The Swedish company Essity, specialising in hygiene and health, has inaugurated a new production line at its factory in Puigpelat (Tarragona). In addition to this investment, which has amounted to 24 million euros, two new production lines will be launched in 2025, one for feminine care products and the other for jumbo roll toilet tissue.

The newly inaugurated line was commissioned at the end of 2023 to produce Tena and Orly's branded incontinence products. With a capacity of up to 150 million units per year, it will supply the Spanish market and other European countries, such as France, Italy and Portugal. It will manufacture a total of 23 different product types.

Strategic market
This operation confirms Spain’s role as a strategic market for Essity, which employs over 1,200 people in the country. In addition to the Puigpelat plant, which started operations in 1976, the company has two other production centres in Allo (Navarre) and Telde (Gran Canaria). It is the only company in Europe that produces both tissue and personal hygiene products at the same plant.

Essity has invested over 100 million euros in its Puigpelat plant since 2019. The different items have made it possible to respond to a growing demand for hygiene products, as well as to boost efficiency with various structural and operational improvements. In addition to these investments, two new production lines will be set up in the near future.

Innovative solutions
Over the last five years, recent investments in this plant have included around five million euros to reduce energy consumption, improve waste management and reduce water consumption. Furthermore, the new line incorporates innovative solutions for using sustainable raw materials, and digital solutions have been implemented across all operations to improve resource efficiency.

The company's presence in Spain includes a logistics and supply chain planning hub, which opened in 2021. Located in Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona), over 200 hundred people coordinate the transport of all its branded goods and products  from its facilities to locations all over the world.

In terms of training, Essity collaborates with local centres to implement the Dual VT programme, which brought 24 of the employees at its Puigpelat plant on board.

^{Photo: Essity}