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

ipw news

Södra posted a negative result for the second quarter of 2025. The result was strongly impacted by the current uncertain external environment combined with rapid currency fluctuations and continued high raw material prices.

From July 1 to 3, 2025, the Annual General Meeting of the ZELLCHEMING Association took place at the RheinMain CongressCenter (RMCC) in Wiesbaden, coinciding with the ZELLCHEMING-Expo. At the General Meeting on July 2, 2025, Dr.-Ing. Frank P. Meltzer of Mercer Pulp Sales GmbH was elected as the new Chairman of the ZELLCHEMING Association. He succeeds Prof. Dr. Helga Zollner-Croll of the Munich University of Applied Sciences on a rotating basis. Dr.-Ing. Tiemo Arndt of Reflex GmbH & Co. KG was elected as Deputy Chairman. Carsten Melchert was confirmed as Treasurer.

With more than 1,000 installations worldwide on new and existing paper machines, Voith's Prevo solutions are the proven choice for efficient and safe tail threading within the paper machine. Voith has now launched a new, compact Prevo retrofit solution for the press section that addresses the limited installation space on some existing machines. Papermakers with smaller lines can now benefit from the tail threading solution that eliminates the need for manual intervention and thus makes the entire process safer, more reliable and more efficient.

The 38th International Exhibition for Fine and Speciality Chemicals has delivered a resounding success, proving that this industry thrives under pressure. Following a dynamic two-day run at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, the event generated significant impact at a pivotal moment for the global chemicals industry. A total of 424 key suppliers from 23 countries showcased their chemical substances, bespoke solutions and manufacturing services to an exceptionally engaged trade audience, bringing together around 7,000 industry professionals in productive networking and business discussions.

Global consumption of cartonboard will reach 56.3 million tonnes in 2025, valued at $58.9 billion, according to new research from Smithers, the global authority on packaging markets. This will be converted into 52.4 million tonnes of packaging, with a value of $132.8 billion. The new market report – The Future of Folding Cartons to 2030 – shows that demand will push global consumption of folding cartons to 63.1 million tonnes in 2030, with value increasing to $159.6 billion at constant pricing.

Fripa Papierfabrik Albert Friedrich KG, a German tissue producer, has awarded international technology group Andritz the contract to deliver a complete PrimeLine tissue machine to the company’s mill in Miltenberg, Germany. The PrimeLine machine will have a capacity of 37,000 t/a, with a design speed of 2200 m/min and a web width of 2.72 m. Andritz will execute the project on an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) basis. Start-up is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.

Valmet launches Pulp Filtrate Extractor for more precision in pH measurement. It provides the highest availability and most accurate process temperature and measurement conditions on the market, ensuring pH and residual chemical accuracy. The Pulp Filtrate Extractor is a natural upgrade from previous generations, including Valmet Piston and Valmet Screen Extractor. The new extractor enables pulp makers to achieve precise measurements in pulp filtrate by improving measurement conditions and increasing uptime. It offers up to 70 percent greater flow than competing solutions, ensuring higher filtrate temperatures and better conditions for exact pH measurements.

ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2025 brought the international paper and pulp industry to the RheinMain CongressCenter (RMCC) in Wiesbaden. From July 1 to 3, this important industry event offered around 3,000 visitors (nearly 20% more than last year) opportunities to exchange information and network informally. More than 140 sponsors and partner companies presented themselves in nearly 2,000 square meters of expo space. The North Hall of the RMCC was fully booked.

With the introduction of three automation solutions – OnControl.SmartProtect, OnControl.FineScreening and OnControl.Pulping Detrashing – Voith is expanding its MillOne ecosystem and driving forward the digital transformation of papermaking. Designed to solve daily challenges of operators in pulping, fine screening and high-density cleaning, the solutions consolidate excessive amounts of data, complex decision-making processes and inefficient manual interventions through real-time measurements, data analysis and automated adjustments or recommendations. Companies such as German papermaker Schoellershammer are benefitting by significantly optimizing their production output and resource utilization.

Norske Skog Skogn is preparing to enter the European book paper market supported by a comprehensive technology package developed in collaboration with international technology group Andritz. This solution will enable the conversion of Paper Machine 1 (PM1) to flexibly produce both newsprint and the new NOR Book grade. Norske Skog aims to become one of the top three suppliers of wood-containing book paper in Europe. Start-up is planned for the second quarter of 2026.

bio-fibre news

Hubei Gesalife Industry Co., Ltd. and international technology group Andritz have successfully commissioned Gesalife’s first Andritz neXline spunlace production line in a crosslapped configuration. Li Jun, Chairman of Gesalife, stated: “This new spunlace production line and the cooperation with Andritz marks a major leap forward for Gesalife. We look forward to leveraging this technology to support future innovation and growth.”

Valmet has received an order from Saica Group (Sociedad Anonima Industrias Celulosa Aragonsesa) to supply a biomass boiler and flue gas cleaning system for Saica Group’s plant in El Burgo de Ebro, Zaragoza, Spain. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2025. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The boiler plant is scheduled to be handed over to Saica at the end of 2026.