The group has invested more than €35m in the 25,000m² facility, which took seven months to build from the ground up to operation, and is expected to support 400 direct and indirect jobs
Smurfit Kappa’s Experience Centres in Morocco. (Credit: Smurfit Kappa)
Ireland-based packaging company Smurfit Kappa has announced its first operation in North Africa by opening its new integrated corrugated plant in Rabat, Morocco.
The new location will enable Smurfit Kappa to serve the local market as well as a wider region in Africa.
The group has invested more than €35m in the 25,000m² facility which took seven months to build from the ground up to operation. The Morocco location will support 400 direct and indirect jobs.
According to Smurfit Kappa, the site will serve native Moroccan firms as well as international companies in a variety of industries, including ceramics, agriculture, FMCG, automotive, and medicine.
It also includes the newest Experience Centres, which are part of an international network of over 30 centres and display the most recent advancements in packaging solutions.
The new facility will be powered by around 1,500 solar panels, making it Morocco’s first packaging facility that uses green energy to ensure that both the production process and the final product are sustainable.
The packaging company expects that this will reduce annual CO2 emissions by 900 tonnes and electricity use by 55%. A purification and water treatment system at the advanced packaging facility also lowers consumption by 50%.
Smurfit Kappa Group CEO Tony Smurfit said: “Our first corrugated operation in North Africa is an exciting step for Smurfit Kappa and we’re delighted to unveil our state-of-the-art Moroccan facility.
“We continue to innovate and give our customers a great product in a sustainable way. We’re combining our global scale and expertise with our local team’s best-in-class knowledge to provide the best service to our customers.
“Morocco’s geographical location complements our operations in Europe and adds to our global footprint which is a competitive advantage.”
In May this year, the packaging company completed its €40m investment project to expand its Pruszków corrugated plant in Poland.