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

ipw news

Sustainable solutions provider Perstorp has turned its ambitious sustainability targets for 2030 into actionable roadmaps on the corporate level as well as for each of its production plants, outlining hands-on activities to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste, save fresh water and enable sustainable transformation throughout the value chain.

Solenis, global producer of specialty chemicals, has officially opened its newest customer application R&D laboratories and packaging center of excellence in Mönchengladbach, Germany. The new international technical facility will help drive more sustainable solutions for water-intensive industries and consumer paper packaging.

After an online edition and a break due to corona, the established PTS Recovered Paper Conference will now take place under a new name - Paper & Board Recycling - as a hybrid event on 23 and 24 May 2023 in Dresden. This year, the international conference will be held under the theme “Paper Recycling: Smart & Circular” and an expert audience from paper industry, circular economy, politics and science is invited to a lively scientific exchange.

Södra posted a stable result for the first quarter of 2023. The result reflects the changed market conditions for Södra’s core products, while global turmoil is creating an uncertain outlook. In the first quarter of 2023, net sales for the Södra Group amounted to SEK 8,002 million (8,165), down 2 percent year-on-year. Operating profit totalled SEK 1,085 million (1,974), representing an operating margin of 14 percent (24). Return on capital employed was 19 percent (36) and the equity ratio increased to 68 percent.

Mondi has ordered a new paper machine from Bellmer for its flagship Štetí mill in the Czech Republic. The investment will help Mondi meet the growing demand for paper-based flexible packaging, underpinned by growth in eCommerce and sustainable packaging. It will also contribute to expanding Mondi's portfolio of innovative, sustainable packaging and paper solutions.

Now in its 36^th event edition, Chemspec Europe 2023, the International Exhibition for Fine and Speciality Chemicals, will take place next month from 24 - 25 May in Hall 1 at Messe Basel exhibition centre in Switzerland. The event is the meeting point for buyers, traders, and agents searching for bespoke, new approaches and innovative substances, connecting industry experts worldwide via plenty of networking opportunities. In addition to the exhibition, Chemspec Europe encompasses a high-quality conference programme providing valuable insights into the latest industry knowledge, ongoing R&D projects and innovations.

bio-fibre news

“Our tall oil, turpentine and biomethanol were the first in the world at commercial scale to be certified to both FSC^® (FSC-C006947) and PEFC (PEFC/05-35-48), offering peace of mind as an environmentally-conscious choice. It’s almost a year now since we gained certification. It’s a great way for customers to understand that these are products from sustainably-managed forests,” says Viktor Odenbrink, Sales Director, Södra Bioproducts.

Valmet is to convert Helen Ltd’s coal-fired district heat boiler to bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) combustion to enable wood pellet firing at the Salmisaari ‘A’ power plant in Helsinki, Finland. The conversion promotes the company’s goal of phasing out coal and at the same time strengthens the construction of a sustainable energy system. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The converted boiler will be handed over to the customer in January 2025.

International technology group Andritz has successfully started up the new velour loom it delivered to Foss Floors, Rome, United States (GA). The loom produces flooring from recycled plastic for a wide range of applications. Start-up took place in early 2023. The new 5.3 m loom, type SDV, will enable Foss Floors to meet the growing customer demand for high-quality products. Every year Foss reuses over 18 million kg (40 million pounds) of plastic to make its floor coverings, which translates into 2 billion plastic bottles recycled into carpet.

Since 2005, the CO₂ emissions of the pulp and paper sector have been reduced by 36% and by substituting fossil-based products, the European forest-based industries lower the EU’s total emissions by an estimated 410 Mt CO₂ per year. The equivalent of taking 85 million cars – or the entire fleet of vehicles registered in Germany and Italy – off the road. The 4th edition of Reinvest2050 offers a glimpse of how that is done, through a collection of testimonies from the movers and shakers in pulp and paper.