The cost of gas is always higher, Europe is hesitating on solutions. An Italian paper mill has decided to solve the problem on its own.

The paper sector has gone through many painful tests in recent years, in which it has always tried to keep the bar straight by leveraging own resources, internationalization, diversification and excellence.

Today, after Covid, the lack of raw materials, the skyrocketing prices due to the well-known problems on the supply chain, the gas price explosion.

Problem not always solvable, this time, by the inspiration and entrepreneurial ability of business managers, as energy is a primary asset that is bought and uses directly, but which, week after week, plays an increasingly important weight in production costs.

Costs that affect the semi-finished or finished product exponentially, with difficulties in sales and in the production and delivery chain of goods.

Today, the end customer is used to being told that the price has increased, but from tomorrow he will also be told "I don't know when I can produce and deliver the goods ”, because the supply of energy, in addition to being economically unmanageable, becomes difficult to program, as the energy operators themselves are in difficulty in selling.

Without energy there is no business, and without business energy will no longer be needed, as many companies are seriously at risk of closure and with them the supply chain on which they depend.

To get out of this short circuit it is necessary and desirable that the resources can be found, also through the PNRR, to make the large manufacturing factories energetically independent, through the self-production of renewable energy.

An example of this is given to us by the Burgo paper mill which has decided to follow this path by expanding the production of solar energy in its factories, through a new 12 MW photovoltaic park and the gradual phasing out of the use of fossil fuels.

Furthermore, in order to continue the path taken by the market regarding the conversion of plastic packaging to paper, the management has on the table to feed the factories even with green hydrogen.

Waiting for the calls of the PNRR that will finance the hydrogen project, Burgo's machines and turbines are ready to be powered by biofuel and hydrogen and will continue , by the company the investments in photovoltaics in the various factories.

The need to break free from the dependence on gas will be the key to the survival of paper mills, but also of other energy-intensive companies, such as the steel and chemical sectors , plastics and many other sectors.

Automatic translation. We apologize for any inaccuracies. Original article in Italian.