This is an unprecedented operation. As it had announced on 15 October, the Rouen Normandy Metropolis announced that it had activated its right of pre-emption for the UPM Chapelle Darblay site in Grand-Couronne. On 1st March, an extraordinary Metropolitan Council also voted unanimously to buy the machines. The total amount of the operation, which includes the acquisition of the real estate through pre-emption, completed by the purchase of equipment and materials, reaches €8 million (€9.6 million including VAT), of which €3 million is for the operating elements (production machines, spare parts, stocks and necessary and essential accessories). The Metropolis has also confirmed that the site will be sold to the Veolia/Fibre Excellence consortium, which has applied to take over the operation.
This consortium will create a project company that will lease its assets to Veolia and Fibre Excellence. Pending the creation of this project company and in order to accelerate and simplify the takeover process, the Council voted to transfer the pre-empted property and operating equipment to Veolia. Prior to this transfer, the consortium will have to finalise its takeover file and provide all the necessary guarantees to ensure the proper implementation of the project from a technical and financial point of view. This operation will be free of charge for the Metropolis, with the exception of the costs of the acquisition operations and any carrying costs (estimated at less than €100,000). The transfer of ownership and payment of the price following this pre-emption must take place on 11 May and 11 June at the latest. However, this pre-emption can be challenged before the administrative court within two months of the notification/declaration of intention to sell.
In the autumn of 2021, UPM France decided to sell the site to the Samfi and Paprec consortium, whose project was to produce hydrogen and develop a recycling activity. Veolia and Fibre Excellence were working on a project to produce 400,000 t/year of recycled corrugated case material (CCM). An investment of some €120 million is mentioned. If this project becomes a reality, the Rouen region would become a major producer of this type of paper. Within a perimeter of a few dozen kilometres, there are the VPK Alizay plants (currently being rebuilt to produce more than 400,000 t/year), as well as the DS Smith plant (which produces 280,000 t/year).
Valérie Lechiffre
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