BWT France, a subsidiary of the Austrian group Best Water Technology, Europe's leader in water treatment, reviews six years of supporting France's paper and board industry, driving increasingly sustainable industrial water treatment. Thanks to its team of specialized experts, BWT France has met the sector’s requirements while reducing its consumption of chemical products.
Image Credit: BWT
More than 1,000 Metric Tons of Biocide Equivalent Substituted
In a context of declining revenue in the paper industry (-2% in 2025), companies are seeking solutions and levers for cost-saving levers to remain competitive. Preventive and even predictive maintenance, optimization of floor space, and reductions in transport, water, biocide, and energy consumption: manufacturers are exploring every avenue.
BWT France addresses these challenges with an innovative salt electrolysis technology. This technology reduces chemical consumption, secures supply sources, and helps keep fixed costs stable over several years, all while guaranteeing production continuity. Since 2020, BWT teams have been supporting numerous industrial players in this effort, particularly large groups.
The solution offered by BWT enables biological control in both make-up water and process water and combats biofilm, the leading cause of production stoppages in the paper industry. The commercial and technical division created and fully dedicated to this market has achieved its target of reducing the equivalent of 1,000 metric tons of chemical products per year.
Making Ecology and Cost Savings Go Hand in Hand Through Salt Electrolysis
To achieve this objective, BWT France relies on BWT ECO-MX technology. This system produces a disinfectant on site from water, salt and electricity. Proven for more than fifteen years across various industries, with a customer satisfaction rate close to 100% at over 140 industrial sites in France, BWT ECO-MX can deliver savings of up to more than 55% on the annual biocide treatment budget.
In practice, this solution replaces numerous biocide containers that occupy space and pose a risk to operators. This dependence on chemical suppliers exposes manufacturers to supply disruptions and cost volatility. Recent supply crises for active ingredients have highlighted the importance of on-site production. Another major challenge for this industry, addressed by BWT ECO-MX, is production continuity, which requires perfect biological control of process water.
"Over six years, we have developed specific expertise that now enables us to support both large groups and SMEs in the sector. Our solutions reduce environmental impact, lower risks, and guarantee plant performance.All of these arguments strengthen the competitiveness of industrial players", explains Fabien Benistand, Head of the Paper and Board Activity within the Industrial Commercial Division at BWT France.
BWT ECO-MX is integrated as a production tool within the plant. As a genuine alternative to traditional chemical biocides, which are increasingly regulated (e.g.bromine), this solution ensures operator safety (blank SDS, solution not classified for health and the environment) and equipment longevity. Thus, the reduction of external and internal transport and the limited impact on discharges represent a major lever for industry decarbonization.
Thanks to BWT’s support and ongoing monitoring, these environmental and economic benefits deliver real added value and a clear point of differentiation for players in the paper and board sector.
Case Study
Building on several years of collaboration with BWT France, MPH1865 (formerly MP Hygiène, WEPA Group) perfectly illustrates the partnership dynamic that BWT is building with industrial players in the sector.
Following an initial installation of the BWT ECO-MX system at its historic site in Annonay, Ardèche, the group decided to expand and deepen this partnership by entrusting BWT France with the complete management of its biocide treatments, including at its new production unit built on the former Canson industrial site. This extension is dedicated to the production of paper pulp from recycled materials to supply the manufacture of paper towels and toilet paper, without relying on imported virgin cellulose.
Two new BWT ECO-MX 27+ generators have thus been deployed, bringing the total number of operational units across all sites to three.
"Since the start of our collaboration with BWT, we have been able to concretely measure the benefits of their approach: reliable biological control of our process water, a significant reduction in our dependence on chemical products, and real safety for our teams. Extending our partnership to our new recycling unit was an obvious choice", says Damien Rosier, Paper Production Manager at MPH1865.
Through this type of partnership, BWT France confirms and reinforces its strategy of providing long-term support for industrial players close to operational realities. Leveraging its expertise and its ability to deploy solutions tailored to the specificities of each site, BWT France is supporting the paper and board industries in evolving their water treatment practices, balancing industrial requirements, team safety and environmental challenges, both at single-site level and within international multi-site groups.