Ian Melin-Jones

Ian Melin-Jones

I-Plan® grows its partner network by announcing a new regional partnership between Forecast IT and I-Plan® – the industry leading Integrated Business Planning solution from Trading Science Ltd.

I-Plan® has chosen ForecastIT to accelerate the growth of the integrated business planning and S&OP market in Portugal. ForecastIT is a Portuguese company operating in the Information systems sector, implementing services across a range of IT solutions including Oracle and Sage ERP. The company boasts a highly qualified, motivated and customer-oriented team, constantly innovating in their business sector to enhance their services in co-operation with their customers. ForecastIT is headquartered in Lisbon and operates across the whole of Portugal.

I-Plan® is a cloud-based software tool for Integrated Business Planning including demand forecasting, profitability-based supply network planning, production planning and inventory optimization. I-Plan® makes it possible to forecast market demand with far greater accuracy, schedule production more efficiently, control inventories more tightly and give executives the information they need to increase profitability while following strategic goals.

2019 04 29 103403“We are pleased to add I-Plan® as a best of breed demand and supply planning solution to complement the existing ERP solutions we are delivering. Ultimately, the goal is to help our customers perform better in their businesses. With synergies working together with I-Plan® in our region makes much sense to join forces to create value and improve customer collaboration models to support their businesses." say both Nuno Santos and Filipe Dantas, managing partners of ForecastIT.

The I-Plan® team has extensive experience delivering solutions globally to manufacturing companies of all sizes. Our products are serving major organizations in industry sectors including paper, packaging, nonwovens, tissue and steel. It is more than suitable also for many other industries, for instance food and beverage. Working in harmony with existing ERP and production systems, I-Plan® adds a layer of sophistication and insight that leads managers and planners directly to substantial efficiency improvements, cost reductions and overall profit increase.

The I-Plan® team includes the network of partners and project support staff based largely in Europe with a head office at the University of Warwick Science Park in England. The I-Plan® team is also committed to key delivery partners in the North American and Asia Pacific regions.

2019 04 29 103438"Through this co-operation and the complementary local know-how of ForecastIT, it will be possible to improve customers' tactical planning processes. With I-Plan® the customer sales process and the production planning process can be fluently integrated to execution and further for the customers' advantage. This opportunity provides benefit for new and existing ForecastIT customers that could not be equalled by the I-Plan® team operating independently in the region." says Alan Cheesbrough, founder of I- Plan® and CEO of Trading Science.

For more information, please contact:

Filipe Dantas, Sales Director, Forecast IT, tel. +351 210 733 442,  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jari Kaukiainen, Director Business Development, I-Plan, tel. +358 40 582 0218,  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

AMETEK Surface Vision, a world leader in automated online surface inspection solutions, continues to evolve its highly successful SmartView® surface inspection solution, greatly enhancing production capabilities for manufacturers globally with significant software improvements.

SmartView’s superior performance in detecting surface flaws and defects has enabled it to maintain its position as a market-leading materials inspection solution for three decades. Key to this dominance is the modular system design, supported by an ongoing program of updates that ensures SmartView remains at the forefront of inspection technology.

The SmartView system combines powerful software, state-of-the-art camera technology, high-intensity lighting and unparalleled application engineering services, to deliver a high-performance, automated solution that detects, classifies and visualizes surface defects, and ensures that the highest quality standards are maintained. Existing hardware can be easily switched out to meet the latest technological developments, and AMETEK Surface Vision ensures its Windows-based software suite keeps pace, seamlessly integrating into existing systems.

Shean McMahon, Vice President of Research & Development, AMETEK Surface Vision, explained: “We realize that real-time control of the manufacturing process is critical to our customers, so this remains key to our system’s performance. 2019 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Surface Vision as we embark on the road to expanding our core technologies.

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“We expect the combined impact of new capabilities, novel product designs, and optimizations, all borne out of our significant industry experience, will deliver a paradigm shift in the surface inspection industry and serve up unprecedented value, flexibility, and inspection results to our current and future customers.

“SmartView’s latest design enhancements are immediately visible, making highly detailed surface inspection capabilities achievable, ensuring a long system life without requiring a costly system redesign These significant upgrades, already available to SmartView users, include a refreshed, more intuitive user interface, parts-per-million data calculations, and developments to SmartView’s ability to detect defects and parallel classification capabilities – and this is just the beginning of our 2019 development program.”

Multiple views for total control

Introduced in the latest upgrade is the Synchronized Web Viewer, which allows multiple views to be displayed simultaneously. It provides the user with total control of the interface, which could help reduce scrap product in the event of a process issue. This enables different process views, or the same view with a variety of queries in grading, using intuitive drop-down menus and customizable windows to help narrow down results with precision.

Real-time defect density calculations

SmartView’s new Parts Per Million (PPM) application expresses the defect area as a ratio of the total product area. This real-time calculation provides easy visualization of defect density in table and graph formats, making it simpler to identify regions that need closer review.

Increased flexibility in detection and classification

A number of new processing modes have been added and optimized in SmartView for specific inspection requirements, such as detecting quiet areas on coated products, removal of defects that match a target shape, enhanced repeating defect algorithms, and more.

Classification testing without process interruption

A new Parallel Classification function enables SmartView to run up to four alternate classifiers on an inspection file, enabling seasonal or test classifiers to operate alongside established classifiers. This allows potential changes to be evaluated without interrupting current production inspection.

To find out how SmartView can improve your production process, contact a sales engineer in your area by visiting ameteksurfacevision.com

About AMETEK Surface Vision
AMETEK Surface Vision (formerly Cognex Surface Inspection Systems Division) is a world leader in automated online surface inspection solutions with a broad product portfolio optimized for web and surface inspection and monitoring and process surveillance applications.

Its product portfolio includes three distinct product lines: SmartView® systems, SmartAdvisor® systems and Slit Inspection. Each product line uniquely enables customers to inspect the surfaces of materials processed in a continuous fashion across the metals, paper, plastics, nonwovens and glass industries. For more information, visit ameteksurfacevision.com

AMETEK Surface Vision is unit of AMETEK Process and Analytical Instruments, a division of AMETEK, Inc., a global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices.

Peter R. Augustine, President, Fabio Perini North America, has been named as Chair of the Board for the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI).

Peter R. Augustine, President, Fabio Perini North AmericaHis wide-ranging professional and personal experience naturally aligns with TAPPI’s focus on driving innovation for the paper and packaging industry which, according to TAPPI CEO and President Larry Montague, made Augustine a standout choice for the role.

“TAPPI’s Board Chair represents a person of knowledge and discernment,” Montague explained. “Pete has consistently demonstrated these traits as a TAPPI Fellow. As the Board Chair, his vision is sure to shape the future of TAPPI and make it better for the industries that we serve.”

“I am excited and honored by the opportunity to continue serving on the TAPPI board – explained Pete Augustine - I’m grateful to work with such an experienced group of directors whose professional and personal backgrounds mirror the diversity of the pulp and paper industry.   Together we will guide the TAPPI leadership and staff as they chart the course for the future of the association.”

Augustine joined Fabio Perini S.p.A. in 2011 as General Manager for North America and was promoted to his current position as President in 2013. He oversees the entire operation for Fabio Perini in North America, including strategic planning, sales, and production. Augustine holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Purdue. He also served as a Captain in the United States Army.

About Fabio Perini S.p.A.

Fabio Perini S.p.A. was founded in 1966 in Lucca, Italy, the hub of world tissue production and converting technology. Today, with five production facilities in Italy, the United States, Brazil, and China, Fabio Perini helps its customers stay competitive and grow thanks to complete production solutions for converting and packaging. An ongoing commitment to technology, globalization, and research make the company the internationally recognized standard of excellence in the tissue industry. Learn more at www.fabioperini.com

Paper packaging materials- and solutions provider BillerudKorsnäs and plastic packaging solutions provider ALPLA have just announced that they will embark on a joint venture. They do so with the vision to develop a fully biobased and recyclable paper bottle.

BillerudKorsnäs and ALPLA today announced that they will form a joint venture in the Danish paper bottle company ecoXpac. When the transaction has been completed, BillerudKorsnäs and ALPLA will own equal parts of ecoXpac. A minority post will be held by the founder family. BillerudKorsnäs is currently the majority owner and has been a shareholder in the company since 2015. BillerudKorsnäs has been a driving force in the ongoing development of a paper bottle, which was started by ecoXpac in 2010 and with Carlsberg Group since 2015.  

ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs share the ambition to drive packaging innovation in a sustainable direction. The two companies intend to leverage the development by combining their resources, competencies and strengths to support scaling ecoXpac in the commercialisation of a fully biobased and recyclable paper bottle.

Paper BottlePaper Bottle

In late 2016, Carlsberg Group revealed a first physical prototype of a paper bottle, the Green Fiber Bottle, and the first generation of paper bottles has since then been in a testing phase. The plan now is to continue the development to be able to launch and then scale up production. Following generations will be both fully biobased and have biodegradable barriers thereby fully realising the vision and enabling consumers all over the world to live more sustainably. It is to realise this vision the two companies come together on this journey of innovation.

With BillerudKorsnäs we have found an ambitious partner creating a new packaging market segment that offers a complementary consumer experience to our current rigid packaging solutions. ALPLA is sharing the passion for technical challenges and innovation. I want to emphasise the long-term vision of the joint venture to introduce fully biobased paper bottles. ALPLA is contributing capital as well as technical know-how to the joint venture to accelerate the development and market introduction of the paper bottle, says Günther Lehner, CEO of ALPLA.

- "I believe that with our shared and honest ambition to break new ground, ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs now make an important commitment to contribute to a more sustainable future. The question is not “if” but rather “how soon” this joint venture will introduce a fully biobased and recyclable paper bottle to the market. When we do, it will enable a significant shift in consumer behaviour globally, says Petra Einarsson, CEO and President BillerudKorsnäs."

EcoXpac was founded with a strong vision for the future. Today we are privileged to have the best players in their fields sharing our vision. It makes me proud of what we have achieved so far. The vision has never felt closer to reality than today, says Martin Grosen Petersen, CEO of ecoXpac.

The formation of the joint venture is subject to customary regulatory approvals such as merger control clearances. It is expected that the transaction is completed in Q3 2019.

ALPLA is one of the leading companies involved in plastic packaging. Around 20,800 employees worldwide produce custom-made packaging systems, bottles, closures and moulded parts at 178 sites across 46 countries. The high-quality packaging is used in a wide range of areas, including for food and drinks, cosmetics and care products, household detergents, washing and cleaning agents, pharmaceutical products, engine oils and lubricants.
ALPLA operates its own recycling plants: PET Recycling Team with a site in both Austria and Poland, and in the form of a joint venture in Mexico. ALPLA has been cooperating with Texplast (Germany) on PET recycling since July 2018. www.alpla.com

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production units in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4400 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 22 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. BillerudKorsnäs Venture AB, a fully owned subsidiary, accommodates several venture initiatives. www.billerudkorsnas.com

EcoXpac is an innovative Danish company specialised in designing, developing and implementing process solutions for moulded fibre bottles. The company follows a strategy striving to introduce fibre-based products in categories dominated by other materials and by so doing contributing to a more a sustainable future.

 

As a competent manufacturer of high-quality coated specialty papers, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper continues the path of innovation and investment. As part of the "New Business Development" program, a new quality control system on the SM 21 has now been successfully commissioned at the Bielefeld site.

Amongst other things, the "New Business Development" innovation programme will enable the multi-stage orientation of the Bielefeld Coating Machine 21 to future markets. The recently commissioned, modern Honeywell quality control system includes several measuring frames of different equipment and system peripherals for precise process control.

Coating machine 21 | Bielefeld millCoating machine 21 | Bielefeld mill

Kai Borenius, Head of Machine Technology at Mitsubishi HiTec Paper, says: "We will be able to combine the special coating units even better and make more efficient use of them. In doing so, we not only achieve a further increase in process quality and production flexibility, but ultimately also an optimized product quality. This applies both to our traditional product areas such as thermal or inkjet papers, but especially to our new product areas such as the environmentally friendly barricote barrier papers for food packaging."

With this investment of around EUR 1 million, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper will continue to focus on future, innovative markets and applications.

Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe GmbH is a German subsidiary of Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd., Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of specialty paper. The roughly 700 employees at Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe produce high-quality direct thermal, inkjet, carbonless, label and barrier papers at two tradition-rich locations in Bielefeld and Flensburg.

Each factory stands out for own base paper production, state-of-the-art production machinery and innovative coating technologies. Through its dense global sales network, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe supplies a full range of specialty papers for many applications and printing technologies – and is a highly capable partner whenever customized coated paper solutions are required.

Thanks to various rebuild options, Voith’s BaglessPlus filter discs provide the basis for a resource-conserving and efficient dewatering process in machines built by other manufacturers as well. As of now, the bagless filter discs are also available for GL&V Celleco disc filters type CDI 5.0.

Since they were launched on the market in 1998, Voith’s BaglessPlus filter discs have become the market leader in their segment. Today, the dewatering systems with bagless discs form the basis for resource-conserving and efficient paper production around the globe. Even paper manufacturers that do not have Voith disc filters can enjoy the benefits of this innovative dewatering system, because the Heidenheim-based technology group offers rebuild options for almost all common types of machine.

BaglessPlus filter discs from Voith now guarantee that GL&V Celleco CDI 5.0 disc filters will also enjoy the lowest level of filtrate values over the entire lifetime of more than 15 years.BaglessPlus filter discs from Voith now guarantee that GL&V Celleco CDI 5.0 disc filters will also enjoy the lowest level of filtrate values over the entire lifetime of more than 15 years.

In future, operators of GL&V Celleco disc filters type CDI 5.0 will also be able to use Voith BaglessPlus filter discs. The BaglessPlus discs operate without filter bags. Because filter bags often tear during operation, the Voith technology reduces the number of unscheduled downtimes. Damaged bags also cause reduced dewatering efficiency, corresponding fiber losses and contamination of the filtrate. BaglessPlus discs, on the other hand, guarantee a consistently high quality of filtrate over the entire lifetime, so that it can be used at other sections of the paper machine. Thanks to the high filtrate quality, the fresh water requirement for the entire paper mill is therefore reduced. Another outstanding feature of the BaglessPlus product range is the lifetime of 15 years and more.

In December 2018, the first GL&V Celleco CDI 5.0 disc filter in Scandinavia was completely converted to BaglessPlus filter discs. The customer’s expectations have been confirmed in practice and the filtrate values are at the lowest level. Customers already appreciate the simple installation of the BaglessPlus discs using bottom flanges with side lugs. Voith’s filter discs are just as rigid as those previously used by the competitor. Tears in the filter bags are now a thing of the past and the filtrate quality is consistently high. Other customers in the USA have also ordered the BaglessPlus technology for their GL&V Celleco CDI 5.0 disc filters and these units are set to be commissioned soon.

About the company
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 19,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the large 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, components and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers solutions from one single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations takes papermaking to the next level and facilitates resource-conserving production. With its Servolution concept, Voith offers its customers tailored service solutions for all sections of the production process. Voith Papermaking 4.0 ensures that equipment is optimally connected, while the secure use of generated data enables paper manufacturers to improve plant availability and efficiency.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from the Ilim Group to supply a wood processing plant with two debarking and chipping lines, chip and bark handling equipment, and a SmartWoodyard advanced control system to the Koryazhma mill in the Arkhangelsk region, Russia. Start-up is scheduled for mid-2021.

The new woodyard will replace existing woodroom and chip storage facilities, which have a pneumatic conveying system. The technology supplied by ANDRITZ will substantially contribute towards reducing emissions and operating costs, resulting in environmentally friendly, high-quality chip production and considerable savings in raw material.

HQ-Press bark press increases the energy value of bark. “Photo: ANDRITZ”.HQ-Press bark press increases the energy value of bark. “Photo: ANDRITZ”.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply includes new debarking and chipping lines with:

  • unique de-icing process for logs in the debarking drums
  • horizontally fed HHQ-Chipper
  • two HQ-Press bark presses
  • chip and bark handling equipment, including chip storage
  • SmartWoodyard advanced control system, including Decision Support Wall (DSW) and process optimization system with smart sensors like WoodScan, BarkScan, ChipperEKG, CrusherEKG, and ScanChip wood chip analyzer.

Description from the Ilim Group:

The Ilim Group leads the Russian pulp and paper industry in terms of market share, production, and investment, as well as being one of the world’s leading players in this industry. The largest pulp and paper company in the world, International Paper, is a strategic partner of the Ilim Group. Over the past few years, the Ilim Group has invested 3.2 bn US dollars in the development of its own enterprises, which is unprecedented for the Russian pulp and paper market. In the next five years, the company plans to invest another 3.6 bn US dollars in the modernization of facilities and the launch of new capacities. Implementation of the investment program will allow the group to increase the volume of production by one million tons. As a result, the Ilim Group will retain its leadership position and produce 4.4 million tons of final products per year by 2023 (in 2018, the company produced 3.4 million tons).

The Ilim Group’s production facilities are located in the Arkhangelsk, Irkutsk, Leningrad, and Moscow regions. The Ilim Group exports its products to more than 70 countries. The key market is the export market, and the main partners are Asian countries (especially China, with 40% of the exports).

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER

ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper is a leading global supplier of complete plants, systems, equipment, and comprehensive services for the production and processing of all types of pulp, paper, board, and tissue. The technologies cover processing of logs, annual fibers, and waste paper; production of chemical pulp, mechanical pulp, and recycled fibers; recovery and reuse of chemicals; preparation of paper machine furnish; production of paper, board, and tissue; sizing, calendering and coating of paper; as well as treatment of reject materials and sludge. The service offering includes system and machine modernization, rebuilds, spare and wear parts, on-site and workshop services, optimization of process performance, maintenance and automation solutions, as well as machine relocation and second-hand equipment. Biomass, steam and recovery boilers for power production, gasification and flue gas cleaning plants, systems and plants for the production of nonwovens and absorbent hygiene products, dissolving pulp, and panelboard (MDF), as well as recycling and shredding solutions for various waste materials also form a part of this business area.

The paper and packaging professionals will meet again this year at Tappi´s PaperCon 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from May 05th to 08th. At booth no. 707, the company Technidyne will be the contact for all inquiries regarding the innovative testing equipment from the German company emtec Electronic GmbH. The representative from the U.S. will showcase a variety of testing instruments by which the complete production process can be controlled and guided in the right direction. From the wet end to the finished product, the application of the equipment enables an efficient process, to get the best possible quality with the lowest possible costs.

The smallest, lightest and most-modern charge measuring systems for the wet-end in paper and board production are the CAS touch! and the FPA touch! These instruments are used to measure the interaction between particles or fibers with additives and process chemicals in the pulp suspension. The use of both instruments in the production process helps to optimize the utilization of chemicals with the target to stabilize the process, to improve the product quality and to reduce costs.

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Besides this, the EST12 emtec Surface & Sizing Tester is shown. A useful tool to determine those surface properties of paper and board, that are relevant for the converting process, in particular the surface hydrophobia (sizing) as well as the surface porosity. Both parameters help to predict the converting behavior while printing, coating and gluing. The usage of the device enables the optimal runnability during the finishing or converting processes of paper and board.

Especially for tissue and nonwoven products, the popular TSA Tissue Softness Analyzer gives reliable and objective information about the three basic parameters, which determine the human feeling: the softness, roughness and stiffness. From these three, an overall hand feel value can be calculated. The availability of these values opens a huge amount of chances to optimize the tissue production and converting processes. New for hand sheet measurements: an updated version of the TSA and an improved measuring method for hand sheets (made in the lab) enables a reliable prediction of the final product quality in the lab without expensive trials at the tissue machine.

Thursday, 11 April 2019 23:00

North West Manufacturing Under Threat Again

The North West of England has long been the lifeblood of the UK’s heavy industries and its manufacturing sector. Despite its recent resurgence, with 15,000 manufacturing jobs created since 2010, the region now faces a new potential blow from the energy regulator, Ofgem.

Ulf Lofgren, director of a Mill in Cumbria, has been one of the leading opponents, arguing that “the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry in the North West is being undermined by a state agency that hasn’t considered the impact it is having on communities”.

Ofgem, the UK’s electricity and gas regulator, is concerned that with increasing numbers of both domestic and industrial users at least partly-off grid, there is a looming shortfall in the costs for running the network.

It is seeking to address this through its Targeted Charging Review, which recently closed the consultation period with industry.

“The competitiveness of the manufacturing industry in the North West of England is being undermined by a state agency that hasn’t considered the impact it is having on communities”, says Ulf Lofgren, Managing Director of Iggesund Paperboard’s paperboard mill in Workington, Cumbria. “The competitiveness of the manufacturing industry in the North West of England is being undermined by a state agency that hasn’t considered the impact it is having on communities”, says Ulf Lofgren, Managing Director of Iggesund Paperboard’s paperboard mill in Workington, Cumbria.

Most users have responded positively to this principle, recognising that everyone should pay something towards the network’s fixed costs. But they’ve been keen to ensure that this does not discourage investment and costs are proportionate to use.

Ofgem are proposing a new fixed charge by user category (i.e. domestic, retail/ light industry, large users). On current information, this model will increase price differences by region meaning the North West’s charges are 26 times that of the lowest charged regions. These regional disparities would increase by a further ten-fold for Iggesund Paperboard under the other charging model Ofgem are still considering.

This would mean several millions of pounds in extra fees for manufacturers across the North West and would be a significant blow for the region, where manufacturing industry employs over 340,000 people and contributes £26bn to the UK economy.

At a time of increased economic uncertainty, energy intensive industries in the UK already face high costs versus other EU competitors. Now, industries based in the North West will be hit with a double-disadvantage with increased costs.

Ironically, this moves against the Government’s own intentions. Investment in combined heat and power plants (CHPs) has been strongly supported by the Government is remains vitally important to the UK. Some 80% of the paper manufactured in the UK is made at the 15 paper mills with a CHP generator.

Financial incentives for constructing and operating CHP have been reduced and removed over the past few years which seem to be self-defeating policy changes which are in direct contradiction of Government’s stated policy of support for high efficiency co-generation. 

Iggesund is a leading manufacturer of paperboard and their products are used in major brands in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food and drinks. They are a significant employer in Workington, employing 400 people directly and supporting a further 1200 in the supply chain. In 2013, following Government incentives, Iggesund invested over £100 million in a biomass CHP plant at its Workington Mill.

“This is truly outrageous”, says Mill Director Ulf Lofgren. “We need stable and predictable conditions, and when Ofgem suggests a charging model which includes geographical discrimination within the UK, we are baffled”.

“What has the North-West of England done wrong to deserve this”, he adds and points out some of the regional differences that are the consequence of Ofgem’s Targeted Charging Review.

Any significant further increase in costs as a result of Ofgem’s proposals would harm the competitiveness of firms in the North West in particular; and would at the very least, force Iggesund’s Swedish parent company to reconsider any future investment in the UK.

Iggesund believe that a ‘regional equalisation mechanism’ would be preferential so that manufacturing companies in the North West are not unfairly disadvantaged. The Government has been very keen to encourage a Northern Powerhouse and to keep UK manufacturing alive, but these proposals from Ofgem will dent the long-term survival of the ‘Made in Britain’ brand, especially in the North West.

Iggesund

Iggesund Paperboard is part of the Swedish forest industry group Holmen, one of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies listed on the United Nations Global Compact Index. Iggesund’s turnover is just over €500 million and its flagship product Invercote is sold in more than 100 countries. The company has two brand families, Invercote and Incada, both positioned at the high end of their respective segments. Since 2010 Iggesund has invested more than €380 million to increase its energy efficiency and reduce the fossil emissions from its production.

Iggesund and the Holmen Group report all their fossil carbon emissions to the Carbon Disclosure Project. The environmental data form an integral part of an annual report that complies with the Global Reporting Initiative’s highest level of sustainability reporting. Iggesund was founded as an iron mill in 1685, but has been making paperboard for more than 50 years. The two mills, in northern Sweden and northern England employ 1500 people.

Global paper manufacturer and distributor PAPELERA NACIONAL S.A. (PANASA) is enhancing its sustainability with a new Global Water & Energy (GWE) wastewater treatment plant in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The GWE anaerobic plant will convert organic contamination present in the wastewater to up to 4,200 Nm3 of biogas, which when utilized as a fuel, is an equivalent of 2,818 kg fuel oil per day.

PANASA has been producing Kraft paper since 1968. Throughout the years the company has increased its production, installed new equipment and optimized fiber control and preparation processes. 50 years later, it can produce 18 times more paper, with annual production volumes exceeding 180,000 metric tons.

By choosing GWE’s solution, PANASA has the opportunity to tackle two of the most significant problems faced by the pulp and paper industry – efficient wastewater treatment and fossil fuel dependency.

PANASA’s Global Water & Energy wastewater treatment plant in EcuadorPANASA’s Global Water & Energy wastewater treatment plant in Ecuador

Turning problem into profit

The organic contamination present in the PANASA’s wastewater stream will be converted to biogas by GWE’s ANUBIXTM – T Expanded Granular Sludge Bed (EGSB).

“ANUBIX™-T reactors are designed with a focus on minimal maintenance and operational requirements. Their tower-like design also saves a significant amount of space compared with other wastewater treatment plant designs,” says GWE, which has more than 400 high-efficiency wastewater treatment projects in 64 countries. GWE recently rebranded from Global Water Engineering to reflect a growing focus on green energy generation.

“The high efficiency of the wastewater treatment system helps to reduce the environmental footprint of forward-thinking companies like PANASA,” says GWE.

The savings produced by replacing fossil fuels will ultimately cover the entire cost of the wastewater treatment plant and then go on producing profit virtually in perpetuity, says GWE.

GWE’s ANUBIX™-T, including auxiliary equipment and tanks, was chosen after a thorough supplier selection process. GWE’s new waste-to-energy technologies will be incorporated into PANASA’s existing aerobic wastewater treatment facilities as a turn-key project.

“Selection of the ANUBIX™-T turn-key solution is a testament to the engineering ingenuity of the system, and the hard work of the entire GWE team in making sure all of PANASA’s needs were met,” says GWE.

ANUBIX™-T ultra-high loading rate anaerobic reactor

GWE’s ANUBIX™-T can be used for the anaerobic treatment of wastewater streams in a broad range of applications, including breweries, soft drinks and other beverages production, paper mills, starch production, and many others.

ANUBIX™-T is an ultra-high loading-rate system utilizing expanded granular sludge bed technology. It is suitable for high-strength wastewaters with organic content up to 15,000 mg/l.

GWE has ANUBIX™-T installations in several countries globally, where the generated biogas is often used to power boilers, or sold back to the grid for a profit.

At the project design phase, additional provisions can be implemented for pre-settling of solids, heating, cooling, CO2 degasification, and inline neutralization, to customize the installation to suit unique requirements.

The ANUBIX™-T reactor is capable of handling very high loading rates of up to 25 kg COD/m³/d, depending on the type of wastewater.