Welcome to the May-June issue of Pulp Paper & Logistics. Over the past few weeks we heard the news of mill closures here in the UK. First was the announcement from Aylesford Newsprint that it had applied to go into administration with the loss of nearly 300 jobs and more recently we also had news from Tullis Russell Group that its papermaking subsidiary Tullis Russell Papermakers Limited had also been placed into administration by its directors.
This only highlights that papermakers in Europe continue to feel the pressure of declining demand and increasing energy costs coupled with raw materials trading at higher prices, all of which continue to drive mill owners to achieve the best productivity from machinery and equipment already in place, rather than upgrade.
In contrast, the tissue and packaging sector is on the up, with news of some significant orders for new machinery in recent months that highlight this growth area. There is also growing pressure on wood as a sustainable raw material and with authorities increasingly using wood as a source of energy the pressure on paper makers will continue. Read more about this in our sister publication Forest & Bioenergy Review ( www.forestbioenergyreview.com ).
For those of you who are going to the Zellcheming show in Frankfurt, Germany (30 June – 2 July) do not forget that you can register prior to the show at www.mesago.de/en/ZEX/For_visitors/Welcome/index.htm. If you want to arrange a meeting with Vince Maynard of Pulp Paper & Logistics magazine (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) or Ian-Melin Jones of Pulp-Paperworld.com (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) get in touch as soon as possible. Don’t forget your after-show activities so if you need to just chill out you can always visit O’Reilly’s Frankfurt, which offers both great beer and food (oreillys.com/frankfurt.html). See you there.
In the next issue for July-August 2015 we will be covering paper recycling/deinking and associated technologies, water management and treatment, and drying technology. Submissions should be with us by the end of June.
Vince Maynard