Figueira da Foz, Portugal 17 October 2018 -- The hurricane which has hit Portugal last weekend has particularly affected Figueira da Foz, where The Navigator Company operates a pulp and paper mill. The site is currently down.

Portuguese pulp and paper producer The Navigator Company (Navigator) was forced to halt production at its Figueira da Foz mill in Portugal last weekend. The company reports that Hurricane Leslie, which hit the country on 13 and 14 October, caused property damages at the site. As a consequence, the mill currently had no supply of water, electricity or telecom services, so that production had been stopped, Navigator said.

Navigator estimates the mill to be down for one week. According to the company, this would represent a loss of 6,000 t of eucalyptus pulp and 10,000 t of fine paper. Navigator said it would inform the market as soon as production could be restarted.

After a pulp capacity increase at the Figueira da Foz site in the spring of this year, the mill can produce up to 650,000 tpy of hardwood pulp and 800,000 tpy of woodfree uncoated paper. Navigator's Cacia and Setúbal mills, which have a capacity of 320,000 tpy of eucalyptus pulp and 550,000 tpy of hardwood pulp respectively, were not affected by the storm. The company also produces tissue at its Vila Velha de Ródão mill.