©FibreExcellence

In the absence of an identified buyer, Fibre Excellence is attempting to take over its activities itself. The pulp producer, which operates two sites in Tarascon (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Saint-Gaudens (Haute-Garonne), submitted an offer to the Commercial Court on June 1 to ensure the continuity of its industrial and forestry sites, which have been in receivership since last April. The project concerns all the group’s assets, including Chapelle Darblay in Seine-Maritime closed since 2019 by UPM and all its 700-strong workforce. Jean-François Guillot, Chairman and CEO of Fibre Excellence, defends an approach driven by the company’s teams: “Management and I are backing this takeover offer because we firmly believe in the future of our sites.” …Management is conditioning its project on three decisions expected from the French government before June 17. The first concerns …the feed-in tariff for electricity generated at Fibre Excellence sites. …The second concerns wood supply. …Finally, [integration] into the European CO2 quota system.