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Taking Responsibility for regional Resources

We extract value from wood down to the last fibre and beyond. Our location in the middle of a landscape characterised by mountains, forests, meadows and water shows us every day how valuable intact habitats with their diverse ecosystems are. Based on this holistic, green approach, we do everything we can to work even better and more resource-efficiently than prescribed wherever possible in terms of environmental limits and requirements and to treat water, air and soil with care.

Wood – Regional and sustainable resource

AustroCel Hallein relies on spruce wood from sustainable forestry as its most important raw material and plays a pioneering role in the material use of wood.

We use almost exclusively sawmill residue from the timber industry – wood that is not suitable for higher-value use.

AustroCel Hallein sources its wood from companies within a 200-kilometer radius and relies on rail transport wherever possible. Other raw materials such as chemicals or additives are also preferably supplied regionally and by rail.

Long-term partnerships with forest owners and sawmills ensure a stable and sustainable supply, ideally PEFC-certified.

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Water

AustroCel uses approximately 14 million cubic meters of water annually for pulp production, bioethanol, and energy generation. Its own wells with approved withdrawal volumes ensure the supply, while water-saving processes and multiple use of cooling water minimize consumption. The extracted water is biologically treated and almost entirely returned to the Salzach River – with wastewater levels that exceed the highest environmental standards.

According to the Water Risk Atlas, AustroCel is in the lowest risk category for water stress, flooding, and drought, ensuring a stable water supply in the long term.

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Climate

AustroCel Hallein has set itself an ambitious goal: By 2030, the entire plant is to operate without fossil CO₂ and produce climate-neutrally.

Since 1999, the plant's annual fossil CO₂ emissions have fallen from around 156,000 tons to 6,050 tons in 2024.

Fossil gas is now only used to start up the boilers. The goal is to further reduce consumption in the boilers before transitioning entirely to renewable energy.

As a partner of the Salzburg 2050 strategy, AustroCel contributes to climate protection with green electricity and district heating. In addition, biogenic CO₂ from bioethanol production is processed for industrial applications. In the long term, the aim is to bind more CO₂ than is emitted.

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Local wood residues utilised (in 2024)
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Waste water purification
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Energy supplied (in 2024)

"In procurement, we have established long-standing supply networks to ensure the supply of wood in terms of quantity, quality and cost-effectiveness. This enables us to guarantee stable, efficient and high-quality production."

Sandra Drachschwandtner
Head of Procurement and Logistics
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PEFC Certified

AustroCel Hallein has been PEFC certified since 2005. During the annual PEFC audit with an external auditor, it is checked as to whether all the requirements continue to be met. According to the PEFC standard, the majority of our wood requirement of approximately 900,000 solid cubic metres per year comes from Germany and Austria, with smaller quantities from Eastern Europe. More than 85 percent of the wood used for the production of pulp is certified according to the PEFC standard. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) is a certification system for sustainable forestry management.

Clean air, pure water, healthy soil

Much has been achieved on this path, which is a continuous improvement process. The company complies with all limit values for waste water, air and noise emissions and falls below them in many areas. AustroCel Hallein is guided by the benchmarks set by the best available technologies for the industry.

AustroCel promotes environmentally friendly mobility not only in logistics, but also for its employees in order to improve the air quality in Hallein. Rail transportation, e-mobility and a direct S-Bahn connection to the plant support sustainable alternatives. In addition, e-charging stations and energy-efficient vehicles help to further reduce emissions.

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