DS Smith and energy provider E.ON have announced the signing of a major agreement to construct a state-of-the-art combined heat and power (CHP) facility at Kemsley Paper Mill in Kent, England.
The facility will replace the existing CHP and extend E.ON’s partnership at the site for the next 20 years. The facility has been specifically designed to set the standards in efficiency, sustainability and reliability. The new plant will enable a carbon reduction of 36,000 tonnes per year.
Once complete, it will have an electrical capacity of c75MW, generating steam and power for DS Smith’s production processes at Kemsley. With 830,000 tonnes of paper manufactured at the mill every year, the partnership will further improve resource efficiencies and contribute to DS Smith’s corporate goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.
The programme will be one of E.ON’s largest customer solutions projects in more than a decade. The energy company will finance, build and operate the CHP. The two-year construction phase of the CHP plant is due to start this year. The facility is planned for commission in 2021.
Colin McIntyre, CEO for DS Smith Paper and Recycling Divisions, commented, “Embracing world-leading innovation to minimise our environmental impact is a key corporate goal. Partnering with E.ON to develop a state-of-the-art solution to meet our long-term energy requirements is a vital element to achieve this ambition and we expect to see a 36,000 tonnes per year carbon reduction from improved efficiency at the new facility. We are looking forward to construction beginning later this year as we are delighted with the benefits the new plant will bring to our business, as well as the opportunity this gives us to continue our strategic partnership with E.ON.”
Left to right: Michael Lewis, CEO, E.ON UK, Colin McIntyre, CEO, DS Smith Paper and Recycling Divisions and Anthony Ainsworth, CEO, E.ON Connecting Energies.