One of the world’s largest paper packaging companies, Smurfit Kappa, has announced its first plant in Africa. This 25,000 m2 corrugated board facility in the Rabat region of Morocco will offer state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly packaging options for a variety of industries, including industrial, agricultural and automotive. Nejma El Houda Bouamama, director of the Regional Investment Centre for the Rabat, Salé and Kenitra Region, broke ground on the plant in the presence of several local officials.
Morocco presents an exciting opportunity, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projecting growth rates of 35% in 2023 and 37% in 2024. The nation’s geographic position allows Smurfit Kappa to serve both the local market and larger geographic areas in Africa. From the first quarter of 2023, the new plant is expected to be operational. Smurfit Kappa currently operates more than 355 facilities in 36 different countries and is the only major regional operator in Latin America.
The new facility will be powered by almost 1,500 solar panels, making it the first Moroccan packaging facility to run entirely on renewable energy. This will ensure that the production process is as environmentally friendly as the final product. This will reduce annual CO2 emissions by 900 tonnes and electricity consumption by 55%. In addition, the state-of-the-art packaging plant has a water filtration and treatment system that reduces consumption by half.
400 direct and indirect jobs will be created as a result of the Group’s investment of more than 35 million euros in the 25,000 m2 facility, which was completed in seven months. It will serve Moroccan national companies as well as international corporations in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, consumer goods, transportation, medicine and ceramics. It also has the latest centres of expertise, which are part of a network of more than 30 centres worldwide and showcase the latest advances in packaging solutions.
In addition, the water purification and treatment system of this newly opened Smurfit Kappa facility in Morocco reduces water consumption by 50%, according to company sources.
Group CEO Tony Smurfit said: “We are excited to open our state-of-the-art facility in Morocco and are proud to be Smurfit Kappa’s first corrugated operation in North Africa. We never stop innovating and providing our customers with excellent sustainability. We provide our customers with the best possible service, we are merging our vast experience and scale with the best knowledge of our local team. Morocco’s geographical location is a competitive advantage because it complements our European operations and extends our global reach”.
Smurfit Kappa Spain-Portugal-Morocco CEO Ignacio Sevillano said, “The opening of our new state-of-the-art Moroccan plant is a proud moment for Smurfit Kappa as it marks our first corrugated board operation in Africa.” “We continue to innovate and provide our customers with a fantastic product in a sustainable way. Morocco’s geographical location is a competitive advantage for us because it complements our operations in Europe and extends our global reach,” he concluded.
Mounir Naciri, managing director of Smurfit Kappa Morocco, said that because Rabat is a strategic location, “our plant will be able to supply sustainable and innovative packaging solutions to multinational, national and local customers”. Smurfit Kappa has invested approximately €40.7 billion over the past five years to support its customers and leverage its long-term growth drivers.
Naciri continues: “This outstanding project would not have been possible without the tremendous support of the local authorities. To meet the needs of investors and help improve the business climate in Morocco, the reform of regional investment centres was actually a national priority within the context of the Royal Vision, which aims to promote investment.” This is a brand new, state-of-the-art factory that will generate some 300 jobs in the area, both direct and indirect.
The products manufactured will fully meet the requirements of local and international customers based in Morocco who demand competitive, innovative and sustainable packaging solutions delivered quickly and efficiently. The opening of the new factory will enhance the value chain for its customers in Morocco in a market where demand currently outstrips supply for corrugated packaging solutions.
Since the late 1990s, Smurfit Kappa has been doing business in Morocco; the company now operates a sales office and a network of assembly facilities there. Smurfit Kappa’s position in the country will be strengthened by this new facility, which will also enable it to become a strategic partner for customers in a variety of industries, including agriculture, consumer goods, automotive, textile, pharmaceutical and other industrial markets such as meat, fish and food industries.
Source : Atalayar
