below please find a selection of the latest news from the world of pulp and paper.

ipw news

As part of the offering for board and paper makers, Valmet has developed Enzymatic Starch Cooking ZE (zero effluent) to improve operational reliability and quality of the starch cooking process. It consists of two separate units for binder starch and surface size starch with built-in-heat recovery and a new circulation system.

International technology group Andritz has received an order from Smurfit Kappa to deliver a new energy-efficient debarking line for its paper mill in Yumbo, Colombia. Start-up is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024.

The Voith Group has published the 13th edition of its annual Sustainability Report for fiscal year 2021/22. The focus is on the sustainability strategy, resource efficiency and employee safety in the company's own activities. In addition, the Sustainability Report shows how Voith products and services help customers worldwide achieve their sustainability goals. “We want to make a measurable contribution to the sustainable development of the economy and society,” explains Dr. Toralf Haag, CEO Voith Group. “To this end, we make our actions transparent and comprehensible through comprehensive reporting.”

Today, ABB officially opened a global research and development (R&D) center for the pulp and paper industry in Dundalk, Ireland. The new multi-million-dollar ABB Dundalk R&D Centre is at the heart of ABB’s automation and digital offering for the sector and will be home to the ongoing evolution of the ABB Quality Control System (QCS). New ideas and products will be piloted and managed into the suite of applications for improved quality in the complex world of papermaking, where manufacturers often struggle to balance ever-changing variables to produce paper to customers’ particular specifications. This will include solutions for measuring, adjusting, optimizing and controlling quality as the paper web makes its way through the paper machine to form the end-products, including paper and board.

Valmet will supply a coated board machine for Graphic Packaging International (GPI) in the United States. Valmet delivered a similar coated board machine to GPI’s Kalamazoo mill in 2022. The new machine will be supplied to GPI’s mill in Waco, Texas. The start-up of the machine is scheduled for early 2026. The order is included in Valmet's orders received of the first quarter 2023. Its value will not be disclosed, but an order of this type and scope is typically valued between EUR 140 and 180 million.

Andritz will deliver a FibreFlow Drum pulper with a maximum feed capacity of 1,400 t/d, various fiber cleaning equipment, and a spray water treatment system for the production of various board grades. “The drum pulper is the first of its kind in Australia,” says Jean Yves Nouaze, Executive General Manager Pulp & Paper, Visy. “This upgrade will increase our capacity to process up to an additional 95,000 tonnes of wastepaper per year, to be made into new products here in Victoria. We thank Andritz for partnering with Visy and working collaboratively on this critical project.”

Technology Group Voith is conscious of its social responsibilities and for a long time now has been demonstrating its commitment to society through a wide range of measures. Last year, Voith stepped up its commitment by launching the #VoithCares program. Within the scope of this initiative, Voith employees from all locations were invited to nominate projects at non-profit organizations where they volunteer to receive support from Voith. During the submission period, around 100 applications were received from employees from all around the world.

bio-fibre news

FiberLean.com — an entirely new website featuring innovative, productive, and game-changing advantages from their scalable MFC (micro-fibrillated cellulose) Modules — is now live. The site showcases a portfolio of unique formulations, equipment, and know-how to:

• Convert brown board grades to White Top “without spending millions”.
• Gain fibre flexibility, including high performance from cheaper recycled furnish.
• Substitute MFC for starch and synthetic additives.
• Make entirely new grades with modest process changes.

(By Martin Koepenick, Fred Naves and Elizabeth Wood.)