Valmet has signed a EUR 175 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB). The loan will support Valmet’s Research and Development (R&D) activities to help finance technologies that replace fossil fuels with renewables. The loan agreement is linked to company’s R&D activities in 2023-2026.

The financing aims to enhance the resource and energy efficiency as well as the performance of Valmet’s technology, promote the use of recyclable raw materials and to improve the sustainability of Valmet’s operations. The financing is part of the EIB’s dedicated package of support to REPowerEU — the EU plan to eliminate dependence on fossil fuel imports.

Valmet’s R&D spending was EUR 95 million in 2022. Valmet has 28 research and developments centers around the world and approximately 1,300 protected inventions.

"The aim of Valmet's research and development work is to create new technologies, products and services that address customer needs and help respond to some of the most important global megatrends: enhancing the efficiency of raw materials, water and energy, promoting the use of renewable raw materials and reducing emissions. We’re happy about this loan agreement as it improves Valmet’s readiness to support the green transition in Valmet’s customer industries,” says Janne Pynnönen, Vice President, R&D, Valmet.

About the European Investment Bank

The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by the EU Member States. The EIB Group has adopted a Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support €1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to devote more than half of EIB finance to climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. As part of the roadmap, all new EIB Group operations have been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021.

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Valmet’s net sales in 2022 were approximately EUR 5.1 billion.

Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.    

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DS Smith Tecnicarton, an expert provider of industrial packaging solutions and part of the leading global sustainable packaging company DS Smith, launches MAX lamination technology. The new solution increases the resistance of corrugated cardboard packaging and optimizes stacking potential - extending possibilities for reuse as a fully recyclable solution.

DS Smith Tecnicarton expert designers superimposed up to ten layers of corrugated cardboard to create MAX technology. This includes standardized special folding creases to achieve a larger box format with increased resistance, and the design has evolved out of a six-wave laminated packaging solution comprised of up to ten channels.

DS Smith heavy-duty packaging, the Magnus-IBC Kraft, has a capacity of 1,000 Litres and a resistance of 10,000 KG and the bulk packages have been designed as a sustainable and 100% recyclable alternative to traditional plastic Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC).

DS Smith production processes and the companies’ unique circular economy design metrics approach has resulted in significant market leading improvements to the technology of large laminate packaging casings.

These include bespoke ergonomic creases that enable packaging to be assembled easily. They are also foldable and have resulted in significant space saving during supply chain cycles as well as successful reuse cycles, and a reduction in CO2 during transportation. For example, in the automotive sector, Tecnipack cardboard has enabled laminated strips to be re-used up to ten times within the supply chain for transportation between Spain and the United States of America (USA).

In addition, the resistance offered by lamination technology has made it possible to replace wooden packaging with lighter, cheaper, and completely recyclable100% cardboard packaging.

DS Smith Tecnicarton has made 100% of its packaging products recyclable or reusable, and DS Smith is committed to fulfilling the objectives of it’s Now & Next Sustainability Strategy ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’.

Ignacio Montfort, Managing Director, DS Smith Iberia:

"We are constantly looking for ways to innovate and find solutions to the environmental challenges of the day. Our company wide 'Now & Next' sustainability strategy and vision is a benchmark for our product innovations and targets. We are confident that these new packaging product innovations will positively impact on the packaging supply chain and environment for future generations, as well as for our present-day clients and their customers as we accelerate the transition to a low-carbon circular economy”.

MAX lamination technology is an innovation created as a result of the opening of a DS Smith facility dedicated to specializing in laminating corrugated cardboard sheets in Arborç (Tarragona) in 2017, and DS Smith Iberia has twenty-six packaging facilities, six recycling facilities, and three paper-making facilities in operation across the Iberian Peninsula.

DS Smith

DS Smith Plc. is a leading global provider of sustainable fibre-based packaging, supported by recycling and papermaking operations. It plays a significant role in the value chain across sectors including e-Commerce, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), and industrials. Through its purpose of ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’ and its Now and Next sustainability strategy, DS Smith is committed to leading the transition to the circular economy, while delivering more circular solutions for its customers and wider society. Key targets include replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains, and providing innovative recycling solutions. The company has also established a bespoke box-to-box in 14 days model, and circular metrics design capabilities for innovation are integral to operations.

DS Smith headquarters are in London, United Kingdom and the company is a member of the FTSE 100. It holds operations in thirty-four countries and employs more than 30,000 people. DS Smith is a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation with a commitment to the circular economy and was originally set up in London in the 1940s as a box-making business by the Smith family.

About DS Smith Tecnicarton, Iberia

DS Smith Tecnicarton specializes in innovative solutions for the industrial packaging sector with a core business focus on creating solutions for single-use and returnable packaging for the transport and logistics of high volume, high weight products, liquid, fluid and bulk products requiring specialist protection.

DS Smith Now & Next Sustainability ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’ Strategy - https://www.dssmith.com/sustainability/sustainability-strategy

Key targets reached:

• 100% of our packaging is now recyclable or reusable
• 100% of our energy consumption is ISO50001 Certified
• We have already launched one hundred biodiversity projects across Europe & North America
• 100% of our sites in areas of high-water stress now have a water mitigation plan
• All our forests have forest management certification
• 100% of manufacturing sites are FSC certified
• 100% of the papers we use in manufacturing are recycled or chain of custody certified
• We have conducted a group human rights risk assessment and published our Human Rights Policy 

Now & Next targets currently ahead of schedule:

• By 2025, remove 1 billion items of problem plastic 
• By 2025, optimize fibre for individual supply chains in 100% of new packaging solutions
• By 2030, engage five million people in the circular economy and circular lifestyles

Company website: www.dssmith.com

Toscotec has renewed its sponsorship of Pianeta Terra Festival, a far-reaching dive into Sustainability running from 5^th to 8^th October in Lucca, Italy. Following the vastly successful first edition of 2022, the festival organizers, the publisher Laterza and its director, prominent plant neurobiologist and author Stefano Mancuso, have decided to focus this second edition on the theme of “The Network of Life”, i.e. the dense, ingenious network that binds together all living creatures.  

Sustainability is explored from a multidisciplinary perspective that spans across ecosystems, climate, new economic models, energy, agriculture, food, urban development, but also new political, social, philosophical, anthropological, and artistic visions. The festival sets out to disseminate knowledge and prompt conversations around the theme of Sustainability, as well as promote a deeper understanding of our close interdependence with Nature.

“We are happy to renew our support for Pianeta Terra Festival among the great anticipation we are witnessing of its return to Lucca this October” says Alessandro Mennucci, CEO of Toscotec. “We look forward to seeing the festival hit a new record-high in public turnout, with people from our province as well as visitors joining in and reverberating the discourse on this crucial subject.” 

The program of Pianeta Terra Festival is online: www.pianetaterrafestival.it  

Contact
Giulia Fabbri 
Sustainability & Communication Senior Manager 
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Thanks to the waste separation efforts of conscientious citizens, businesses, schools and the greater recycling industry, South Africa recycled just less than 1.3 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging in 2022. If baled and laid out, this would cover 161 rugby fields.

 The same amount would weigh as much as 208,553 mature African elephants, or fill 1,502 Olympic -sized swimming pools. “More importantly, it saved 3.8 million cubic metres of landfill^[i] space, and ensured that the paper industry could re-use the fibre in cardboard boxes, grocery bags, egg boxes, newspapers, and tissue products,” explains Samantha Choles, communications manager of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA).

“We are certainly seeing more paper packaging entering the market as several brands are shifting to paper, especially in primary packaging - the packaging that contains the item,” says Choles.

Packaging sustainability trends are affecting demand for paper with big brands reducing plastic in their packaging, or at least aiming for single material packaging that is locally recyclable.

During 2022, South Africa produced 1.96 million tonnes of pulp, paper, board and tissue, importing just over one million tonnes and exporting 540,000 tonnes. This put the apparent consumption^[ii] of paper and paper packaging at 2.45 million tonnes.

Choles adds that toilet paper and other tissue products are neither collectable nor recyclable, and therefore excluded from what is available for collection. In 2022, two million tonnes were deemed collectable. This excludes 410,000 tonnes of secondary corrugated packaging comprising export fruit, wine and other products. Similarly, PAMSA includes the corrugated packaging, containing imported goods, which therefore become available for the recycling market.

Recycling susceptible to market volatilities

The paper recycling rate for 2022 was 61%. While this is lower than previous years, it’s still comparable with more developed nations such as the United States (68%) and Europe (70%). “Recycling statistics should not be viewed in isolation year on year,” cautions Choles, adding that a lower recycling percentage does not mean that South Africa is recycling less paper. In volume terms, 2022 was higher than previous years.

Recycling is a flow-process, affected by market trends and volatilities, with paper grades taking six to nine months to move through various steps in the supply chain, such as manufacturing and conversion, packing, transit, consumption, and eventually collection and recycling. The latter entails collection by various entities, sorting, then repulping and finally manufacturing and conversion into new paper products. Thus the recycling rates will be affected by how quickly the volumes of paper pass through the market. 

Consumers and businesses can do more

The global ‘Trend Tracker Survey 2023’, spearheaded by Two Sides, questioned more than 10,000 consumers from 16 countries on their preferences and opinions regarding various packaging types, their attributes and their impact. Some 62% of respondents said they recycle paper and paper packaging at home, and 78% understand the types of products that need to go into the recycling bin. “This is great news and we hope this will improve as awareness around waste separation and recycling increases,” adds Choles.

Clean and dry paper is essential. Informal recycling collectors and waste traders will earn a better rate if the paper is of good quality. “Consumers must keep wet waste away from dry recyclables. If paper and cardboard get wet, it starts to degrade making the items less recyclable. Good fibre in, better products out,” explains Choles.

Separate bins in the home, and putting a box or bag of clean recyclables on the pavement for recycling collectors are two ways to make a difference, and keep products out of landfill.

“Even with a five-year average paper recycling rate of 67%, we hope that the extended producer responsibility regulations and the various industry programmes will help close the gaps between South Africa’s technical capacity to recycle, infrastructure to recover and collect, and consumer awareness, education and behaviour change,” says Choles.

Recycling closes the circle, cultivated trees keep it going

The ‘Trend Tracker Survey 2023’ also revealed that just less than 70% of South African consumers surveyed believe that only recycled paper should be used - from printing to packaging to tissue products.

“Many people don’t realise that paper fibres are not infinitely recyclable as they shorten after each “recycle” and do not bond well to make new paper. Fresh virgin fibre from sustainably farmed wood will be added to strengthen the pulp recipes.” 

Recycling is just one branch of paper’s circularity. From the farming of 850 million trees on 676,000 hectares for pulp and papermaking to the beneficiation of process “waste” into lignosulphonates and other biochemicals, the paper industry is very much a circular economy.

[i] Based on one tonne of baled paper/paper packaging equivalent to three cubic metres.

[ii] Apparent consumption = Local production plus imports less exports 

Graphic Packaging International (GPI), a leading global provider of sustainable consumer packaging, has recently commissioned Voith to supply multiple stock preparation lines, integrated reject handling and the wastewater pre-treatment system for its newest, most advanced coated recycled board (CRB) mill being built in Waco, Texas. With Voith’s tailored process solutions, GPI is expected to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its facility and will ultimately save energy, water and fibers. The installation of the new system and components is targeted for completion in 2025.

“Voith’s proven and innovative pulping technology and wastewater pre-treatment solutions are key to reaching our high product quality targets and improving efficiency and sustainability. Our close partnership is based on trust and the very reliable cooperation we have enjoyed in the past,” says Rusty Miller, Senior Vice President Engineering and Technology at Graphic Packaging.

“We are happy to be partnering with GPI again and are eager to support them with our leading technology in stock preparation for efficient recycling of fibers and separation of contaminants. Our state-of-the-art wastewater pre-treatment system enables GPI to minimize freshwater consumption which is one main focus of the project,” adds Michael Hmielewski, Director of Project Sales at Voith.

To learn more about Voith’s innovative solutions for an effective use of water, please visit: https://voith.com/corp-en/industry-solutions/papermaking/papermaking-for-life/water.html

About Graphic Packaging International
Graphic Packaging International, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is committed to providing consumer packaging that makes a world of difference. The company, a leading fiber-based consumer packaging provider, serves the world’s most widely recognized food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies and brands. The Company operates on a global basis, is one of the largest producers of folding cartons and fiber-based foodservice products in the United States and Europe, and holds leading market positions in coated recycled paperboard, coated unbleached kraft paperboard and solid bleached sulfate paperboard. Additional information about Graphic Packaging, its business and its products is available at https://www.graphicpkg.com.

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, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 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.

Stora Enso Oyj has upgraded the trading of its American Depository Receipts (ADRs) and Ordinary Shares to the OTCQX® Best Market from the Pink® market. Stora Enso begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbols “SEOAY, SEOFF, SEOJF”. 

Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their US investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. 

Citibank acted as Stora Enso’s OTCQX sponsor.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Its data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of its three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market.

Part of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, and wooden construction, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world. We believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has approximately 21,000 employees and our sales in 2022 were EUR 11.7 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Oy (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm AB (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs and ordinary shares (SEOAY, SEOFF, SEOJF). storaenso.com/investors

Lower energy consumption, cheaper energy, decarbonization, higher product quality, better asset utilization, improved safety,. . . The pulp & paper industry’s wish list is long. Yet it is also realistic. ABB provides digital solutions so that criteria like these can be managed efficiently, in real time. And they can be implemented step by step, as ambition and insight grow.

Let’s assume that you have just left the boardroom and are wondering how you will deliver the annual reduction in energy use and spend that you have just promised, let alone systematically track and report actual consumption and costs. And do it all without diverting your scarce human resources from their main job of getting the product out on time and exactly according to the specification. If you are like most companies, you probably lack good systems for accessing energy data quickly or in a form that will steer the path to achieving your goals. The deployed databases, systems, and applications tend to be multiple and scattered around the mill, with users focusing on only part of the picture.

For managers, sustainability, and energy efficiency experts at UPM, ABB makes the situation visible at a glance, in real time, across 14 mills in Europe. They can search for improvement potential; visualize how they are progressing towards their energy performance goals and compare their plant with world-class performers. Not just for electricity, but also water, steam, environmental KPIs. The true savings come from how the management drives accountability - by assigning targets and actual results according to people roles and responsibilities. Energy and sustainability data is automatically and consistently aggregated in the appropriate line of command. Alarms and events are assigned to alert personnel should energy consumption be off target and draw the user’s attention to ‘hot spots’. ABB’s industrial-grade energy management system is certified according to ISO 50’001 Energy Management Standard - establishing necessary structures to sustain results over time.

The truth about your energy bill

While the value of energy reductions should not be trivialized it is only part of the strategy.  One key component is the management of energy contracts. The contracts with most providers are several hundred pages in length and contain numerous schedules that outline pricing based on consumption rates and time of day. Effectively reconciling the usage invoiced from the supplier with the contract terms, even at a macro level, is a time consuming and manually intensive exercise that is often maintained by a single individual within the organization. If estimation of the energy usage after the fact is based on average values, money is left on the table.

Energy procurement planning and forecasting

Article by - Anis Korchi - Global Portfolio Manager for Sustainability in the Digital Business Line, Process Industries, ABB.ABB’s software helps UPM, SAPPI and other mills accurately model the energy consumption inside the mill, to understand how it relates to changes in the production plan, what additional energy sources are available, and what subsystems can have power shed if needed. With the forecasts based on actual production plan it can ensure that the contractual obligations for energy purchases are satisfied in the most cost-effective way, avoiding excess usage or peak time tariffs and penalties. All our clients using load planning and forecasting solution report that they easily save 2-4% of the overall purchase energy price, with a return on investment of just months.

Demand side management to optimize energy costs

Possibly one of the most critical uses of energy information is to optimally shift the energy usage at times of lower energy prices, when production constraints allow. ABB has successfully implemented a project at MKK mechanical pulp mill in Austria when operations schedules get automatically adjusted according to electricity spot price driving up to 15% of energy cost reduction. The software leverages existing process flexibilities to improve profitability, making sure energy is balanced without jeopardizing production.

The energy management can be further connected to the various operations management systems such as the manufacturing execution system (MES), asset performance management (APM), advanced process control (APC) and AI/ML analytics – including the steam/power and water treatment optimizations. Considering digital solutions in additional areas as well as systems integration and industrial cyber security aspects, can have a major impact on your financial improvements, sustainable development, and reputation.

learn more: https://new.abb.com/industrial-software/sustainability/energy-management-system-enms

Voith announces the opening of a new OnPerformance.Lab (OPL) site in São Paulo, Brazil, South America. With this expansion, Voith strengthens its regional footprint and expands its service, optimization and consulting activities. The new OPL site is specifically designed to support paper manufacturers in automation, digitalization and achieving their sustainability goals.

Remote support represents an important part of Voith's service portfolio and complements existing on-site services offered by the leading full-line supplier. Customers can quickly and easily access the expertise of the experts and jointly find solutions to individual challenges. In this way, short-term problems can be solved efficiently, and long-term optimization projects can be carried out successfully. With the OPL, Voith takes a holistic and integrated approach that enables sustainable improvements.

"With the new location in São Paulo, we want to offer our customers even greater proximity and support," says Ivan Medeiros, Head of Digital and Automation at Voith Paper South America. "We want to help them use digitalization profitably and increase their resource efficiency to reliably achieve their goals."

The OPL in São Paulo is part of a global initiative by Voith to offer comprehensive know-how and expertise to its customers worldwide. Existing OPL locations can be found in Heidenheim, Germany; Kunshan, China; and Tokyo, Japan. The opening of additional regional offices is planned to further strengthen the regional footprint.

Interested customers can get in touch at any time to benefit from the wide range of digital solutions and service offerings. For more information on the Voith OnPerformance.Lab, visit https://voith.com/corp-en/onperformancelab/paper.html.

About Voith Paper 
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, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 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 one 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.

On August 13, Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang Paper successfully started up its highly efficient XcelLine packaging paper machine at the Guanghan site. The leading full-line supplier Voith delivered the entire line. The project set a new record for the fastest start-up of such a paper machine. Only six months passed from installation to successful start-up – two months ahead of schedule. The commissioning of the BlueLine OCC stock preparation system and the XcelLine paper machine took just four and five weeks, respectively.

“Many thanks for the hard work and technical innovation of both teams! The very good performance of PM 6 is the excellent result of the continuous efforts and close cooperation of both teams,” says Yang Lichang, Project Manager Huaqiao Fenghuang in Sichuan. At the same time, the high performance reflects the outstanding efficiency of the Voith paper machines. The successful startup will further increase Huaqiao Fenghuang's production capacity and create a solid foundation for our future development.”

PM 6 has a width of 7.92 meters and a design speed of 1,400 meters per minute. It mainly produces high-quality packaging paper in the range of 90 to 170 gsm and has an annual production capacity of about 400,000 tons. The associated BlueLine OCC stock preparation line has an impressive capacity of 2,200 tons per day and is currently the largest OCC line in the Asian market.

Voith not only supplied the intelligent XcelLine paper machine and BlueLine OCC stock preparation line, but also leading control systems such as MCS, QCS, DCS, QMS and OnCare.Health. These advanced solutions enable full automation of the production process, ensuring stable product quality, a reliable process, and lower operating and maintenance costs. In addition, PM 6 uses Voith's latest industrial design, which combines the outstanding performance of the XcelLine paper machine with a high level of industrial aesthetics.

“The successful start-up of PM 6 exemplifies the strong technical competence and professional qualifications of both teams, and it also demonstrates the benefits of full-line delivery from Voith,” says Carlos Lin, Senior Vice President Order Processing and Operations at Voith Paper Asia-Pacific. “The full-line delivery reduces integration and coordination efforts for the customer, lowers operational risk and ensures product quality, all of which increase product competitiveness."

“Voith is committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly papermaking through innovative technologies that significantly reduce the consumption of fibers, energy and water,” confirms Kurt Yu, President at Voith Paper Asia-Pacific. "PM 6 symbolizes the shared passion and commitment of both teams to the paper industry. Voith's goal is to work with its customers to drive environmentally friendly development of the paper industry with reduced carbon emissions."

The excellent start-up performance is the result of the joint efforts of both teams. Voith's teams in China and Germany worked closely together to respond quickly to customer requirements. Early partial deliveries, shortening of installation and run-in phases, and other measures ensured that customer expectations were met in the best possible way. At the same time, the Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang Paper team demonstrated outstanding implementation strength and professional competence.

About Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang
Huaqiao Fenghuang Group is a diversified multinational enterprise with various industries. It is a large cross-border enterprise mainly engaged in six economic sectors: modern agriculture, industrial manufacturing, real estate, trade, finance, and international investment and trade activities. Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang Paper Co, Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group and the largest coated paper manufacturer in Sichuan. Its main products are coated papers, high quality, light weight and environmentally friendly paperboard, corrugated base papers and other products. The production capacity is one million tons per year. Through continuous technical research and development, quality and service improvement, the company has become a supplier of high-quality, efficient and environmentally friendly packaging materials.

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, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,000 employees, sales of €4.3 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 one 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.

Valmet will deliver key technologies, automation and services to Naini Papers’ cooking and fiberline rebuild and new specialty paper machine PM 3 at their mill in Kashipur, India. The delivery will increase the mill’s capacity and support meeting the market demand of specialty coated paper. The delivery is scheduled for the first quarter 2025. 

The order was included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed, but a delivery of this size and scope is typically valued between EUR 40 and 60 million.

“We have been successfully collaborating with Valmet in many projects, including pulp mills, and decided to choose them again for this rebuild expanding our pulp production capacity. The additional pulp will be used in the upcoming PM 3. We see big potential for specialty coated paper in the Indian market and are eyeing the environment-friendly flexible packaging segment. The paper produced by the PM 3 can replace plastics in packages,” says Pawan Agarwal, Managing Director, Naini Papers Limited.

“We’re delighted that Naini Papers chose Valmet again as the supplier of their project. Our sustainable technologies, references, local presence and trust built through the projects and various pilot trials at the Valmet R&D center were the keys to win the order. India is a growing market for specialty grades and Naini Papers has taken the right step forward to be a leading player in this segment,” says Varun Jain, Director, India Region, Asia Pacific, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

The cooking and fiberline rebuild targets to increase the capacity from the current 300 bone dry tonnes per day (BD t/d) to 370 BD t/d. The delivery includes key process equipment, such as a SuperBatch digester, a TwinRoll Press, a bleach plant upgrade, and other auxiliary equipment. Basic engineering, detailed process engineering and site services are included. The automation package includes analyzers and measurements for the fiberline, such as Kappa number, brightness, residual chemical, white liquor to cooking and residual alkali, as well as pulp consistency. The spare parts package includes critical spares and consumables for the start-up of the equipment.

The specialty coated paper machine PM 3 is the first of its kind in India, with a design speed of 1200 m/min, producing mainly woodfree coated and uncoated grades with a basis weight range of 40–170 g/m². The raw material used will be mainly hardwood pulp, with an option to mix bale softwood and precipitated calcium carbonate as filler. The paper machine delivery includes all key technologies from headbox to reel, air systems and winder, as well as Valmet Industrial Internet applications and spare part packages.

Information about Naini Papers Limited

Naini Papers Limited, founded in 1995, is one of the few premier paper manufacturing companies in India. Naini Papers offers high quality writing and printing papers with improved physical and optical properties. Naini Papers is a market leader in producing single layer cup stock for the manufacturing of paper cups and saturating kraft for the manufacturing of laminates.

About Valmet

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Valmet’s net sales in 2022 were approximately EUR 5.1 billion.

Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.    

Follow us on valmet.com