Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited is an integrated pulp and paper mill a flagship company situated in Pallipalayam, Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu is focusing their thought and money on sustainability initiatives. The company has a structured an innovative Lift Irrigation Scheme using the treated effluent generated from the mill for rising sugarcane crops in 2140 acres of dry and fallow lands in the nearby vicinity. The unique tripartite arrangement between the farming community, sugar industry and the paper mill paved a green revolution making the area a green cover adjoining the mill. The local farmers grow sugarcane- a source of bagasse used in paper production. The company further advanced its environmental efforts by installing a Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) plant, capturing CO2 from its lime kiln stack to significantly reduce GHG emissions. With additional projects underway, SPB continues to set benchmarks in sustainable innovation and eco-conscious manufacturing.
Necessity is the mother of all invention, but in reality, nature is the prime force for all invention, especially in the paper industry. Sustainability and environmental preservation play a crucial role as the industry across the globe needs uninterrupted supply of raw material for producing commercial goods. The pulp and paper industry across the globe are placing their thought and money on sustainability initiatives, and one such paper industry that has proactively worked towards environmentally responsible paper production is Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited.
The company with its integrated pulp and paper mill (Erode unit) at Pallipalayam, one in Namakkal district, and the other in Tirunelveli District, in Tamil Nadu has been working meticulously to achieve green and clean production of papers and paper boards.
Sustainable Procurement of Raw Material: Achieving the Wood Positive Status
Seshasayee Paper and Boards has a well-defined tree farming strategy to enable marginal land owners in nearby districts to grow trees in about 20,000 acres annually. This enables the company to be wood positive. The company also sources bagasse from its associate company, Ponni Sugars (Erode) Limited. The Erode unit obtains about 10% of the pulp from bagasse, which is a by-product of the sugar industry. Moreover, Tirunelveli unit obtains about 16% of the pulp furnished from recovered paper.
The company helps farmers to grow trees. As part of their tree farming activity, the company provides quality clonal seedlings or bare root seedlings of eucalyptus and casuarina at subsidized rates to the farmers and assists them with technical help to achieve higher yields and revenues.
The technical support to the farmers for this initiative is being provided by the company in association with the Department of Tree Breeding of Forest College and Research Institute, attached to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, through a collaborative research project.
In accordance with the company’s vision to achieve wood positive status, over 20.4 crore seedlings were made available during the FY 2023-24 as compared to 19.2 crore seedlings in FY 2022-23 at subsidized rates, for planting in 24,764 acres of land in FY 2023-24 as against 22,502 acres in FY 2022-23.
Furthermore, the company has identified newer varieties of fast growing species like melia-dubia and subabul as alternative raw material suitable for pulp production.
Green and Clean Sustainable Manufacturing
Seshasayee Paper and Boards manufacturing process is energy efficient and totally elemental chlorine free. The company follows green practices, and rated as “Gold” by CII GreenCO initiatives.
Nearly 60 + % of the energy consumed by the Erode unit is through green energy generated from ‘Black Liquor’ in the chemical recovery complex and bio-fuels used in their power boilers. Nearly 96% of the chemicals used in the pulping process are recovered back in the chemical recovery complex and recycled.
GHG Emission Reduction
In FY 2022-23, the company has installed a PCC (Precipitated Calcium Carbonate) plant capturing the CO2 from the stack of the lime kiln, thereby reducing the overall GHG emission from the unit.
The following projects are under evaluation for further reducing the GHG emissions:
- Installation of a plant for gasification of bio materials for replacement of fossil fuels, in its lime kiln.
- Installation of heat recovery from flue gas to dry biomass
- Enhancing PCC slurry drying for utilizing the same in Tirunelveli unit. This will help further increase trapping of CO2 from flue gas of lime kiln
- Installation of paddle dryer for utilizing secondary sludge as fuel to the boiler.
Water Efficiency
The company has a unique waste water treatment facility. The waste water from the mill is classified into three categories viz. (i) High COD, (ii) Medium COD & (iii) Low COD.
The high COD stream is taken to anaerobic lagoon which generates methane gas which is used in rotary lime kiln to replace fossil fuel viz. furnace oil promoting sustainable energy. The low COD stream is taken to the clarifier and is recycled back in the process. The medium COD stream is treated in the waste water treatment facility meeting the standards prescribed by the Pollution Control Board and the treated waste water is used for irrigating the waste land around the mill through Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Watch: In Pursuit of Lesser Water Footprint
Lift Irrigation Scheme: A Tripartite Arrangement for Water and Bagasse
The company has a structured, and innovative Lift Irrigation Scheme used in its Erode unit where the company treated its waste water and is used to irrigate nearly 2140 acres of land in which local farmers grow sugar cane and tree crops like Casuarina and Eucalyptus. This is in practise for more than 4 decades.
The sugar cane produced is procured by their associate company Ponni Sugars (Erode) Limited as mentioned above, which in turn gives bagasse, a residue left after extraction of sugar from sugar cane.
Bagasse is used by the company to produce paper, and in turn, the company gives treated waste water to the farmers to grow sugar cane. This tripartite arrangement between the company, Ponni Sugars (Erode) Limited and the nearby farmers has been in operation for over 35 years.
This innovative Lift Irrigation Scheme is a unique and innovative irrigation scheme that has caught the attention of overseas experts and UNDP as a role model for efficient water recycling and raw material procurement.
Zero Liquid Discharge
The company practices zero liquid discharge in its Tirunelveli unit, where treated waste water is recycled and reused in the process and the remaining treated water is discharged for plantation within the mill premises.
Green Guidelines and Assessments Adopted
The EPR guidelines/regulations are applicable to the company. The company has entered into a formal agreement with an authorized service provider for collection & disposal of plastic waste generated by the company on a Pan India level.
The program covers EPR Report and certificate for collection, storage, transportation, recycling and disposal of plastic waste. The fulfilment of EPR requirements of the company as per PWM 2016 (and its amendments), and respective state Rules.
Apart from that, the company has policy on Green Procurement guidelines such as: Sourcing of raw materials from environmentally and socially responsible sources; maximizing the usage of eco-friendly chemicals and energy efficient equipment; maximising the use of recovered paper in paper furnish; following the 3R principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle; conducting awareness programs on environmental impacts for vendors/suppliers; creating awareness about GSC (Green Supply Chain) to critical vendors and to help them for ISO 14000 certification and to priorities buying from ISO vendors and finally improving the efficiency of the suppliers by audit, training and improvement suggestions.
Additionally, the company has been undertaking Life Cycle Perspective Assessments (LCA) on its products since the year 2017 with an objective to evaluate the impacts and identify areas for improvement in the value chains. LCA has been carried out for 2 of the major product offerings of the company and these products have been assessed as environment friendly. The company will continue with its efforts for assessing the environmental impact of other products.
Environmental Management
To better understand the environmental needs and adopt environmentally friendly practices, the company has an environment management team, headed by a person in senior management level. This team actively interacts with nearby villager’s/government authorities and gets their feedback on the effectiveness of the company’s ESG initiatives and ascertain their needs requiring support from the company. These are then formalized through the CSR programs of the company, which are reviewed and approved by the CSR Committee or the Directors.
Commitment to Sustainable Development
At Seshasayee Paper and Boards Ltd. (SPB), environmental stewardship is a core value embedded within our operations and long-term growth strategy. SPB is dedicated to minimizing its ecological footprint while maintaining the highest standards of production & believe that sustainable development is not only essential for the protection of natural resources but also pivotal to their business success, reputation, and stakeholder trust.
Also Read: Andhra Paper: Turning Waste into Assets for Sustainable Business Growth
Certifications and Accolades
The company has poured into building a truly sustainable and responsible business. They don’t just talk about sustainability; they live it, breathe it, and embed it into every facet of their operations.
This commitment is validated by the certifications across five key areas: Quality (Q), Environment (E), Energy (E), Green Resources (G), and Health & Safety (HS). These aren’t just badges they wear; they represent the core principles that guide our daily decisions and long-term strategy.
The company is certified under ISO 14001:2015 and the scope covers its entire operations and under four standards of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), via FSC-STD-40-004 (Chain of Custody (COC) Certification), FSC-STD-40-005 (Requirements for Sourcing FSC Controlled Wood), FSC-STD-40-003 (COC certification of multiple sites) and FSC-STD-50-001 (Certificate Holder Trademark Requirements).
With these certifications, the company assures its stakeholders that the wood and wood fiber (pulp) purchased by them are traceable to responsibly managed plantations and that adequate controls are in place to ensure identification and traceability throughout the Chain of Custody. This also means that the company is capable of manufacturing and selling ‘FSC Mix’ claim products in domestic and international markets.
Furthermore, the company has attained accolades for its sustainable initiatives such as: Paper Mill of the Year award for FY 2019-20, awarded by Indian Paper Manufacturers Association; AEE award – Regional Corporate Energy award 2021 by Association of Energy Engineers, US; IPMA Energy Conservation Award for FY 2021-22; CII EHS (Environmental, Health and Safety) Excellence – Bronze Award for the year 2022; CII-SR EHS Excellence Awards 2023 – Silver Award for Commitment to Excellence on their EHS practices and CII – Special Category Award in Southern Region Secured 2nd place for Energy and Carbon Footprint, won Prestigious “Excellence in Energy Management Award” and “National Leader Award” from CII – Paper Tech for 7th & 5th consecutive years respectively, further recognised as Trend setters by CII – GreenCO team.
Conclusion
Seshasayee Paper and Boards exemplifies how industrial growth can align with Environmental & Social responsibility. Through innovative initiatives like the Lift Irrigation Scheme and the installation of the PCC plant, the company not only reduces its environmental footprint but also fosters community development and resource optimization. By prioritizing sustainability and exploring new avenues to lower greenhouse gas emissions, SPB reinforces its commitment to a greener future, setting a high standard for the pulp and paper industry.
SPB demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable development through a variety of innovative and effective initiatives. Their integrated approach to resource management, waste reduction, and community engagement positions them as a leader in the pulp and paper industry.
