Alzamora Group has installed a 1 MW battery managed by artificial intelligence at its Sant Joan les Fonts plant in Girona, Spain, to store surplus solar power, at a cost of about EUR 150,000. The system stores output from the site's more than 2,000 photovoltaic panels for use at peak consumption and as backup against grid outages.
Why this mattersOnsite storage lets converters capture more of their own solar output and cushions production against grid disruptions, a template other packaging plants may follow.
- Investment of about EUR 150,000
- 1 MW battery installed at the Sant Joan les Fonts facility in Girona, Spain
- System uses artificial intelligence to manage charge and discharge cycles
- Plant has more than 2,000 photovoltaic panels
- Group says its solar installations avoided 200.25 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025
- Alzamora Group is headquartered in Olot, Girona, with plants in Spain, Portugal and the UK
Cartonboard converter Alzamora Group won three categories at the European Carton Excellence Awards 2026, presented by Pro Carton and the European Carton Makers Association in Rome on 17 September. The company was recognised for a child-resistant mono-material pack, a postal-optimised skincare pack and a tequila gift pack, taking its cumulative Pro Carton award tally to 16.
Why this mattersThe wins show cartonboard displacing multi-material and plastic formats in child-safety and e-commerce packs as regulators tighten material rules.
- Awards presented in Rome on 17 September 2026 at the 30th European Carton Excellence Awards.
- Innovation Award went to KidGuard, a single-piece cartonboard child-resistant pack made from Billerud's CrownBoard Kraft, developed with Proquimia.
- Sustainability Award went to a postal-ready pack for UK skincare brand Skin + Me, made from Stora Enso's Ensocoat 2S, fitting a 25mm postal-format limit.
- Beverage Award went to the Tequila Buen Amigo Duo Pack for Zamora Company, made from Metsä Board's FBB Bright folding board.
- KidGuard's child-resistant mechanism was tested on children aged 12 to 35 months by product safety institute AIJU.
- The three wins bring Alzamora Group's total Pro Carton award count to 16.
A Sephora cosmetics advent calendar made from cartonboard produced at Metsä Board's Äänekoski mill in Finland has won Carton of the Year at the European Carton Excellence Award 2026 in Rome on 17 September. It is the second consecutive year a pack made from Äänekoski board has taken the top prize, following a 2024 Lumene calendar that won in 2025.
Why this mattersRepeated design-award recognition for a specific board grade reinforces demand from premium cosmetics brands and supports order intake at the mill.
- A Sephora After Christmas Calendar 2025 box made from Metsä Board's Äänekoski cartonboard won Carton of the Year at the European Carton Excellence Award 2026 in Rome on 17 September 2026.
- The pack used MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright virgin-fibre board in 290 g/m2 and 350 g/m2 weights.
- Belgian converter Autajon Packaging designed and manufactured the pack.
- It is the second consecutive year Äänekoski-produced board has won the award, after a 2024 Lumene calendar won in 2025.
- The award is organised annually by Pro Carton and the European Carton Makers Association (ECMA).
- Äänekoski mill director Timo Tallinen said the recognition feeds directly into the mill's order book.
