PAPRESA, the leading southern European manufacturer of newsprint, commissioned Voith in March to completely rebuild PM 5 at the Rentería mill in Spain. The start-up of the ambitious project is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022. Subsequently, the extensive rebuild will enable significantly more efficient and sustainable production of packaging paper. The capacity will then be around 205,000 tons of testliner and corrugating medium per year, with a PM design speed of 1,200 m/min. The focus of the new PM is on lightweight containerboard grades with 65 to 140 gsm, the wire width is 5,900 mm and the paper will have a web width of 5,400 mm at the reel. The production of newsprint will be maintained at PM 6.

• PAPRESA awards Voith to convert the complete PM 5 of the mill in Rentería, Spain, to the most modern production of packaging paper. The production of newsprint paper will be maintained by the production at PM 6.
• The full-line offering includes a comprehensive service and fabrics package as well as digital Papermaking 4.0 solutions.
• Voith already received an order from PAPRESA at the beginning of the year to supply a complete new BlueLine stock preparation line for the use of recycled paper.

Cutting-edge technology for the PM 5
In addition to modifications in the approach flow system, the wire section will be upgraded with the DuoFormer D including new dewatering elements. Voith will also supply the DuoShake shaking unit and a MasterJetPro F/B headbox with ModuleJet I dilution water technology. Furthermore, to ensure the capacity increase of the paper machine, the existing press section will be extended with a NipcoFlex shoe press and converted to a DuoCentri NipcoFlex press. New EvoSteel steel cylinders with higher steam pressure in the last two dryer groups of the pre-dryer section are also part of the scope of supply. A film press with a subsequent new after-dryer section also increases the quality of the final paper. In addition, the existing reel is extended by the EcoChange W turn-up system for more efficient reel spool changes. Finally, the scope of delivery includes a comprehensive fabric package for the start-up of the PM 5.

Newest digitalization solutions for maximum plant efficiency
The order also includes extensive services and digitization solutions from Voith's Papermaking 4.0 portfolio. The digitization package contains the IIoT platform OnCumulus, the advanced process visualization OnView.MassBalance and process control OnEfficiency.Strength as well as remote maintenance solutions with OnPerformance.Lab. With the individual and extensive package, PAPRESA will benefit from better paper quality and maximum plant efficiency in the future.

“After the conversion of PM 5, PAPRESA will be able to produce lightweight packaging papers optimally and efficiently,” explains Marcos Garcia de la Torre, Managing Director Voith Paper Spain.  

Strong growth potential for packaging paper
In times of e-commerce, packaging papers are becoming increasingly important. As a full-line supplier, Voith delivers PAPRESA efficient and at the same time resource-saving solutions with the PM 5 conversion:

“This transformation is our answer to the declining demand in the newsprint market and the steady growth of the packaging paper sector, which is growing at 9 to 10 percent per year thanks to the tremendous upswing in e-commerce,” says Miguel Sánchez, President and CEO of PAPRESA. “The pandemic situation further accelerates the surge in demand, which creates good prospects for our post-investment results. On the other hand, we will continue to be the leading southern European supplier of newsprint. We are glad to have found the perfect partner for this change in the full-line supplier Voith.”

Extensive investment and development for highest plant efficiency
With this order, PAPRESA is pursuing an ambitious investment and development plan. Earlier this year, the customer already awarded the full-line supplier Voith to deliver an entire BlueLine OCC stock preparation plant for the Rentería mill in Spain. Also here, PAPRESA benefits from a service and digitalization package.

About PAPRESA
PAPRESA was founded in 1869 as Papelera Vasco-Belga in Rentería and in 1901 it was incorporated as Papelera Española S.A., a company that brought together several factories, including the one in Rentería.  By then the mill specialises in the newsprint segment. In October 1993, the PAPRESA S.A. brand was born, following its spin-off from Papelera Española. In 2007, the Alfonso Gallardo Group purchased the whole company's shares and, seven years later, it was acquired by the American fund KKR

In October 2020, the German industrial investment fund Quantum Capital Partners (QCP) acquired PAPRESA with the goal to implement a transformation and improvement process. In particular, the process focuses on the packaging segment and the circular economy. 

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.