Ian Melin-Jones

Ian Melin-Jones

Paper & Beyond, the new event concept where circular bioeconomy leaders meet, took place just a week following the release of the EU’s new Bioeconomy Strategy, which set out a clear path for better linking the bioeconomy and circularity. 

“The new European strategy comes at a defining moment for the bioeconomy” says Karl-Henrik Sundström, CEO of Stora Enso and Chairman of CEPI. “Industry’s transformation is gaining pace across the entire forest fibre and paper value chain. As the mainstream renewable and recyclable material industry, we are ready to take the lead on Europe’s circular bioeconomy”.  

2018 10 18 102805The first of its kind conference got off to an innovative start with a competition gathering some of Europe’s most promising young researchers. From the engineering of spider silk strong nanocellulose filaments to paper-based electrodes for fuel cells, researchers illustrated the innovativeness and European lead in forest fibre research. 

Building on this year’s theme, the “Europe & Beyond – Getting the best from the bioeconomy” session welcomed keynote speaker Peggy Liu, a world-renowned sustainability expert on China who brought a global perspective on the circular bioeconomy. She touched upon recent developments in China, including the country’s waste restrictions, its policy on single-use plastics and its recent investments in Europe under the Belt and Road initiative.

Following the positive trends in production (up 1.5%), exports (up 5.4%) and investment (up 7.5%) seen in the latest market data for 2017, RISI returned to provide insights into circular bioeconomy markets, with, for the first time, a business intelligence session on European nanocellulose markets.

Paper & Beyond also hosted the final conference of the EU-funded Provides project which has confirmed the Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) technology. This breakthrough aims at achieving a 40% reduction in energy use and a 80% life cycle reduction in CO2 emissions, while also producing high-quality lignin from wood for biochemicals or biocomposite production. The consortium will continue research on a DES pulping pilot and demo, aiming at commercial deployment by 2030.

CEPI is the European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. Through its 18 national associations CEPI gathers 495 companies operating more than 900 pulp and paper mills across Europe producing paper, cardboard, pulp and other bio-based products. CEPI represents 22% of world production, €82 billion of annual turnover to the European economy and directly employs more than 177,000 people.

From forest fibre technology to advance paper design, the industry currently invests almost 5.5 billion annually in Europe and is a recognised leader of the low-carbon circular bioeconomy transition. CEPI’s 2050 ‘Investment Roadmap’ outlines the industry’s vision to advance this transformation in Europe through value creation and decarbonisation.

Toscotec announced that it has been awarded a landmark contract by the Marutomi Group to supply two MODULO-PLUS ES tissue lines. The machines will be installed at Marutomi Paper’s mill and at Ono Paper’s mill in Fuji city, Shizuoka, Japan, and are scheduled for start-up respectively in the first and second half of 2019. This is a repeated order for Toscotec, who supplied a Steel Yankee Dryer TT SYD-12FT to Marutomi Paper in 2013, to replace an old cast iron Yankee.

Toscotec will provide two MODULO-PLUS ES (Energy Saving) tissue machines, featuring a second generation Steel Yankee Dryer TT SYD, steam-heated hoods TT Milltech-DYH, and the shoe press TT NextPress. Each of the MODULO-PLUS ES machines has a sheet width of 2,850 mm, an operating speed of 1,500 m/min, and an annual production of over 22,000 tons.

The scope is the same for both machines and comprises Toscotec’s patented TT SAF (Short Approach Flow) system, a pope reel automatic shaft return system, an in-line shaft puller and the tissue machine’s dust and mist removal systems. Toscotec will supply its proprietary Distributed Control System TT DCS, which was developed specifically for these projects on a Mitsubishi platform, in cooperation with the Japanese Corporation. The production lines’ detailed engineering, erection supervision, commissioning and start-up assistance complete the supply.

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Mr. Takeo Sano, President of Marutomi Paper Co., Ltd., says, “We have been running a TT SYD for four years now and are very impressed with its performance. We immediately thought of Toscotec when we approved this new major investment project. Over the past few years we got to know the company, its people and services and we trusted in their technical expertise and vast experience. We have very high expectations in terms of both product quality and energy efficiency”.

“With this new order of two complete tissue production lines, we aim to strengthen our cooperation with the Marutomi Group and become a strategic partner for their expansion. We married the same philosophy of resource and environmental protection and I believe that they will be satisfied with the energy saving results of our MODULO-PLUS ES line. In recent years, we supplied three TT SYD to Japan and we are happy to get such a positive feedback from this demanding market” comments Alessandro Mennucci, CEO of Toscotec.

The supply of these two important projects is being supported by Kobayashi Engineering Works, Ltd.

About Marutomi Paper Co., Ltd. and Ono Paper Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1955, Marutomi Paper is one of the main tissue producers in Japan, and acquired Ono Paper in 2006. The Marutomi Group today mainly specializes in toilet tissue from 100% recycled fiber, with an annual production output of 150,000 tons, of which 95% of toilet tissue and 5% of kitchen towel, and an estimated market share of 15%.

International technology group ANDRITZ has just announced the successful closing of its previously announced acquisition of Xerium Technologies, Inc.

2018 10 18 100442Xerium, headquartered in Youngsville, North Carolina, is a global manufacturer and supplier of machine clothing (forming fabrics, press felts, drying fabrics) and roll covers for paper, tissue, and board machines, including maintenance and aftermarket services. With its Smart® technology, the company provides a sophisticated digital software tool to optimize pressing performance by means of sensors integrated into the roll covers.

ANDRITZ, headquartered in Graz, Austria, is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metal working and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial segments.

ANDRITZ GROUP

ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metal working and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial segments. Other important fields of business are animal feed and biomass pelleting, as well as automation, where ANDRITZ offers a wide range of innovative products and services in the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) sector under the brand name of Metris. In addition, the international technology Group is active in power generation (steam boiler plants, biomass power plants, recovery boilers, and gasification plants) and environmental technology (flue gas cleaning plants) and offers equipment for the production of nonwovens, dissolving pulp, and panelboard, as well as recycling plants.

A passion for innovative technology, absolute customer focus, reliability, and integrity are the central values to which ANDRITZ commits. The listed Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria. With over 160 years of experience, circa 30,000 employees, and around 280 locations in over 40 countries worldwide, ANDRITZ is a reliable and competent partner and helps its customers to achieve their corporate and sustainability goals.

Portuguese Producer chooses A.Celli Paper for its new investment

It is with extreme satisfaction that A.Celli Paper S.p.A. announces the start of a precious collaboration with Fapajal – Fábrica De Papel Do Tojal, S.A. through the agreement for the supply of a latest-generation E-WIND® T80S rewinder for the production of tissue.

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A.Celli Paper E-WIND® T80S is a modular and fully automated rewinder, running at 1000mpm, with built-in electrical cabinets, capable of managing products that involve a specific volume, diameter and cutting format while also guaranteeing extra capacity during production peaks.

It is customisable, plug-and-play, perfectly adaptable and compatible with any standard rewinding system or complete line in the tissue sector.

Yet another confirmation for A.Celli Paper technology that is even more present and is capable of meeting the needs of different customers, promptly answering the motley production variables with flexibility.

COMPANY PROFILE

Fapajal has a paper-making tradition dating back to 1755 and is currently focussed on producing tissue paper. Headquartered in São Julião do Tojal, Loures, the Company relies on the contribution of over 150 employees and approximately 50 outsourced employees.

At a special conference just organised as part of the Paper and Beyond 2018 event in Brussels, the first phase of the PROVIDES  project was officially completed. PROVIDES, which stands for ‘PROcesses for Value added fibres by Innovative Deep Eutectic Solvents’, is a research and innovation project within the Biobased Industries Initiative, with the goal of significantly reducing CO2 emissions in pulp and papermaking.

Sappi is an active participant in the project, thus supporting the pulp and paper industry’s technological transition towards meeting its climate objectives.

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The completion of the first phase was celebrated with the publication of a booklet describing the potential of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) for creating breakthrough innovations in the pulp and paper industry. The publication ‘Deep Eutectic Solvents in the paper industry’ can be downloaded here.

Revolutionising the industry

In November 2011, the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) launched its vision for the sector in the next 35 years, concluding that breakthrough technologies would be needed to make the industry more sustainable. Specifically, it aims to achieve an 80% reduction of CO2 emissions and at the same time create 50% more value. The PROVIDES consortium shows that a revolutionary change is now possible. New, mild pulping technologies based on natural Deep Eutectic Solvents lead to a significantly more sustainable process that is energy-, cost- and resource-effective, while producing much lower CO2 emissions.

The total DES concept

Deep Eutectic Solvents are nature-based, renewable, biodegradable, low-volatile and cost-effective. The overall objective of the DES concept is to achieve a 40% reduction of energy use and an 80% reduction of CO2 emissions in pulp and papermaking. The DES concept will enable the industry to obtain a radically new, sustainable and techno-economically feasible pulping technology, while also enabling the selective recovery of dissolved components. In addition, DESs can be regenerated and recycled, ensuring economical use of resources. This technological innovation produces high-quality cellulose fibres for papermaking, while simultaneously producing high-quality lignin and hemicellulose fractions for a variety of high-volume applications.

Results and achievements

In the first phase of the PROVIDES project, more than one hundred new DESs were developed. Of these, two have been further developed as successful delignifying agents. The project proved that the entire DES pulping process can be run at operational costs similar to those kraft pulping, and that the resulting cellulose fibres have good tensile strength and extreme internal bond strength. In addition, it was proven that DES delignification results in 95% lignin removal, and that the lignin can be successfully recovered and the DES regenerated.

Next steps

In the coming years, the pulping part of the DES research cluster, coordinated by the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (ISPT), will continue to conduct further applied research towards the realisation of a DES pulping pilot and demo, ultimately leading to commercial implementation in 2030.

Thursday, 18 October 2018 08:56

emtec at ABTCP 2018 in Sao Paulo

As every year, emtec Electronic will attend the ABTCP in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The exhibition takes place from October 23rd to 25th. The German producer of innovative lab and online testing equipment can be found at booth no. 137/138 together with its Brazilian representative Elof Hansson.

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Emtec will present the state-of-the-art charge measuring systems CAS touch! and FPA touch! Both devices are used to optimize the wet-end process, by measuring 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. Another device that can be used in the wet-end of the tissue and paper production is the DFA – Dynamic Filtration Analyzer, which helps to determine the influence of chemicals on drainage and retention behavior.

But, also producers of base and final products will find innovative measurement equipment at the booth: the well-known TSA – Tissue Softness Analyzer which is used to reliably assess the Softness, Smoothness/Roughness and Stiffness as well as the overall Hand Feel of tissue and nonwoven materials. Additionally, the EST – Surface & Sizing Tester is shown. The EST is a useful tool to determine important paper surface properties such as surface hydrophobia / sizing as well as the surface porosity, which influence printability, coatability and gluability of paper and board.

Designed specifically for HP Indigo digital presses, the new imPress™ ID chemistries are up to eight times more efficient at generating print adhesion

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, has introduced a new line of imPress™ ID paper additives designed exclusively for HP Indigo digital presses. The new imPress™ ID chemistries are up to eight times more efficient at generating Indigo print adhesion. With these new additives, paper mills can efficiently and cost-effectively produce papers with a three-star rating for HP Indigo digital presses.

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“As digital printing continues to take market share from offset presses, the demand for papers optimized for digital printing systems will increase,” said Tom Hayden, Global Marketing Director, Printing and Writing. “Our imPress™ ID additives are very easy to run, so papermakers can diversify by quickly adding Indigo-approved grades to their portfolios. Mills that already produce Indigo grades can enjoy a number of additional benefits.”

A main benefit is improved runnability. With imPress™ ID paper additives, no changes are required to the size press or machine settings. The chemistry is non-charged, so it doesn’t form deposits, agglomerate or cause stickies-related issues. In addition, the new imPress™ ID products are exceptionally versatile and work well with optical brightening agents and other size press chemistries.

“Our researchers spent a great deal of time refining this product,” said Dan Varnell, Solenis Research Fellow. “The result is an innovative chemistry that dramatically increases the performance of the paper printed on Indigo presses."

In the past, polyethyleneimine (PEI) or poly(ethylene/acrylic acid) was used to promote Indigo image adhesion, but PEI resulted in yellowing issues and P(Et/AA) dispersions required special conditions. The Solenis imPress™ ID technology relies on thermodynamic attraction of the print ink to the paper treatment. Free energy drops as the ink and the treated paper interact with each other, resulting in more efficient adhesion.

Currently, imPress™ ID-115 and ID-120 are available in North America, and imPress™ ID-215 and ID-220 are available in Europe.

For more information about Solenis imPress™ ID paper additives and technology, visit www.solenis.com/imPress.

About Solenis

Solenis is a leading global producer of specialty chemicals for water intensive industries, including the pulp, paper, oil and gas, chemical processing, mining, biorefining, power and municipal markets. The company’s product portfolio includes a broad array of process, functional and water treatment chemistries as well as state-of-the-art monitoring and control systems. These technologies are used by customers to improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets and minimize environmental impact. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 35 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of approximately 3,700 professionals in 118 countries across five continents. For additional information about Solenis, please visit solenis.com.

Södra was awarded two prizes, as Best Supplier – Pulp Producer Category and for Best Sustainability Project – Social Category during the Sofidel Suppliers Sustainability Award (3SAward). This year the prize ceremony took place in Columbus, Ohio

Sofidel, one of the leading manufacturers of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide, on occasion of its annual 3SAward, awarded Södra among its best suppliers.

2018 10 15 103027The Suppliers Sustainability Award organised every year by Sofidel aimed at its national and international suppliers to encourage, spread and highlight best practices and improvements carried out by suppliers in the field of social and environmental responsibility.

On this occasion Södra, the Sweden's largest forest-owner association, was nominated and won in two categories: in the Best Supplier – Pulp Producer for the sustainability performance of the mills in Mönsterås, Mörrum, and Värö, which between them produce close to 2 million tons of market pulp annually, was especially highlighted. Södra also won in the category The Best Sustainable Project – Social, for their campaign “Act of a Hero”.

“The prize for ‘Best Supplier – Pulp Producer Category’ shows that we at Södra maintain a high level in our sustainability efforts, thanks to the focus and commitment of our employees – this award is an honour and accolade for them. Our mills are well invested and expertly run for the benefit of customers, and for selected key sustainability targets we have” says Gunilla Saltin CEO at Södra Cell.

The “Act of a Hero” campaign was a social media expression of Södra’s belief in the sustainable role played by tissue and other paper products in society.

Paper production is a very resource demanding industry, both in terms of water, forest, and energy. For this reason, Sofidel works actively for a more sustainable paper and pulp industry. As of today, Sofidel has reduced direct emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere by 20.6% thanks to investments in energy efficiency, in the use of cogeneration plants and the use of renewable energy sources. Another fundamental area of action is the sourcing of pulp from independent certified sources with forest certification schemes (FSC®, FSC Controlled Wood, SFI®, PEFC™), which has reached a level of 100%. Moreover, Sofidel operates to safeguard water resources, limiting the consumption inside their production processes (the amount of water used in the production is distinctly lower than the industry benchmark: 7.1 l/kg vs. 15-25 l/kg)

Read more about Sofidel Suppliers Sustainability Awards here

Gianfranco Agnusdei, Global Customer Service Director: “More efficiency and less costs. This is the objective of customer service: help our customers in preserving over time the value of their capital asset”

Fabio Perini S.p.A. took part in MIAC, where during the convention “Towards Converting Tissue 4.0” Gianfranco Agnusdei, Global Customer Service Director, disclosed the new company strategy and presented the best available technologies to enhance performances, quality and management of the production process.

“Industry 4.0 for our company has its own application even in customer service, –Gianfranco Agnusdei comments – a field where the use and analysis of production data, together with the technical expertise of Fabio Perini’s people, allow customers to preserve over time the value of their capital asset and optimize the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of their lines. Digital services are not limited to lines and systems supplied by Fabio Perini, but they can be used on equipment by other producers as well."

Gianfranco Agnusdei, Global Customer Service DirectorGianfranco Agnusdei, Global Customer Service Director

Three years ago, Fabio Perini launched its Customer Service Portal, which has evolved becoming the customers’ digital touch point, with information on their installed base, the history of maintenance services, the suggested equipment modifications and a web shop for spare parts, placing orders directly online. Today the Portal becomes also the tool to activate and monitor line performance using two solutions, Tissue Data Cloud and Digital Shift Support.

The Tissue Data Cloud processes data based on a wide set of performance indicators, so as to offer the customer immediate visibility of the process critical points. Thanks to the Web Dashboard, the values of the line are re-elaborated easily and intuitively and available in real time for the production manager.

The second new feature is the Digital Shift Support, also activated from the Portal and available on the operator’s tablet. The Digital Shift Support is a smart application that collects, together with a minimal set of performance indicators, the production speed and the justifications of alarms by the operators.

“Up to now our path has been going through digitalization, from equipment alarm detection to production indicators analysis, so as to identify inefficiencies and be able to act on specific line sections. – Agnusdei goes on – But we at Fabio Perini are firmly convinced that no digital revolution can exist without the technical know-how accrued in our 50-years-long experience. Our Customer Service 4.0 is all about this: an extraordinary integration between technical expertise and the availability of data supplied by digital solutions”.

In fact, the availability of data and the expertise of Fabio Perini’s technicians will allow to supply a real Digital Audit and remotely detect causes, establishing in advance actions to solve issues. In this framework, even the Wearable Glasses find their place: in its new “goggle” version, this technologic solution for remote, real-time technical assistance is more ergonomic and performing, with 3D interaction and Augmented Reality. For this device, too, the expertise of Fabio Perini’s technicians is a key factor.

WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK), a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, today provided an initial update following the landfall of Hurricane Michael and its impact on the company’s containerboard and pulp mill located in Panama City, Florida.  

2015 10 18 094836As always, our first priority is the safety of our employees and their families. The Panama City area has been devastated by this hurricane, and we are working to support our employees and this community as the recovery begins.

An orderly shut-down process was started on Monday. The mill was in the direct path of the hurricane’s landfall, and it sustained a substantial amount of damage to buildings and equipment.

Our team is currently assessing the extent of the damage to the mill.  At this time, we do not know when the mill will resume operations; this will depend upon the extent of the damage to our facility and the storm’s impact on local infrastructure, including available power supply, the ability of our employees to travel to the mill, and other factors. 

The mill has annual production capacity of 353,000 tons of linerboard and 292,000 tons of market pulp.

The continued storm path is projected to traverse several states in which we have additional operations and the potential impact, if any, on these operations is unknown at this time.

We will provide additional updates as more information is available, and we have fully assessed the impact to our employees, local infrastructure and the mill.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE: WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s 45,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 300 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com