These microfibers can be run at standard consistency (1.0 percent to 3.2 percent) on the wet end, disperse easily with minimal sheer and can blend with cellulose to improve strength and formation of paper products.

Another benefit is that Eastman Cyphrex microfibers can be easily run as 100 percent of the fiber furnish on conventional papermaking machinery and can be processed very much like cellulose on flat wire machines, a benefit not typically expected from synthetic fibers.

Overall Cyphrex microfibers improve strength, formation and permeability of high-strength paper products — without requiring significant processing compromises.

These microfibers, too, can be converted to nonwoven substrates without the processing and performance tradeoffs often observed when incorporating existing synthetic fibers. Eastman Cyphrex microfibers provide excellent wet strength, they can be run at standard consistency on the wet end and they provide high dry strength without the use of a wet strength agent or bonding agent; they do, however, respond exceptionally well to wet strength agents when those materials are used.

“Eastman Cyphrex microfibers are well-suited for paper, pulp and nonwoven industry technical professionals who want innovations that can help them stay ahead of product commoditization,” said Jon Woods, general manager, nonwovens microfibers, Eastman. “Because technical professionals want synthetic fibers to enable product performance without the processing challenges that often accompany them, Cyphrex microfibers could enable new attributes to allow for more customizable applications in the high-strength paper applications.”

Valmet Launches Calendering Technology for Board and Paper Machines

Valmet has launched a new and patented calendering technology to the market. The new aqua cooling technology improves the calendering results compared to usual paper production conditions.

In most cases the best calendering results are achieved when the web is cool and stiff, like in pilot trials for example. With aqua cooling technology, pilot-type environment is brought to production-level, by cooling down the web before the calendering nip. This is enabled by applying a small amount of water with a moisturizer, and evaporating it with an air dryer.

Aqua cooling calendering is aimed for making the end-product more lightweight, without compromising functional and visual properties. This will lead to substantial reduction of energy and raw material usage. Aqua cooling calendering technology will complement Valmet's bulk-saving calendering offering, which includes the revolutionary metal belt calendering as the ultimate lightweighting solution. Valmet has a pilot machine with aqua cooling technology available for customer trials.

Stora Enso has decided to invest in this new aqua cooling calendering technology at their BM 4 packaging board machine in Ingerois, Finland. The target of the rebuild is to improve board quality, while also increasing bulk saving potential. The rebuild includes new web moisturizing and evaporation cooling equipment. The rebuilt production line is scheduled to start up in September 2015.

The order is included in Valmet's first quarter 2015 orders received. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

GE, Kemira Form Water Technology Alliance to Serve Pulp and Paper Sector

GE has entered into a formal distribution agreement with chemicals company Kemira to bring water technology to the global pulp and paper industry.

GE’s newest and most advanced boiler and utility area cooling product technologies as well as membrane cleaning chemistry and the entire chemistry water portfolio is now available to the pulp and paper industry. Also included are the remote monitoring and diagnostics products—including the InSight Knowledge Management Solution and TrueSense—and Novus polymers for wastewater treatment. Pulp and paper manufacturers also will have access to experts at GE’s Service Reliability Center for 24-hour monitoring and support, all backed by both GE and Kemira on-site expertise.

“Kemira has long been recognized as a technology leader, supplying process, functional and bleaching chemistry solutions to producers of pulp, packaging and board, tissue and towel and printing and writing grades globally. This makes Kemira an ideal partner to bring GE’s water products and services to the paper industry and now positions Kemira with the broadest technical and product portfolio in the industry,” said Billy Ford, senior vice president, paper, Kemira. “After a successful 18-month pilot program with GE in the Americas, we have increased the scope of our alliance to offer a comprehensive water treatment solution to the global pulp and paper market.”

“Pulp and paper mills use vast amounts of water to create an end product while also generating considerable wastewater. GE is eager to bring our water solutions to the pulp and paper industry, and Kemira is well-positioned to bring our advanced technologies to their customers,” said Kevin Cassidy, chemical and monitoring solutions general manager—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.

Kemira is a global chemicals company serving customers in water-intensive industries, with a focus on pulp & paper, oil & gas, mining and water treatment. In 2014, Kemira had annual revenue of EUR 2.1 billion and around 4,250 employees.

GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies in all areas of the energy industry. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and quality.

NEW PROJECTS

AMERICAS

Irving Pulp & Paper Invests over $640,000 in Saint John, NB Pulp Mill Modernization

Irving Pulp & Paper is pleased to announce five new contracts for Saint John businesses, totaling over $640,000. The contracts are part of the 24-month Phase 2 modernization of the west side pulp mill at Reversing Falls.

The pulp mill investment is the largest in Canada since 1993 and is focused on installing a new digester to replace the existing 14 digesters, as well as new wood chip handling and screening. The estimated 609,000 person hours for this project is equivalent to 300 direct construction jobs and 150 indirect construction jobs.

Upon completion in Q1 2016, the mill will achieve reduced air and noise emissions as well as improved operating efficiencies.

Engineering for Phase 3 - a $250 million investment - is currently underway.

As of April 30, 2015, 168 New Brunswick companies have been awarded contracts totaling over $65 million as part of the pulp mill modernization in Saint John.

The April 2015 pulp mill contract awards are as follows:

Atlantic Controls of Saint John:Major field instruments.This is the sixth contract awarded to Atlantic Controls in association with the pulp mill modernization.

Guilfords, Saint John:Utility rack insulation. This is the second contract awarded to Guilfords in association with the pulp mill modernization.

Harris & Roome, Saint John:Fiber op and Ethernet cable.This is the fourth contract awarded to Harris & Roome in association with the pulp mill modernization.

Ocean Steel, Saint John:Bin Feed Conveyor support.This is the second contract awarded to Ocean Steel in association with the pulp mill modernization.

Source Atlantic, Saint John:Manual valves.This is the third contract awarded to Source Atlantic in association with the pulp mill modernization

"Our New Brunswick contractors have and continue to be vital partners in this project. Their focus on delivering quality work - on time and on budget is critical and we appreciate their skill and dedication," said Mark Mosher, Vice President of Pulp & Paper operations at J.D. Irving, Limited.

"The biggest contract that we have on the new digester project is the distributed controls system, which controls the operation of the fluid moving in the digester," said Mike Small, Strategic Accounts Manager for Atlantic Controls.

"For us, this contract is important sustainability-wise, because in the longer-term we support the project for years to come. One of the most important things about the pulp mill project is the commitment it shows to local businesses, to the mill itself, to the people who work at the mill and to those who work in the local economy. JDI's ongoing investment in the mill on an ongoing basis is very important to us," Small said.

These contracts are part of $513 Million in forest industry investments announced by J.D. Irving, Limited in March 2014 in Saint John, Sussex, Chipman, St. Leonard, Doaktown and the company's Woodlands operations.

The investments have been recognized by the Royal Bank of Canada, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council and the Conference Board of Canada for their positive impact on the New Brunswick economy and provincial GDP.

In Doaktown, the engineering for the $15 million modernization is continuing.

In Chipman, the company has increased its investment from $23 million to $37 million. One hundred NB suppliers have been awarded contracts valued at $14 million. April 20 marked the start of the third shift at the planer mill, resulting in 16 permanent new jobs. The modernization of the Chipman sawmill is on track for May 2015 completion.

The company has also completed the $16.8 million promised investment in Northern New Brunswick, including investments at its sawmills in St. Leonard and Kedgwick as well as its Woodlands operations.

In Sussex, the new $3.2 million lab began operating in March and is bringing scientific discoveries regarding tree health to commercialization. Maritime Innovation has secured patents in Australia, the U.S., Canada, Russia and Europe. The lab construction saw $2.2 million in contracts awarded to New Brunswick suppliers.

Northern Pulp to Install Electrostatic Precipitator at Nova Scotia Mill

Northern Pulp will shutdown its Pictou County paper mill for 15 days in June in order to install equipment to meet air pollution reductions demanded by the Nova Scotia government. The shutdown is an admission the company will not meet an end of May air pollution reduction required in its industrial approval. One of the conditions of the new five-year operating permit is that emissions of particulate matter must be 80 per cent lower than what was measured coming out of the stack last summer.

"It’s a big job. There's a lot to do," says Bruce Chapman, general manager of the mill.

The $22 million precipitator project has had challenges.

In addition to delays caused by winter storms, the U.S. supplier Clyde Bergmann Group backed out of its contract to install the precipitaitor. That forced the mill to take over the job.

Northern Pulp meanwhile is appealing the Nova Scotia Government industrial approval imposing new environmental standards including the air pollution reduction expected from the precipitator.

The mill objects to other elements in the industrial approval regarding its use and discharge of water.

Nova Scotia Environment Minister Randy Delorey says the shut down keeps the mill compliant.

"The industrial approval parameters is really about the emissions that they would be putting out, so I would expect if they are not polluting they would be meeting the terms and conditions of the industrial approval at that time," Delorey told CBC News.

During the shut down, Northern Pulp's 300 unionized workforce will remain on the job.

The company says it will continue to buy wood chips from Nova Scotia saw mills.

Andritz to Rebuild Paper Machine at Suzano Mill, Brazil

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from Suzano Papel e Celulose to upgrade the paper machine at the Suzano mill in São Paulo. After the rebuild, the plant will produce both eucalyptus fluff pulp and coated/uncoated wood-free paper.

Start-up is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2015. The machine will produce around 100,000 tons of fluff pulp per year. Due to this rebuild, Suzano will be the first fluff pulp producer in Brazil and the first producer worldwide to supply fluff pulp based on short-fiber eucalyptus.

The company is one of the largest integrated pulp and paper producers in Latin America. Its main products are eucalyptus pulp, printing and writing paper, as well as paperboard.

Russia’s Sveza Set to Start Construction of 1.2 Million-Tonne/Yr Kraft Pulp Mill in 2017

Russian plywood producer Sveza is set to start construction of its 1.2 million-tonne/yr bleached softwood and hardwood pulp plant in the Vologda region in 2017 at an investment of some $2 billion.

The work will follow the completion of the infrastructure for the greenfield project, which is planned for 2016, according to the governor of the Vologda region Oleg Kuvshinnikov. Kuvshinnikov said that the pulp mill is scheduled to start up in 2020. He added that the engineering and planning work will start shortly after the infrastructure is in place and will take up to 18 months.

The pulp mill is expected to be built in Roschino near Cherepovets. In January, the government signed an order changing the status of some 1,300 ha near Roschino to that of industrial land. This allowed local authorities to launch the process of establishing a special economic zone in the Roschino area, in which the Sveza plant will be the major occupant.

ASIA

China’s Vinda to Build Three Tissue PMs in 2015

Vinda International Holdings plans to build three new 30,000-tonne/yr tissue PMs in China in

2015, raising its total tissue capacity to 980,000 tonnes/yr. One of the three will be installed at a mill in Deyang city, Sichuan province. The other two will go to the firm’s plant in Laiwu city, in Shandong province.

All the PMs are planned to start up in the fourth quarter this year. Moreover, the firm is mulling over building new mills in southern and central China to support long-term development in the country. But no details about the new facilities have been revealed yet.

Vinda currently operates eight mills in China, and has a total tissue capacity of around 890,000 tonnes/yr. This includes 130,000 tonnes/yr of capacity added in 2014.

China’s Hengan Starts up New 60,000-tonne/yr Tissue PM in Hunan Province

China’s Hengan International has started up a new 60,000-tonne/yr tissue PM at a mill in Changde city, Hunan province. The commissioning has raised its total tissue capacity to 1.03 million tonnes/yr.

The machine, which came online in January, was supplied by Andritz. It has a width of 5.6 m and a design speed of 2,000 m/min. An identical tissue PM was fired up at the same plant in

2014.

The firm will start running six more 60,000- tonne/yr tissue PMs in 2015 and 2016. A pair will go to its mill in Chongqing municipality. Another two units are planned for the Weifang plant in

Shandong province, and the remaining two will be installed at the Wuhu mill in Anhui province.

Hengan ordered the eight PMs in 2012, and originally planned to bring all of them online by 2015, with the first one coming on stream in 2013. However, its aggressive expansion schedule was slowed by growing oversupply pressure in the tissue segment in China.

EUEA

Metsä Fibre to Build Next-Generation Bioproduct Mill in Äänekoski, Finland

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has made the decision to build a bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Finland in the area of the existing pulp mill. The construction work will begin immediately, and the mill is scheduled to be completed during the third quarter of 2017.

The new bioproduct mill in Äänekoski is the largest investment of the forest industry in Finland. The total investment will amount to approximately EUR 1.2 billion, of which 40 per cent will be equity financed and 60 per cent debt financed. The latter will include bank loans and trade credit. In addition, Metsä Fibre has received EUR 32.1 million as an investment subsidy for renewable energy from the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy. Metsä Fibre is owned by Metsäliitto Cooperative (50.2 per cent), Metsä Board Corporation (24.9 per cent) and Itochu Corporation (24.9 per cent).

The bioproduct mill's annual pulp production will be approximately 1.3 million tonnes, of which 800,000 tonnes will be softwood pulp and 500,000 tonnes hardwood pulp. The softwood pulp will be exported mainly to Europe and Asia. In addition to premium pulp, the mill will produce much more electricity than it will need, as well as tall oil and turpentine, among other bioproducts. All side streams from the bioproduct mill are planned to be utilised in the ecosystem that will be formed by various companies around the mill.

The new mill will increase the consumption of pulpwood in Finland by approximately 4 million cubic metres per year, or approximately 10 per cent. The mill will use a total of 6.5 million cubic metres of wood raw material annually, which will mainly be sourced from Finland.

Sweco Industry Oy and Sweco Rakennetekniikka Oy will be responsible for the detailed engineering of the mill, and Valmet Oy and Andritz Oy for the main equipment deliveries.

"We have a very busy year behind us. During this period, we have determinedly advanced the project according to the original plan. The mill area has been prepared for the construction work, an environmental permit and other permits currently required for the construction have been obtained, the financing solutions have been agreed, and the main partners have been selected. Cooperation with the authorities as well as other parties participating in the project has been open and constructive," says Kari Jordan, President and CEO of Metsä Group.

"The steady growth in the demand for northern softwood pulp on the global market is the main driver for the investment. We aim to strengthen our leading position in this market, increase Metsä Fibre's business, and improve our profitability in the long term," Jordan says.

After completion, the bioproduct mill will increase the annual value of Finland's exports by EUR 0.5 billion, and its income effect on Finland will be more than EUR 0.5 billion annually. During construction, the bioproduct mill's effect on employment will be approximately 6,000 jobs and when completed more than 2,500 jobs in the entire value chain, of which approximately 1,500 will be new. The mill itself will employ approximately 200 people.

Approximately 70 per cent of the bioproduct mill's main equipment deliveries will be of Finnish origin. The detailed engineering work will require approximately 200 man-years, and 100 per cent will be of Finnish origin.

Minimised emissions, low specific water consumption, as well as high energy and material efficiency have been the central design criteria for the bioproduct mill. The wood raw material used by the mill and all side streams will be fully utilised as products and bioenergy.

The bioproduct mill will contribute to achieving renewable energy targets in Finland. The mill concept maximises the bioenergy to be sold and increases the share of renewable energy in Finland by approximately two percentage points. Furthermore, the mill will not use any fossil fuels. All of the energy it requires will be generated from wood. The electricity self-sufficiency rate of the mill will be 240 per cent.

Andritz to Supply Metsä Fibre's New Äänekoski Bioproduct Pulp Mill in Finland

International technology Group ANDRITZ and Metsä Fibre have finalized the contract to deliver key production technologies for a new bioproduct pulp mill with an annual capacity of 1.3 million tons of pulp in Äänekoski, Finland.

The order value for ANDRITZ is over 100 million euros. Start-up of the mill is scheduled for third quarter of 2017. The core equipment supplied by ANDRITZ will originate largely from Finland and thus will have a significant positive employment impact on ANDRITZ's engineering staff located in Kotka, Lahti and Varkaus as well as on the ANDRITZ workshop located in Savonlinna where a big part of the core equipment for this contract will be fabricated. "

ANDRITZ's scope of supplies includes the core equipment for:

· A complete wood processing plant with three debarking and chipping lines, three stacker-reclaimer chip handling systems, and bark handling. Each debarking line can process both softwood and hardwood and is designed for world record capacities (pine/spruce/birch: 470/350/270 m3 solid-over-bark per hour), and includes a de-icing conveyor, a debarking drum (5 x 48 meter), and the world's biggest horizontally fed HHQ chipper, ensuring high capacity without compromising the chip quality.

· A softwood and hardwood fiberline comprising a chip feeding system, a two-vessel continuous cooking plant, a new evaporation system for liquor extraction, and seven DD (Drum Displacer) washers for brownstock washing and bleaching. The softwood capacity of this line will be the highest in the world (3,900 tons per day).

· The world's most energy-efficient black liquor evaporation plant with the highest capacity in Europe (1,650 tons/hour). The plant is closely connected to the fiberline using ANDRITZ's latest innovative and patented solutions, and thus creating the most energy efficient overall combination for the mill. The plant will have seven stages and concentrate black liquor to the very high dry solids content of 85% for efficient combustion in the recovery boiler. In addition, ANDRITZ will also deliver chloride removal systems to enhance the chemical recovery process and to produce liquid methanol, which will be used as a biofuel source.

· A recausticizing plant, which will be the largest in Europe (white liquor production of 16,000 m3/day), and world's largest single-line recausticizing plant, with two centrifuges for dregs, slaker-classifier, white liquor disc filter, and lime mud disc filter. The new mill will be a next-generation bio-product pulp mill which can convert wood raw material into biomaterials and bioenergy in addition to producing high-quality pulp. It will not use any fossil-based fuels as all of the energy required will be generated from wood.

BillerudKorsnäs Upgrades its 260,000-tonne/yr SC Fluting PM at Gruvön

BillerudKorsnäs has started upgrade work on its 260,000-tonne/yr semi-chemical (SC) fluting PM 6 at its Gruvön mill in Sweden. The revamp will see PM 6 fitted with a new press section, mill manager Fredrik Turzik told RISI. As part of the scheme, the firm will rebuild the pulping line and the wood room.

BillerudKorsnäs selected Voith as the main supplier for the project. The revamp will result is an increased capacity of PM 6, which will rise by 40,000 tonnes/yr to 300,000 tonnes/yr.

The investment is also aimed at improving the strength qualitiesof fluting. The cost of the project is SEK 180 million ($20.5 million).

Finland’s Kotkamills Upgrades PM 2 To Packaging Board

Kotkamills Oy signed agreements totaling EUR 70 million on equipment deliveries for paper machine 2 to be upgraded in the summer of 2016. The deliveries will be divided between Valmet Paperikoneet Oy and Bellmer Vaahto Paper Machinery Oy. This investment of more than EUR 100 million is aimed to convert the paper machine product from magazine paper to packaging boards. The capacity of the board machine will be 400,000 t/a, with the basis weight area of the end product being 150 - 500 g/m2. Primary products include a high-quality Nordic folding boxboard and recyclable barrier board for the food industry. By converting the paper machine product to packaging boards, Kotkamills Oy will secure its position as a globally significant manufacturer of forest industry products.

More and more attention is paid to environmental friendliness when selecting packaging materials. With this investment published today, Kotkamills Oy responds to the far-reaching requests of end customers of the packaging business to introduce high-quality recyclable barrier board to the market. The new product includes the protection layers required to prevent grease, liquids or moisture from absorbing into the package. The versatility of the board is increased by its heat sealing capacity, cleanness, lightness and first-class printing surface. In the manufacturing process, special attention will be paid to the effective utilisation of wood raw material, and the minimisation of energy, bleaching chemicals and water consumption per each produced ton. A patent is pending for innovations associated with the manufacturing process.

The construction of the investment will be started at the beginning of 2016. Until then, Kotkamills Oy's paper machine 2 will produce high-bulk printing paper Solaris, the delivery of which will be continued normally until the end of the second quarter of 2016. The company will also increase its production volume of Absorbex laminating paper and Imprex products through new investments. What is more, the sawn goods produced at the Kotka sawmill will comprise a significant part of the company's product range.

PMT Italia to Supply Film Size Press to Pehlivanoğlu Kağit's PM 1 in Turkey

PMT Italia will supply a new ÆGO SIZER FO Film Size Press with new Threading System and Pulper to Pehlivanoğlu Kağit for their PM1 in Çerkezköy, Turkey.

The 2.850 mm wide PM1 produces Fluting and Test Liner in a grammage range of 75 to 200 g/m2 with a design speed of 1.000 m/min.

The rebuild is planned for the end of 2015 and the new production will start at the beginning of 2016.

This project represents for PMT a further occasion of confirming its constantly developed sizing technology as well as a new result of its growing position of preferred supplier in the Turkish paper industry.

PMT is a global paper machinery producer, able to provide all paper suppliers with advanced and customized equipment, from headbox through winder, including integrated projects with basis or detail engineering of associated auxiliary systems.

UK's TRM Packaging Installs New £1 Million Pallet Press Line

TRM Packaging has installed a new pallet press line as part of the latest phase in the company's £8 million investment programme. The UK's leading manufacturer and printer of retail ready packaging recently finished the installation of a £1 million investment into a new pallet press line which includes a Dücker palletiser, Mosca pallet strapper and a Haloila Octopus pallet wrapping machine.

Valmet Receives Order from Holmen for Softwood Line Rebuild at Iggesund Mill

Valmet will deliver equipment and services for a rebuild of the soft wood pulp line at Holmen's Iggesund mill in Sweden. The rebuild will improve production stability, cut variable costs and increase pulp production capacity by 15 percent equally to 50,000 tonnes. The works will be implemented in two stages during 2015 and 2016.

The order is included in Valmet's first quarter 2015 orders received. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

"We have a good experience since we have had Valmet presses in our mill for many years. This rebuild will eliminate bottle necks in the process and increase pulp capacity. We will also cut variable costs which will strengthen our competitiveness", says Olov Winblad von Walter, Mill Director, Iggesund.

"This rebuild is the first step towards a press based bleach plant. The high outlet consistency makes the process easier to control and the volume of effluent will be less than for washers with lower discharge consistencies. Also water and chemical consumption will be minimized. We are looking forward to a good co-operation in this project", says Mikael Gustafsson, Sales Manager, Valmet.

The scope of the Valmet delivery includes main machinery, basic engineering and erection. In the first stage, two pressure diffusers will be rebuilt, one in the cooking plant and one in the brown stock washing, where also a new TwinRoll press, will be installed. In the second stage, the oxygen delignification stage will be extended into a two-stage OxyTrac system, which will make it possible to still reach lower kappa numbers in case of a further production increase. In the bleach plant two new TwinRoll presses will be installed.

Sappi to Invest in New Nanocellulose Pilot Plant in the Netherlands

Global pulp and paper producer Sappi has decided to make a substantial investment in a nanocellulose pilot plant at Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Sittard-Geleen (The Netherlands). In this pilot plant a novel energy-saving process to manufacture high-quality Nanocellulose, which was invented by Sappi and Edinburgh Napier University, will be upscaled. The investment also includes a related research program.

Through a new low-cost process, wood is turned into a wonder material, called Cellulose NanoFibrils (CNF). This bio-based material has a wide range of applications, including packaging, touch screen displays, automotive, paint, foods, concrete and even wound care. The global market is expected to grow to 35 million tons per year by the 2020s.

Commenting on the decision, Andrea Rossi, Group Head Technology, Sappi Limited, explained that the pilot plant will help with Sappi's move into new adjacent business fields based on renewable raw materials. Sappi's strategy includes seeking growth opportunities by producing innovative performance materials from renewable resources.

The pilot plant at the campus is the first step to producing CNF on a commercial scale - and without producing large volumes of chemical waste water associated with existing techniques.

"Nanocellulose, extracted from wood fibers, has a number of unique optical, barrier and strength properties," says Math Jennekens, R&D Director at Sappi Europe. "Unlike other lightweight, high-strength materials based on fossil fuels it is completely sustainable, making it very desirable as a new material for various industrial and transport applications."

The versatile material has previously been produced by intensively processing wood pulp to release ultra-small, or ‘nano' cellulose fibers - each so small that 2,000 could fit inside the width of a single strand of human hair.

By using the products manufactured in the pilot-scale plant, Sappi will seek codevelopment with multiple partners to incorporate CNF into a large variety of product applications to optimize performance and to create unique characteristics.

Sappi's pilot plant will be located in the pilot plant area at the campus. Specifically for this area new state-of-the-art facilities and utilities, required for operating pilot plants, including raw materials supply, are constructed.

Sappi Expands Alfeld Competence Centre with New Paper Lab

With the opening of its new Paper Lab, Sappi continues to add functionality to the Competence Centre for Speciality Papers and Boards at its Alfeld, Germany mill.

“This Paper Lab will enable us to take our consistently high quality paper product to an entirely new level,” says Kristof Mertens, manager for quality control at Sappi. “We will also be using the Paper Lab to conduct field quality testing with the latest in technological capabilities.”

The establishment of the Paper Lab is a further step in the expansion of the speciality papers division at Sappi and follows the approximately Euro 61 million ($69 million) rebuild of the PM 2 paper machine officially launched during an opening ceremony last year.

The new Paper Lab, a six-figure investment, replaces the previously used test line in the climate lab. Its state-of-the-art technology and the broader weight measuring range (from 18 to 400 g/m2) is world-class in the quality testing of specialty papers and carton boards.

Eska Graphic Board Signs Contract for Construction of Reject Gasifier

Eska Graphic Board, a manufacturer of graphic board with two plants in Hoogezand and Sappemeer (Netherlands), has signed a contract with Leroux & Lotz Technologies for the construction of a gasifier at its site in Hoogezand.

After a long process of litigation due to appeals launched by people living near the factory, Eska Graphic Board has been vindicated on all the points that were contested. The legal victory has paved the way for the construction of the gasifier, which should come into operation in the second half of 2016.

When waste paper is processed into cardboard, some residues from the waste paper are left over. These residues are known as rejects and they currently need to be transported off site for incineration. In its new gasification plant, Eska Graphic Board will convert these rejects into gas and use this to generate steam for its own board-processing machinery. By converting the rejects into fuel on-site, the plant will consume 18 million cubic metres less natural gas every year in its production process. The construction of the reject gasifer is an important step towards optimizing the energy-efficiency of the plant. It represents significant progress towards the goal of halving the energy consumption of the paper and board manufacturing sector by 2020 and reducing CO2 emissions.

The construction of the gasification plant will require an investment of €14.5 million, which will be realized partly through a subsidy of €4 million.

Eska Graphic Board is a world leader in the market for graphic board. It uses 100% recycled paper to produce over 250,000 tonnes of graphic board in its two state-of-the-art plants in Hoogezand and Sappemeer. Eska graphic board is used to make book covers, lever arch files, ring binders, jigsaw puzzles and luxury packaging, to name just a few examples.

Leroux & Lotz Technologies, based in Nantes and part of the Altawest Group, is a provider of bespoke biomass and waste fired boiler islands for the production of steam and hot water. LLT’s technology portfolio covers both conventional grate fired systems as well as fluidized bed gasification technologies in a range of 1 to 150 MWth and pressures up to 120 bar.

Valmet to Rebuild Softwood Pulp Line at Iggesund Mill

The order is included in Valmet's first quarter 2015 orders received. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

Sofidel Starts New Wastewater Treatment Plant at Its Delicarta Tissue Mill in Italy

Sofidel has recently started a new wastewater purification plant for reducing the amount of clean water extracted from the groundwater table at Delicarta Paper Mill, in Porcari, Italy. The technology used is currently one of the best and most innovative available and makes it possible to recover up to 75% of wastewater, saving 350,000 m3 fresh water annually.

The process involves three phases. In the first phase the wastewater undergoes a biological process. In the second, for the solid-liquid separation, it undergoes an ultrafiltration section

(Membrane Biological Reactor or MBR). The third and last phase, aiming at eliminating the remaining salt fraction, consists of a reverse osmosis system.

The technical partner is Degremont, with General Electric handling the MBR aspect of the process. The overall investment for the implementation of the project, the first in the paper tissue sector, was three million euros.

Mondi to Raise Pulp, Kraftliner Production at Swiecie mill in Poland

Mondi is set to invest Euro 94 million ($105 million) in the second phase of its investment at its Swiecie mill in Poland. The project will see full utilisation of the new high energy recovery boiler’s capacity and provide an additional 100,000 tonnes/yr of softwood pulp, 80,000 tonnes/yr of kraftliner as well as further improve the mill’s product mix flexibility, Mondi said.

The firm said that on the paper side, the upgrade will be done on its 160,000 tonne/yr PM 1, which produces brown kraftliner and kraft topliner.

Apart from the new 2,300-tonne dry solids/day recovery boiler, the firm will convert the mill’s existing recovery boiler to a biofuel boiler. The cost of the scheme is Euro 166 million ($176 million).

ACQUISITIONS/ DIVESTURES

OpenGate Capital to Sell Kotkamills to Finnish Private Equity Firm MB Funds

OpenGate Capital, a global private equity firm, announced it has signed an agreement to sell one of its portfolio companies, Kotkamills Oy, to MB Funds, an independent Finnish private equity firm focused on acquisitions in the Nordic market. Kotkamills is located in Kotka, Finland and is a manufacturer of specialty papers and wood-based products. The transaction is expected to be complete within the next 60 days. Financial terms were not disclosed.

McIlvaine Company

Northfield, IL 60093-2743

Tel: 847-784-0012 Fax: 847-784-0061

E-mail: editor@mcilvainecompany.com

Web site: www.mcilvainecompany.com