015. It supports companies and organisations in determining and improving their environmental performance in a continuous and sustainable way. After successful validation, the registration certificate represents the highest seal of quality for operational environmental protection.
