Madrid, 5 March 2020.- COFIDES will support Alucan's business plan to build a new packaging production plant in Belgium. To strengthen its commitment to sustainable production, the Catalan SME, in which Suma Capital is a shareholder, has decided to build a brand new factory in one of the most important markets for its business. This move demonstrates the company's firm commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of its operations, getting closer to its clients in order to reduce emissions during transportation and providing its new plant with energy-efficient solutions.
Under the FONPYME, COFIDES will provide a 3.7 million euro co-investment loan to Alucan Benelux BV. The financing will be used for the subproject to build a high-speed line with an annual production capacity of 40 million units. The company has also made a significant effort to innovate, enabling the use of new, more efficient aluminium alloys in the new line. The total investment planned for the creation of this modern plant amounts to 13.2 million euros.
After signing the agreement, COFIDES' chairman José Luis Curbelo stated that "one of COFIDES' key objectives is to support SME's that are committed to innovation and sustainable production, a path that will lead us to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and make the 2030 Agenda a reality".
Alucan's CEO, Jordi Espada, and Elisenda Miravitlles, Alucan's Strategic Director, also pointed out that "the Belgian facilities will allow Alucan to take a further step in its commitment to sustainable production and continuous improvement, flexibility and service to our clients, most of which are major European multinationals".
This project helps towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals 12 (Responsible Production and Consumption) and 13 (Climate Action). In the last ten years, the impact of manufacturing aluminium containers has reduced by 33 percent. An increased recycling rate in Europe, the product's long life cycle, a reduced energy consumption in its manufacture, as well as a reduced packaging weight have all made it possible to decouple growth in production from its environmental footprint.
Alucan, whose operational headquarters are located in Llinars del Vallés, is a company with more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing bottles and aerosols for the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and sports sectors. In 2019, it reported a turnover of around 40 million euros, exporting most of it to European countries, including Belgium, Holland and France.
COFIDES is a state-owned company which has been offering financial support to Spanish companies investing abroad since 1988. It is accredited with the EU to manage Community budgets, allowing it to structure transactions with a high impact on development. It is also accredited with the UN’s Green Climate Fund and can structure operations on climate change mitigation and adaptation with the GCF. It is the exclusive manager of FIEX and FONPYME funds on behalf of the Secretariat of State for Trade attached to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and supports AECID in managing FONPRODE funds. Shareholders include Banco Santander, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America.
