Estonian Cell, a pulpwood producer that has made large investments in reducing its environmental impact in recent years, was declared the winner of the "Environmentally Friendly Company of the Year" competition. The new water treatment solution, which has brought the title, saves 5.5 GWh of electricity per year.
 
The nominees for the “Environmentally Friendly Company of the Year” competition organized by the Ministry of the Environment were announced in January and the winner was announced yesterday in Tallinn. Estonian Cell was awarded the title by its recent investments in an aerobic water treatment plant, which ensures a more efficient treatment process and cleaner wastewater, as well as significant electricity savings. In addition to the water treatment plant, the competition mentioned making production more resource-efficient and the largest innovative biogas production complex in Estonia that had already been built.
 
"We are very happy with this award, as it is a great recognition for our water treatment and laboratory staff, as well as for the entire plant for the recent investment," said Kersti Lužkov, Environmental and Quality Manager at Estonian Cell. According to her, the company has not rested on its laurels, but has already started preparing for the next growth investments, and similarly to the past, the growth of production volume and environmental friendliness go hand in hand.
 
In June 2019, Estonian Cell installed the latest equipment as part of a 20 million euro growth investment program, which increased the company's production volume and reduced its impact on the environment. To finance the investment, the company reinvested all the profits earned in 2018. As part of the project, the plant built an aerobic wastewater treatment plant with innovative technology, which will allow even cleaner wastewater to be discharged into the sea and use significantly less electricity than before. "The company saves about 5.5 GWh of electricity per year. This amount of saved electricity is greater than the majority of Estonian companies consume annually, "said Lužkov. In addition, the investments modernized the plant's equipment to produce wood pulp more efficiently.
 
The competition "Environmentally Friendly Company of the Year" is organized every year under the leadership of the Ministry of the Environment with the aim of identifying environmentally friendly companies that have considered environmental well-being and contributed to reducing environmental pollution and increasing environmental protection. This year, in addition to Estonian Cell, UpSteam Eesti OÜ, Eesti Pandipakend OÜ and Lindström OÜ were among the nominees who reached the super final. With the support of the Environmental Investment Center (EIC), the winner can further improve their environmental performance with a maximum value of 35,000 euros. In addition, the winner will receive the right to use the "Eco-friendly Company of the Year" eco-label.