The Navigator Company has launched gCELL, a new brand for its pulp portfolio, bringing its pulp business under a single identity based on its experience in Eucalyptus globulus pulp production.
The launch reflects the company’s position in eucalyptus-based pulp, following more than 70 years of development in the field. Navigator says its leadership dates back to 1956, when a team at its Cacia mill in Aveiro demonstrated the industrial production of kraft pulp from eucalyptus for the first time. The project, known internally as TE 24, helped establish large-scale eucalyptus kraft pulp production and supported the development of high-quality papers made from 100% eucalyptus fibre.
Navigator is now Europe’s largest producer of eucalyptus-based pulp, with annual capacity of 1.6 million tons. The company says the new gCELL brand is built around four pillars: innovation and heritage, credibility and reliability, versatility, and sustainability.
The name gCELL refers to Eucalyptus globulus and cellulose, with the brand intended to highlight the performance and adaptability of Navigator’s pulp across applications including printing and writing papers, tissue, packaging papers, decor and specialty papers, and moulded cellulose.
“gCELL represents a natural evolution of our pulp business,” said João Escobar Henriques, global pulp sales director at The Navigator Company. “By creating a dedicated brand, we are reinforcing the unique value of our fibre and strengthening our connection with customers. gCELL is more than a name – it reflects our commitment to delivering high-performance, sustainable solutions that help optimise processes and enhance end-product quality.”
Navigator said the portfolio offers properties including strength, dimensional stability, surface quality, brightness, bulk, softness, low dust levels, runnability and print quality. Its fully integrated mills are also intended to support consistent quality across the value chain, from managed forests through to industrial production.
Sustainability is positioned as a core element of the new brand. Navigator says its Eucalyptus globulus fibres are sourced from sustainably managed forests and that its certified managed forests are covered by standards including FSC and PEFC. The company also says the fibre enables lower wood usage compared with other species for the same quantity of final application, while helping reduce water and chemical consumption in production.
Navigator has set a target to cut direct CO2 emissions from its industrial complexes under the EU ETS by 86% by 2035, compared with a 2018 baseline.
