EFI Group plans to complete the second phase of the Pulp Master development project in the first quarter of 2028 and double the plant’s production capacity for eco-friendly packaging made from plant-based cellulose, from 50 million to 100 million units per year. The project is being implemented in stages using the investors’ own funds and debt financing and is primarily focused on export markets.
EFI Group founder Ihor Liski announced the plans in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. According to him, the first phase of the plant has already been commissioned and provides annual production capacity of up to 50 million units. The second phase is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2028, enabling the company to double production volumes and strengthen its position in the international sustainable packaging market.
Liski noted that the project is financed through a combination of the founders’ own investment and a credit facility. This approach allows the company to implement the investment project in stages, manage the pace of expansion and maintain its financial sustainability.
One of Pulp Master’s key features is its export focus. EFI Group estimates that more than 90% of the plant’s output will be supplied outside Ukraine. The company attributes this to the limited size of the domestic market. According to its analysis, even with a significant increase in demand, the Ukrainian market for plant-based cellulose packaging would be able to absorb approximately 10 million units annually, substantially below the plant’s planned production capacity.
The plant currently uses raw materials imported from European and Asian countries. In particular, Asian-origin sugarcane fibre that meets the required production specifications is used in the manufacture of disposable tableware. The company plans to gradually optimise the structure of its raw material supply base as the project develops.
Pulp Master’s strategic objective is to establish domestic cellulose production in Ukraine using by-products from crop cultivation and horticulture. Implementing this model would reduce dependence on imported raw materials, increase the level of production localisation and create a closed-loop value chain for sustainable packaging based on Ukrainian agricultural resources.
The first phase of the Pulp Master project was recently launched in Zhytomyr. Total investment in the construction of the plant amounts to approximately €5 million. The facility is EFI Group’s fourth project in the sustainable packaging segment. However, unlike the group’s three previous production facilities, which use recovered paper as raw material, the new plant specialises in products made from plant-based cellulose.
EFI Group has operated in the Ukrainian market since 2007 and implements investment projects across a range of sectors, including healthcare, medical technology, the pulp and paper industry, food processing, wood processing and agriculture. The group’s investment portfolio includes feed additive producer Feednova, honey processor Beehive, the Medychna Zirka clinic network, Zhytomyr Cardboard Mill, packaging manufacturer Sem Ecopack, wood-processing company Forest Technology, agricultural company EFI Agro and medical online platform Doc.ua.
The expansion of Pulp Master’s production capacity will enable EFI Group to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing global biodegradable packaging market and increase exports of Ukrainian-made products amid the worldwide transition towards environmentally sustainable packaging solutions.
