In this exclusive interview, Juan Carlos Bueno, president and CEO of leading global pulp and timber company Mercer International, discusses the company’s bold sustainability strategy.
In an industry increasingly driven by environmental concerns and innovation, Mercer stands out as a company committed to transforming its operations towards sustainability and net-zero emissions. Juan Carlos Bueno, president and CEO, shared insights into Mercer’s strategic investments, operational changes and future ambitions that aim to position the company at the forefront of the bioeconomy.
Converting lime kilns to biomass
“One of the major drivers for us in terms of CO2 emissions was anything where we – instead of consuming biomass as an energy source – used natural gas or any other fossil fuel,” Bueno explained.
He described how Mercer was upgrading its lime kiln at the larger Stendal pulp mill in Germany: “Normally, lime kilns run on natural gas. What we did was convert it into a biomass-sourced lime kiln. So instead of consuming natural gas, we would consume dry biomass pellets from our Torgau...
Mercer’s decarbonisation strategy: Biomass, carbon capture and innovation
