Portucel Soporcel
Encyclopedia
The Portucel Soporcel Group (listed as Portucel S.A.) is a Portuguese
pulp and paper company, which resulted from the 2001 merger of the firms Portucel and Soporcel.
The Portucel Soporcel Group has a productive capacity that exceeds 1 million tonnes of paper and 1.3 million tonnes of pulp, with 1,380 km² of forest and an annual turnover of over of 1,000 million euros. The company uses eucalyptus
as the prime raw material for the production of pulp
and fine printing
and writing paper
. Portucel is Europe's largest producer of bleached
eucalyptus kraft pulp
. It is also one of the five largest Europe
an producers of uncoated wood-free paper.
Publicly traded on Euronext Lisbon
, Portucel is controlled by the industrial conglomerate Semapa
which owns almost 77% of its shares.
of Cacia
, Baixo Vouga
, started its operations. After the Carnation Revolution
in 1974, the Portuguese paper industry was nationalized and became highly subsidized by State funds. Portucel Soporcel remained well after the privatization
of the company to Semapa
in 2004, as one of the largest beneficiaries of state business grants and incentives due to its strategic interest for both Portugal's exportation and local eucalyptus
economies.
In 1967, at the Setúbal mill, Inapa began its operations in a production unit integrated with Portucel, transforming pulp into paper that was sold throughout Europe.
Portucel bought Papéis Inapa in 2000, thus creating a strategic partnership of great importance in initiating the restructuring process of the pulp and the paper sector in Portugal. With the takeover
of Soporcel in 2001, Portucel rebranded itself the Portucel Soporcel Group.
, Portugal
, was initially intended to be built in the Portuguese territory of Angola
, by then an overseas province of Portugal. Due to the Carnation Revolution
in Lisbon
on 25 April 1974, the project which included both forestation and construction of industrial facilities in Angola, was delayed and changed. The factory would be installed some years later, in Portugal. Although it began operations in 1984 with the inauguration of the mill at Figueira da Foz, Soporcel had been constituted five years earlier. The first paper machine (PM I) began working in the year 1991 and currently has a capacity of 350,000 tonnes/year.
The installation of the second paper machine (PM II – 425,000 tonnes/year), representing the most advanced technology in the sector, reinforced the position held by the Figueira da Foz mill in the European segment of the uncoated woodfree paper market.
Soporcel was acquired by Portucel in 2001, creating the Portucel Soporcel Group.
, Figueira da Foz
and Cacia
. These large-scale production units are equipped with the most up-to-date technology (most machinery and other processing equipment are of German
and Finnish
origin) and were, at the time of its installation, a benchmark for quality within the sector.
The brand Navigator, the world’s premium office paper best seller, is produced by the group. The Portucel Soporcel group is responsible for woodland assets in Portugal, totalling approximately 120 thousand hectares. This land is managed in accordance with the principles set out in the group's Forestry Policy. The eucalyptus, more specifically the Eucalyptus globulus
species, which is considered at world level to provide the ideal fibre for the production of high quality papers, occupies 74% of this area. Due to this role, it is a well known wine, honey, seeds and specific tree (besides eucalyptus
which is its main cultivar
) producer. It has a well equipped private fire department to prevent fires within its forests.
Besides its woodland assets and plants in Portugal, Portucel has developing since 2010 forestation and industrial projects abroad. It studied extensive forestry and industrial investments in Uruguay
, Brazil
and Angola
, but choosed Mozambique
for the effect.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
pulp and paper company, which resulted from the 2001 merger of the firms Portucel and Soporcel.
The Portucel Soporcel Group has a productive capacity that exceeds 1 million tonnes of paper and 1.3 million tonnes of pulp, with 1,380 km² of forest and an annual turnover of over of 1,000 million euros. The company uses eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
as the prime raw material for the production of pulp
Pulp (paper)
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
and fine printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
and writing paper
Writing paper
Printing and writing papers are paper grades used for newspapers, magazines, catalogs, books, commercial printing, business forms, stationeries, copying and digital printing. About 1/3 of the total pulp and paper marked is printing and writing papers....
. Portucel is Europe's largest producer of bleached
Bleaching of wood pulp
Bleaching of wood pulp is the chemical processing carried out on various types of wood pulp to decrease the color of the pulp, so that it becomes whiter. The main use of wood pulp is to make paper where whiteness is an important characteristic...
eucalyptus kraft pulp
Kraft paper
Kraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process.Pulp produced by the kraft process is stronger than that made by other pulping processes; acidic sulfite processes degrade cellulose more, leading to weaker fibers, and mechanical pulping...
. It is also one of the five largest Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an producers of uncoated wood-free paper.
Publicly traded on Euronext Lisbon
Euronext Lisbon
Euronext Lisbon is a stock exchange in Lisbon, Portugal. It belongs to the NYSE Euronext group, the first global stock exchange.Euronext Lisbon trades equities, public and private bonds, participation bonds, warrants, corporate warrants, investment trust units, and exchange traded funds...
, Portucel is controlled by the industrial conglomerate Semapa
Semapa
Semapa - Sociedade de Investimento e Gestão is a Portuguese conglomerate holding company with interests in the cement, pulp and paper and environmental services sectors....
which owns almost 77% of its shares.
History
The company has its origins in the early 1950s, when the paper millPaper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
of Cacia
Cacia
Cacia is a civil parish in the municipality of Aveiro, with a population of 7006 inhabitants , in an area of less than 36 km².-History:...
, Baixo Vouga
Baixo Vouga
Baixo Vouga is a Portuguese subregion integrated in the Centro Region. It is centered around the city of Aveiro. Other major cities include Águeda, Ílhavo and Ovar. The subregion covers an area of 1,807 km² and has a population of 394,393 inhabitants for an overall density of 218 hab/km²...
, started its operations. After the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
in 1974, the Portuguese paper industry was nationalized and became highly subsidized by State funds. Portucel Soporcel remained well after the privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of the company to Semapa
Semapa
Semapa - Sociedade de Investimento e Gestão is a Portuguese conglomerate holding company with interests in the cement, pulp and paper and environmental services sectors....
in 2004, as one of the largest beneficiaries of state business grants and incentives due to its strategic interest for both Portugal's exportation and local eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
economies.
Portucel
Portucel began operations at the Cacia mill in 1953 producing raw pine pulp, and became a pioneer worldwide in 1957 when it introduced sulphate bleached eucalyptus pulp, at the kraft process, into its production.In 1967, at the Setúbal mill, Inapa began its operations in a production unit integrated with Portucel, transforming pulp into paper that was sold throughout Europe.
Portucel bought Papéis Inapa in 2000, thus creating a strategic partnership of great importance in initiating the restructuring process of the pulp and the paper sector in Portugal. With the takeover
Takeover
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company by another . In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to the acquisition of a private company.- Friendly takeovers :Before a bidder makes an offer for another...
of Soporcel in 2001, Portucel rebranded itself the Portucel Soporcel Group.
Soporcel
The Soporcel's factory in Figueira da FozFigueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz , also known as Figueira for short, is a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. It is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, 40 km west of Coimbra, and sheltered by hills ....
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, was initially intended to be built in the Portuguese territory of Angola
Angola (Portugal)
Angola is the common name by which the Portuguese colony in southwestern Africa was known across different periods of time...
, by then an overseas province of Portugal. Due to the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on 25 April 1974, the project which included both forestation and construction of industrial facilities in Angola, was delayed and changed. The factory would be installed some years later, in Portugal. Although it began operations in 1984 with the inauguration of the mill at Figueira da Foz, Soporcel had been constituted five years earlier. The first paper machine (PM I) began working in the year 1991 and currently has a capacity of 350,000 tonnes/year.
The installation of the second paper machine (PM II – 425,000 tonnes/year), representing the most advanced technology in the sector, reinforced the position held by the Figueira da Foz mill in the European segment of the uncoated woodfree paper market.
Soporcel was acquired by Portucel in 2001, creating the Portucel Soporcel Group.
Operations
The group's production structure is based at three mills, situated at SetúbalSetúbal
Setúbal is the main city in Setúbal Municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants in the municipality. The city proper has 89,303 inhabitants....
, Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz , also known as Figueira for short, is a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. It is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, 40 km west of Coimbra, and sheltered by hills ....
and Cacia
Cacia
Cacia is a civil parish in the municipality of Aveiro, with a population of 7006 inhabitants , in an area of less than 36 km².-History:...
. These large-scale production units are equipped with the most up-to-date technology (most machinery and other processing equipment are of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
origin) and were, at the time of its installation, a benchmark for quality within the sector.
The brand Navigator, the world’s premium office paper best seller, is produced by the group. The Portucel Soporcel group is responsible for woodland assets in Portugal, totalling approximately 120 thousand hectares. This land is managed in accordance with the principles set out in the group's Forestry Policy. The eucalyptus, more specifically the Eucalyptus globulus
Eucalyptus globulus
The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an evergreen tree, one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. They typically grow from 30 to 55 m tall. The tallest currently known specimen in Tasmania is 90.7 m tall...
species, which is considered at world level to provide the ideal fibre for the production of high quality papers, occupies 74% of this area. Due to this role, it is a well known wine, honey, seeds and specific tree (besides eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
which is its main cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
) producer. It has a well equipped private fire department to prevent fires within its forests.
Besides its woodland assets and plants in Portugal, Portucel has developing since 2010 forestation and industrial projects abroad. It studied extensive forestry and industrial investments in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, but choosed Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
for the effect.