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ipw news

Valmet will rebuild Koehler Paper’s power boilers at its Oberkirch and Kehl paper mill sites in Germany to increase the production of sustainable energy from renewable sources. The orders were included in Valmet’s orders received of the third quarter 2022. The value of the orders will not be disclosed. The joint value of such rebuilds and supply scopes is typically around EUR 20 million.

Mondi has been appointed as the exclusive packaging provider for one of Europe’s largest fashion enterprises. Following a product trial earlier this year, Mondi will support Modivo in switching from the standard rigid packaging currently used in the distribution of the e-retailer’s full collection of shoes, bags and clothes.

GAW technologies was recently commissioned by Sappi Austria Produktions-GmbH & Co KG to deliver a chemical preparation plant for the PM9. So far, multi-coated fine papers for graphic applications have been produced on the paper machine, in the future label papers for various applications such as bottles and food packaging will be produced. For these special papers, very demanding raw materials and chemicals are processed in compliance with the highest safety standards. GAW supplies both the technology and the assembly and commissioning of the highly complex system.

PKV has produced a total of 20 million tons of paper and cardboard for packaging over the past 70 years - all from waste paper. The amount produced could cover one third of Germany's surface area. The milestone of 20 million tons now reached reflects the success story of corrugated base papers and board from Varel just as much as the demand for sustainable and recyclable packaging materials, which has grown significantly over the past decades. And last but not least, the development of the production volume traces the dynamic development at the Varel site: By 1990, “only” 15 percent of the 20 million tons now produced had been produced, and by 2010, just over half.

Valmet has signed a contract with Circa to supply a pyrolyzer plant for the production of sustainable biochemicals at Circa’s ReSolute plant in France. Valmet’s delivery includes pyrolyzer technology, a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler and an automation system. The ReSolute plant will produce 1,000 tonnes of bio-based solvent called Cyrene^TM per year. It is used to replace fossil petroleum-based solvents used in a wide variety of industries. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the fourth quarter 2022. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The equipment deliveries are scheduled for the second and the third quarter 2023.

Due to growing demand, packaging and speciality paper manufacturer Sappi Europe is expanding production of its successful Parade Label Pro label paper to include higher grammages. Sappi is also expanding production of the premium paper from its Gratkorn mill in Austria to include its Alfeld mill in Germany – so ensuring greater security of supply to customers.

Toscotec will participate in the Latin American Papermakers Conference 2022 from 16th to 18th November in Lima, Peru, to present its latest paper drying innovations aimed to reduce direct CO2 emissions to zero. TT Induction SYD, a revolutionary Steel Yankee Dryer that relies on electrical induction to dry paper, and TT Hydrogen Burner, a new generation of 100% hydrogen fueled burners for Yankee hoods.

At a meeting held on 27 October 2022, the Supervisory Board of Metsä Group’s parent company, Metsäliitto Cooperative, elected Eija Pitkänen as a new member of the cooperative's Board of Directors as of 1 January 2023. Pitkänen has extensive international experience in corporate responsibility matters. She currently works at Telia Finland Oy as Sustainability, Ethics & Compliance and Risk Officer. Previously, she has worked, for example, as Stora Enso Oyj's SVP, Sustainability.

Sustainable production in stock preparation is not a vision for the future but already a reality today. Many existing plants benefit from solutions from Voith's leading BlueLine stock preparation portfolio. In the last five years, Voith experts have commissioned more than 30 plants with a total production capacity of 12.8 million tons per year. Voith has also launched more than 20 new innovative machines in recent years. Based on its experience, the company is characterized by in-depth know-how and reliable, optimized process standards. In addition, the development of new solutions is part of Voith's sustainability program “Papermaking for Life.” Every year, the technology company invests around 100 million euros in research and development of impetus-giving innovations that are intended to further increase sustainability and efficiency.

James Cropper, one of the world’s most innovative papermakers, has partnered with French, family-owned Champagne maker, Rogge-Cereser and French packaging producer, L’Agence Le Sanglier, to create an industry leading example of eco-design in the luxury drinks market. Using paper from the Rydal Packaging Collection, which unites beauty and sustainability, the minimalist design of the Rogge-Cereser champagne box infuses the art of gifting with environmental responsibility.

Ms. Emilia Torttila-Miettinen (M.Sc. Eng.) has been appointed Business Line President, Automation Systems at Valmet as of December 1, 2022. She will be a member of Valmet’s Executive Team and report to President and CEO Pasi Laine. Emilia Torttila-Miettinen began her career at Valmet in 2003 and she is currently holding the position of Vice President, Operations of the Automation Systems business line. During her career, she has gained wide experience in Valmet’s automation business by working in different management positions in automation services in 2014-2020 and in product management and engineering positions in 2004-2014.

At the beginning of August 2022, Feldmuehle GmbH informed that it would switch its steam supply from gas to light heating oil in Q4/22 in order to be able to continue production in the event of a gas shortage. Now the first big step has been taken. On 26.10.2022, the burners and pressure control station for the steam boiler were delivered and lifted into the power plant.

SCA and Holmen have today agreed to conduct a feasibility study regarding a potential new jointly owned sawmill in Rundvik, Nordmaling municipality in Västerbotten. A new sawmill in Norrland with high production capacity would increase the value of forest assets in the long term. The feasibility study, which only includes production cooperation at the sawmill in Rundvik, will begin immediately and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023.

The Fedrigoni Group, global player in the production of premium papers for luxury packaging and other creative applications, premium labels, and self-adhesive materials, has signed an agreement with the Anglo-French multinational Arjowiggings for the acquisition of Guarro Casas, with over 300 years of history and high-profile expertise in manufacturing and finishing of specialty graphic papers. The company is based in Gelida (Barcelona), Spain, where it operates a plant with 140 employees.

The Paper Excellence Group and Resolute Forest Products Inc. (“Resolute”) today announced their intention to sell Resolute's Thunder Bay pulp and paper mill to further facilitate the regulatory review process. On July 6, the Paper Excellence Group through its wholly-owned subsidiary Domtar Corporation (“Domtar”), a global diversified manufacturer of pulp and specialty, printing, writing, and packaging papers, entered into an agreement with Resolute, a global forest products company, to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Resolute stock.

Fedrigoni is launching a new range of products based on the upcycling of siliconized glassine liner material, which until now has been partly recycled and partly discarded. The glassine liner, which is recovered from end-users, becomes now, and for the first time, part of the facestock of the self-adhesive construction, enhancing the value of the product and reducing waste, emissions and energy consumption.

Combitech, a Nordic tech-solution and consulting partner, is delivering the first private 5G-network, with indoor- and outdoor coverage, in Sweden. The network connects the unloading area of the mill with the port of shipment in Skärnäs. This is a first step to connect the entire operations at the Iggesund Mill, and more areas will be included, to secure the position as the “most efficient and most reliable mill” in Sweden.

bio-fibre news

Andritz Oy, part of international technology group Andritz, and LUT University (Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT) launched an extensive collaboration in the field of fiber technology a year ago. As a result, a new state-of-the-art research laboratory for the joint development of sustainable fiber technologies will open at the LUT campus in Lahti on November 3, 2022. The unique corporate collaboration model is a substantial step towards a new way of sharing infrastructures and intensifying research work with external partners.

Global trade of softwood lumber fell about 10% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Most of the decline was driven by lower lumber demand in China, the US, and Germany. The slowdown in lumber consumption worldwide came at an opportune time since European countries, North America, and Asia boycotted Russian forest products after the country invaded Ukraine. As a result, Russia's lumber exports fell by over 30% y-o-y during the first six months of 2022 and are expected to fall further in the year's second half.

Viscose speciality fibres manufacturer Kelheim Fibres partners with TextileGenesis^TM, an award-winning traceability platform that creates radical transparency from fibre-to-retail and ensures authenticity and provenance of sustainable textiles against generics.