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ipw news

For maximum savings in pulp and paper production with the help of automation and digitalization, Voith and its wholly owned subsidiary BTG are merging their product portfolios. The two established data platforms, Voith’s OnCumulus and BTG’s DataParc, will be merged into an integrated, hybrid system solution. OnCumulus will henceforth be offered under the name DataParc cloud, while BTG’s MACS advanced process control solutions will join the OnEfficiency product family, thereby strengthening the Efficiency Solutions of the Voith’s Papermaking 4.0 portfolio.

Mondi is investing nearly € 65 million in three Consumer Flexibles packaging plants in Europe in order to meet growing customer demand for sustainable pet food packaging solutions. The European pet food market has grown significantly in recent years, driven by a consistent rise in pet ownership. This trend increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue for many years to come.¹

The European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, ITRE, voted on the revision of the renewable energy directive, or RED III. The vote was a welcome response to the need for an accelerated development of renewable energy sources in Europe. It also confirmed the importance of taking sustainability criteria into account when using biomass as clean energy.

ABB has been appointed by Arauco, a manufacturer of forest products, to provide remote supervision in five of its pulp mills in Chile to ensure greater reliability and monitoring across all processes. ABB supported Arauco in the setup of an operations room for remote supervision in central Concepción, Chile, the installation of remote monitoring infrastructure and ongoing service.

Drewsen Spezialpapiere has been awarded a gold medal by EcoVadis in 2022, placing it among the top 5% of the 90,000 companies evaluated worldwide. This means that the previous year's performance, when we were awarded a silver medal, has improved once again. The result reflects the continued and on-going efforts in the areas of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Stora Enso and Tetra Pak are jointly examining a shared beverage carton recycling solution to meet the growing recycling need in Benelux, responding to the demand for circular paper-based packaging solutions. The joint feasibility study includes a plan for a comprehensive beverage carton recycling facility at Stora Enso’s Langerbrugge site in Belgium. Processing of the fibers would take place at the Langerbrugge site, while the polymer and aluminum barrier materials would be recycled by a dedicated partner.

Vajda-Papír started up a double-width Ahead 2.2L tissue machine supplied by Toscotec (PM2) at its Dunaföldvár facility in Hungary. The supply was full-on turnkey, including the entire tissue production line and all erection operations at the mill.

Valmet will deliver a new baling line and a flash drying rebuild to Mayr-Melnhof Group’s FollaCell pulp mill in Norway. It is the first phase in a larger rebuild project at the mill that aims to sustain the production capacity and to reduce the need for maintenance. The start-up is scheduled for the fourth quarter 2023. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2022. The value of this kind of rebuild and scope of supply is typically around EUR 8–10 million.

After the challenges of the last few years, iT’s Tissue 2022 was a welcome opportunity to meet face-to-face once again, to network and experience live technology demonstrations in a unique setting. The event attracted representatives of more than 300 companies from over 70 countries. This truly international gathering of the world’s leading tissue professionals was drawn by the technology and market knowledge of the Tissue Italy network’s 11 member companies and expert partners, as well as unparalleled networking opportunities with peers.

Metsä Spring, Metsä Group’s innovation company, has launched a new 3D fibre product called Muoto^®. Muoto has been produced at Metsä Group’s and Valmet’s demo plant in Äänekoski since May 2022, and is made of Metsä Group’s wood fibres.

The European Parliament’s ENVI Committee vote on Tuesday is a good sign that the EU is taking the threat represented by deforestation and illegal logging seriously. But some definitions in the proposed text go against international agreements and the experience of the European paper industry in fighting deforestation.

Energy costs are one of the main cost drivers in paper production. With prices rising sharply in recent months, savings opportunities are becoming increasingly important for papermakers in order to remain competitive. At the same time, low CO₂ emissions are becoming the focus of the global paper industry. As a full-line supplier, Voith has set the goal of enabling CO₂-neutral paper production by 2030 with the help of disruptive technologies and an optimized product portfolio.

The Fedrigoni Group, global player in the production of high value-added specialty papers for luxury packaging and other creative applications, and a leader in the premium labels and self-adhesive materials markets, announces an agreement for the acquisition of Unifol, a global market player based in Istanbul and the only PVC self-adhesives manufacturer in Turkey. Founded in 1994 by its current owners, the company has approximately eighty employees and specialises in PVC Cast technology for vehicle wrapping with its Unicast brand. Its film materials are used to protect the body of a vehicle, change a vehicle’s colour or apply graphics.

The dedication and care for people and the world in which they live and work clearly emerges from the Lucart 17th Sustainability Report, the first to be endorsed by a certifying body. In pursuit of the ambition to promote a sustainable way of producing paper, Lucart has reduced specific CO₂ and NOx emissions by 14.9% and 47% respectively, cut specific energy consumption by 13.2% and totalled 80% of recovered waste since 2014. Specific water consumption decreased by 23.3% compared to 2013.

Current raw material prices are forcing paper manufacturers to reduce production costs and further optimize the efficiency of their production facilities. Digitalization plays a key role in achieving efficiency gains and cutting costs. This is because new technologies in particular enable significant improvements in existing and new plants. They allow better monitoring of all processes and thus more precise production control, which in turn leads to higher efficiency and better availability.

Cepi’s annual statistics for the European pulp and paper industry published on Thursday offer a unique view of the current state of the market for pulp and paper products and the industry’s performance. They also allow for an objective analysis of deeper trends behind the industry’s resilience. Like other industries, in 2021 pulp and paper showed signs of a strong post-Covid recovery, as paper and board consumption increased by 5.8%, outperforming the overall rebound of the euro area GDP. As a result of these positive trends, paper and board production also increased, by 6.1%.

International technology group Andritz has signed an agreement to acquire the Bonetti Group, headquartered in Milan, Italy. Closing of the transaction took place on June 30, 2022. Established in 1923, Bonetti is a global manufacturer and supplier of doctor, creping and coater blades, as well as blade holders, and also provides services for paper machines. This acquisition extends and strengthens Andritz’s aftermarket business and supplements the company’s current Paper Machine Service portfolio.

bio-fibre news

International technology group Andritz has received an order from Zweckverband Müllverwertung Schwandorf (ZMS) for a retrofit of the flue gas cleaning system in a furnace line at the municipal waste incineration facility in Schwandorf, Germany. Start-up of the plant is scheduled for mid-2024.

Guangxi Chongzuo Lelin Forestry Development Co. Ltd., China, has successfully produced the first fibers with its high-capacity pressurized refining system delivered by Andritz. The new system features a design capacity of 80 bdmt/h and is currently, according to Andritz, the largest of its kind in the world to form part of the largest MDF line.

Valmet will deliver a LignoBoost plant for Mercer Rosenthal Lignin Center in Thuringia, Germany. The plant will extract kraft lignin from pulp mill black liquor. The extracted lignin will be used for developing various bio-based materials, which can replace fossil raw materials. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2022. The value of the order will not be disclosed.