The Swedish packaging group has also moved to buy North American protective packaging firm Packaging Resources in a 3.8m deal.

Bertako, in northern Spain, has a production capacity of 18,000 tonnes, comprising packaging produced from corrugated board, mainly Microflute.

Packaging Resources, which has two units outside Denver, Colorado, manufactures customised packaging, mainly for the electronics industry.

SCA also said it would invest 16.1m at Gren, its largest corrugated box plant, based in Denmark.

It hopes to complete the project in early 2004.