Södra’s timber production nears zero fossil-fuel

Södra made its commitment to these fossil-free targets in September 2016 when the board gave them the same status as the Group’s financial targets.

In endorsing the declaration for A Fossil Free Sweden, Södra has added its weight to a wider sustainability initiative. Henrik Brodin, Project Manager for ‘A Fossil-Free Södra’, said: "As a player in the green economy, we want to help drive the change to a fossil-free society. Our operations can offer so many social benefits in the transition to a bioeconomy, which is why we are continuously seeking opportunities to deliver tomorrow’s solutions."

Here are some of the contributors to the fossil-free target:

• Two of Södra’s sawmills, Värö and Mönsterås are supplied with almost all their production power and heat requirements from adjacent pulp mills, generated from biofuel. Where on-site boilers are required at other sawmills, they use biofuel.
• On-site fuelling stations for trucks and forklifts used 79 percent biodiesel in 2017 – up from 47 percent just a year before.
• Södra and Statkraft are investing in a new demo facility for fossil-free fuel. The investment is being made through the joint company Silva Green Fuel AS, in partnership with technology provider Steeper Energy Aps and Norwegian financing partner Enova. The total investment will be approximately SEK 500 million. The biofuel will be based on forest raw material and the demo facility is expected to be in operation by spring 2019.
• New fossil-free greenhouses at Falkenberg have replaced older units, eliminated fossil fuels and reduced energy consumption by 25 percent at the same time. The Flåboda nursery has been fossil-free since 2015 so Södra’s nursery operations are now fossil-free.