The Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification (Aenor) has once again certified the good environmental performance of Ence’s biofactory in Pontevedra. In addition, and also through the same audit process, it has been guaranteed that the biofactory complies with the ISO 14.001 certification of environmental management systems.
The biofactory thus continues to improve its efficiency and thus consolidate its environmental leadership. The investments made in recent years, together with the dedication and commitment of the plant’s human team, have contributed to this achievement, within a company that is firmly committed to sustainability in all its processes.
The main indicator of effluent quality – Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) – has improved by 87% in 2020 the upper reference range set by the European regulations on best environmental practices in the pulp sector for this parameter. The evolution of this data confirms the progress that Ence Pontevedra has made in a sustained manner in the quality of its final effluent.
Regarding the responsible management of resources, and thanks to the continuous improvement measures adopted, the biofactory has reduced water consumption in its processes by 6% compared to the previous year, achieving a 25% reduction in the last five years . Similarly, the use of wood as a raw material to produce a ton of paper pulp has decreased by 4%
Minimizing odor is another of the company’s goals. In this area, Ence’s biofactory in Pontevedra has reduced odorous emissions by 38% during 2020 compared to the previous year. These emissions were less than 1.4 minutes a day on average, compared to the 2.3 minutes on average recorded by the factory in 2019.
In addition, the biofactory has reduced waste generation by 20%; and of all of them, 99% has been valued, which allows Ence Pontevedra to position itself as a plant at the forefront in management, being endorsed by the Aenor “Zero Waste” certification.
The activity of Ence’s biofactory itself is an example of a contribution to the aforementioned circular economy: throughout the pulp production process, the plant produces and operates with recyclable materials. At the same time, it generates renewable electrical energy from biomass that is not used for the production of cellulose, using lignin, a component of wood that constitutes an excellent renewable and natural biofuel.
