Saica Group has inaugurated a new Saica Pack corrugated packaging plant in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Barcelona, after an investment of more than EUR 100m (USD 112m). The facility consolidates the former Saica Pack Barcelona and Saica Pack El Prat sites and has production capacity of 200 million square metres. Saica reported consolidated sales of EUR 3.962bn (USD 4.43bn) for 2025.
Why this mattersMerging two Barcelona sites into one 200 million square metre plant shows Iberian corrugated converters still investing in scale and print capability.
- Investment of more than EUR 100m (USD 112m) in the Sant Esteve Sesrovires facility
- Plant has production capacity of 200 million square metres
- Facility is operational three years after the foundation stone was laid
- Combines operations previously run at Saica Pack Barcelona and Saica Pack El Prat
- Plant uses digital technology alongside flexographic and offset printing equipment
- Saica reported 2025 consolidated sales of EUR 3.962bn (USD 4.43bn) and more than 14,500 employees
Saica Group is asking the Aragon regional government to help develop a local forestry and agricultural biomass supply chain to fuel a new biomass boiler at its El Burgo de Ebro paper mill. The EUR 101.5m decarbonisation project, backed by EUR 32.7m of EU Perte funding, aims to cut the mill's scope 1 fossil CO2 emissions by 53% by replacing gas with renewable fuel. Currently only about 35% of Saica's biomass supply contracts originate in Aragon, with the rest sourced from other Spanish regions.
Why this mattersLocal biomass availability will determine the cost and pace of decarbonisation at one of Spain's largest paper mills, a template for Saica's wider fuel-switching strategy.
- Saica is investing EUR 101.5m in a decarbonisation project at its El Burgo de Ebro paper mill, backed by EUR 32.7m of EU Perte funding
- The project targets a 53% cut in scope 1 fossil CO2 emissions by replacing gas with renewable fuel sources
- The new biomass plant will generate over 700,000 tonnes of steam a year and a fuel-preparation unit will process about 160,000 tonnes of biomass annually
- Only about 35% of Saica's signed biomass supply contracts currently come from Aragon, with the rest from regions including Cantabria and Valencia
- Saica has already installed biomass boilers at three French mills, with the Nogent-sur-Seine unit covering 90% of steam needs and cutting natural gas use by 89%
- Saica has invested more than EUR 300m in biomass boilers group-wide
Saica Group has commissioned a third fully automated rotary die cutter at its Ashbourne corrugated packaging plant in Ireland, raising output capacity at the site. The machine began production in September 2026, part of Saica's ongoing investment programme across its five Irish sites.
Why this mattersA third die cutter lifts Saica's Irish converting capacity, tightening competition for corrugated volumes as PPWR pushes customers towards automated packing lines.
- Third fully automated rotary die cutter commissioned at Ashbourne plant, Ireland
- Machine began production in September 2026
- Saica operates five sites across Ireland
- Saica Group reported consolidated group revenue of EUR 3,962m for 2025
- Company cites EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) as a driver of automated packaging demand
- Saica has invested in Ireland since establishing presence there in 2008
- Saica has scheduled a customer training event at Ashbourne for 15 October 2026 to showcase the new machine.
- Saica reported over 14,500 employees across 13 countries in 2025.
Aldi and Arla have entered a new phase of work with UK traceability firm Polytag, applying UV-tagged labels to Arla's milk bottle range produced at its Oakthorpe site to track packaging through the recycling stream. The labels are printed by Saica Flex using a fluorescent ink from Sun Chemical, in what Sun Chemical describes as the first commercial use of that ink with Polytag's detection technology.
Why this mattersReal-time recycling-stream tracking gives brand owners and retailers data to support packaging circularity claims ahead of tightening EPR and recycled-content rules.
- UV-tagged labels applied to Arla's milk bottle range at its Oakthorpe site
- Labels printed by Saica Flex
- Fluorescent ink supplied by Sun Chemical, marking its first commercial use with Polytag's detection technology
- Ink tested against Recyclass Washing Quick Test Procedures and EPBP Quicktest QT 507
- Aldi UK involved via its Plastics and Packaging Director Luke Emery
- Arla Foods UK involved via its Head of Sustainability Helena Delgado Nordmann
- Polytag says the tagging can be integrated into existing production lines without affecting manufacturing efficiency
- The pilot phase is set to run for eight weeks.
