Portuguese tissue maker Renova has opened a new biomass energy plant at its Factory 2 in Torres Novas, spending 11 million euros to replace most of the natural gas used in tissue production. The project cuts Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions by 50.6 percent compared to 2020 levels, exceeding the original 43 percent target. Around 5.8 million euros came from the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan. The plant is expected to avoid about 54,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, with natural gas kept only as backup for maintenance or interruptions. The Descarbonizar@Renova project also includes waste heat recovery, better environmental monitoring, and an electric paper drying unit. Renova has invested roughly 152 million euros over the past 12 years in modernization. The company exports about 60 percent of its output to over 70 countries. Portugal's Secretary of State for Energy attended the launch and noted that industrial decarbonization depends on concrete investment decisions, not abstract goals.
