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

ipw news

Valmet will supply a new high-capacity winder to Gascogne Papier in France. The winder will be delivered for the paper machine PM 7 at their Mimizan site. The start-up of the machine is scheduled for 2025. The order is included in Valmet's orders received of the second quarter 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

The #VoithCares program was launched this fiscal year together with the Hanns Voith Foundation. Through the program, Voith financially supports the volunteer work of employees throughout the world. A total of 50,000 euros has been donated to nonprofits. For the next fiscal year, employee activities are being sought to receive funding.

Södra posted a lower result for the second quarter of 2023. The result reflects the weakened market conditions for Södra’s core products. In the second quarter of 2023, net sales for the Södra Group amounted to SEK 7,322 million (8,953). Operating profit totalled SEK 464 million (2,325), representing an operating margin of 6 percent (26). Return on capital employed was 13 percent (39) and the equity ratio was 61 percent. During the quarter, the World-class Efficiency project achieved annual efficiency gains of SEK 500 million.

International technology group Andritz received an order from Norske Skog Skogn to supply a thermomechanical pulping (TMP) line for its newsprint mill in Levanger, Norway. The Andritz solution combines secondhand and new equipment to provide a customized package that precisely fits the local conditions.

Functional coatings, ideally those that do not compromise recyclability, are central to the continued evolution of more sustainable fiber-based packaging. Several major paper companies have already invested to fit high-throughput coating to paper mills, anticipating a continued increase in demand for new lines of value-added products across multiple sectors.

Voith Paper is helping paper manufacturers significantly increase their energy efficiency. Using customized auditing and process analysis methods, the leading full-line supplier offers innovative solutions to improve processes and increase efficiency. This allows paper manufacturers to understand the big picture of their energy consumption and find clear ways to reduce it.

International technology group Andritz will convert the idled paper machine PM3 at Steyrermühl mill in Austria to produce kraft papers for sustainable flexible packaging. The machine previously produced graphic paper for UPM. The conversion project has been launched by the Heinzel Group, which will take over the Steyrermühl mill from UPM by January 1, 2024.

Mondi has agreed to acquire the 250,000 tonne per annum Hinton Pulp mill in Alberta, Canada, from West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd (West Fraser) for a total consideration of USD 5 million. As part of the transaction, Mondi will enter into a long-term partnership with West Fraser to access local, high-quality fibre from a well-established wood basket.

Valmet will deliver two TwinRoll wash presses to Holmen Iggesund Paperboard’s Iggesund Mill in Sweden. The start-up is scheduled for October 2024. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

Saica has selected Voith to install the OnEfficiency.Strength digital solution. The innovative package for saving starch and consequently reducing CO₂ emissions will be used at PM 10 at the El Burgo de Ebro site (Spain) as well as the PM 70 at Nogent-sur-Seine site (France). OnEfficiency.Strength is currently “a unique solution on the market”, developed specifically for paper production. The application is already successfully in operation worldwide. Especially after raw material costs have risen significantly, there is an increasing need for intelligent solutions that quickly reduce production costs.

International technology group Andritz has received an order from Mpact Operations (Pty) Ltd. (Mpact) to upgrade a pulping line at its Mkhondo Paper Mill in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The upgrade will boost the line’s capacity and improve the strength properties of the product. This will help the customer respond to the strong domestic and international demand for high-quality sustainable packing solutions.

bio-fibre news

Political pressure for fossil-free fuel for European aviation is intensifying. This offers a considerable opportunity to SCA’s Renewable Energy business area – and a considerable challenge. “The most fundamental thing to manage the transition from oil, in our sector and many others, is fossil-free electricity and sufficient access to raw materials. This will demand enormous effort and work must be allowed to go faster,” says Mikael Källgren, SCA President Renewable Energy.