A demonstration in support of Fibre Excellence Saint-Gaudens took place on January 31st, drawing several thousand people. Local elected officials also wrote a letter to the Prime Minister to alert him to the urgency of the situation. This mill, which produces market pulp, was shut down for five weeks last November. Today, according to the local press and the letter signed by the elected officials, it is threatened with closure by March 15th. The same applies to the group's other site, Fibre Excellence Provence. In November 2025, Fibre Excellence explained in a press release that it had "invested more than €55 million in the Saint-Gaudens mill over the past three years to improve its performance and competitiveness. However, production costs are currently heavily impacted by high input costs. The French price of pulpwood has increased by 50% compared to 2022. The pulp market is international and highly competitive. This market is currently experiencing a decline in demand and prices. For example, demand for pulp on the European market has fallen by more than 20% in the last six months. Furthermore, the Saint-Gaudens site has many advantages, notably its renewable electricity production capacity, the purchase of which is contracted with the French government. However, the current selling price does not reflect the increase in biomass costs since 2022. Therefore, this price no longer reflects production costs. Fibre Excellence is requesting a revision of this purchase agreement so that the cost of biomass is indexed. This measure is essential to maintaining the competitiveness of the site, which utilizes local wood resources produced in France while competing directly with international producers. This is a strong demand from the government, with whom discussions have been underway since 2022. We expect to receive support for this measure aimed at boosting the competitiveness of our industrial site.” Talks with the government and EDF are ongoing.
V.L
Photo/Fibre Excellence
Fibre Excellence has a pulp production capacity of over 550,000 tpy, spread across its two sites in Saint-Gaudens and Tarascon. The group employs approximately 670 people and supports nearly 10,000 indirect jobs. Its consolidated annual revenue amounts to €300 million. 90% of its fiber supply is locally sourced and certified according to international forestry standards.