Lanaken (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Sappi sold its Lanaken mill site to Dutch company UTB under new company ‘Ippas’ for €50M after mill ceased production in December 2023. The site spans 300,000m along the Albert Canal.
UTB Group sold Sappi Lanaken’s shares under the name Ippas. This company was created to buy the site. The sale was completed on November 14, 2024, marking the end of discussions and the official change of ownership. Lanaken’s Mayor, Marino Keulen, said the deal cost 50 million euros. The site is large and has a good spot on the Albert Canal.
Ippas is currently selling the factory’s furnishings. Mayor of Lanaken Marino Keulen (Team Mayor):
You have to look at furnishings very broadly. It goes from office chairs, tables and coffee makers to the entire machinery
What does UTB Group’s €50M Sappi Lanaken purchase mean?
Lanaken Mayor Marino Keulen is positive about the redevelopment of the old Sappi paper factory site after it is cleaned. He said it is important to start the redevelopment as soon as possible to use the site’s potential.
Although UTB Group now owns the property, Keulen mentioned that the government can still take part in its future development. This is because the Flemish Waterway will keep its right to choose first in certain cases regarding how the site will be changed later.
According to Keulen, the redevelopment will probably involve tearing down the old buildings to make room for new projects. If the land is later offered to investors, the Flemish Waterway will have the first chance to buy it. This rule allows the government to buy the property before it is sold to anyone else.
By keeping this option, the Flemish authorities decide how the site will be used in the future. They ensure that it meets public needs and goals, like supporting sustainable industry or improving logistics along the Albert Canal.
Flemish Minister of Mobility De Ridder has also already been in contact with UTB:
We discussed the future water-related developments of the site and the existing agreement with De Vlaamse Waterweg
What’s next for Lanaken’s former Sappi factory site?
A new owner must get an environmental permit from Lanaken. Mayor Keulen said they want more than big warehouses. They want jobs that are good for the environment. The area is a disrupted zone so investors can get a 20 percent tax discount.
The paper company Sappi has paid back 14.2 million euros from the Flemish government. Andy Pieters heard this from Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele. He said this shows that the government wants to get back tax money when a company affects the economy.
In June 2024, the Dutch company UTB Group said it wanted to buy the old Sappi paper factory in Lanaken, Belgium. This factory has been empty since it closed. The property is very large, about 25 hectares. It is next to the Albert Canal, which is an important waterway for transporting goods.
The site has a 440-meter-long quay wall that gives direct access to the water. The site has a lot of potential for new development. It could be used for industries or logistics that need water transport. UTB Group is interested in this site because of its good features and the chance to turn it into a busy industrial or logistics hub.
At the same time, De Vlaamse Waterweg, the government agency that manages waterways in Flanders, showed interest in the site. The Albert Canal is important for moving goods in the region and beyond. The old Sappi factory site is very large, has good water access, and is in a key location. This makes it a valuable property in Flanders.
Maasland Member of Parliament Andy Pieters from the N-VA party asked questions about the sale of the old Sappi paper factory in Lanaken. He directed his questions to Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder, who is also from the N-VA party. The main issue was whether De Vlaamse Waterweg, which showed interest in the site, had any rights before the sale happened.
Minister De Ridder explained that no pre-sale rights were applied in this case. She said these rights only relate to direct sales of real estate and not to selling shares in a company. In this situation, UTB Group was buying the shares of Sappi Lanaken NV instead of the property itself. This important difference meant that De Vlaamse Waterweg did not have any legal claim or advantage in the sale process.
