below please find a selection of the latest news from the world of pulp and paper.

ipw news

Shandong Jin Tian He Paper Co., Ltd. awarded GAW technologies GmbH with an order for the coating colour preparation and working stations to the new PM13 in China. The 6,320 mm wide PM13 will produce food grade folding boxboard (food quality packaging material) with a basis weight range of 170 to 400 g/m² at a production speed of 800 m/min.

International technology group Andritz has received an order from Lignatherm AG to supply a pressurized refining system for a new insulation board production plant in Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland. This greenfield plant will use exclusively wood chips from local forests to produce eco-friendly insulation board.

Ittihad Paper Mill (IPM) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has again selected Valmet as the main supplier of field services to its annual shutdown in 2024. The shutdown will take place at the end of July 2024. The order was included in Valmet's orders received of the fourth quarter 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

Accurate testing is crucial to ensure an efficient papermaking process and high product quality. To achieve these production goals in a cost-effective and energy-efficient manner, manufacturers need reliable data on various factors such as fiber and particle charge in the wet-end, mineral filler content in the paper or the haptic properties of tissue paper. Emtec Electronic will showcase several products at the upcoming event in Helsinki to address these challenges: the ACA Ash Content Analyzer, CAS touch! Charge Analyzing System, FPA touch! Fiber Potential Analyzer, and the redesigned TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer.

Despite political and social barriers and the current and historic conflicts between various states, the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) tissue converting market is currently one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing in demand for tissue products for both consumer and commercial use. The Paper and Tissue One show will present the latest technologies and solutions to this dynamic market April 16 to 18 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. BW Converting’s Hygiene division -- which comprises PCMC, W+D, Stax and Northern Engraving – will present manufacturers with an unparalleled combination of machinery and systems for tissue and hygiene converting, packaging and folding to address every need, from end-to-end.

Following the start-up of a Toscotec’s Tadvision^® tissue machine, Hengan International Group has launched on the Chinese market premium quality structured tissue with excellent bulk, softness and absorbency properties. Installed at their Xiaogan mill, the new line is the first of two TAD machines that Hengan ordered from Toscotec to launch pioneering tissue products in the demanding Chinese market. Hengan’s second TAD machine will be installed at their headquarters production base in Fujian province, and it is scheduled for start-up in 2024.

The Voith Group mourns the loss of its former member of the Corporate Board of Management, Mr. Hans Müller. Müller passed away on March 20, 2024 at the age of 82.

Prices for Coated and Uncoated Fine papers were increased during January and February but not to the levels necessary to maintain a viable business. Cost levels, particularly for pulp and transport have continued to increase heavily and are expected to escalate further in the coming months. Accordingly, Sappi will renew price negotiations to reach the level of min. 10% originally announced, with implementation latest by 1 May 2024.

International technology group Andritz has received a turn-key order from Northwood Tissue Ltd. to supply a new PrimeDry Hood and an air system for a tissue machine rebuild at the mill in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. Start-up is planned for the third quarter of 2024.

bio-fibre news

The 4evergreen alliance sets out to increase the recycling rate of fibre-based packaging to 90% by 2030¹. Accessing industrial packaging such as paper sacks as new fibre source can be part of the solution. The European sack kraft paper and paper sack industry commissioned independent research in the recyclability of paper sacks. The study² concludes that not only are used and unused paper sacks perfectly recyclable. They also offer product and process benefits when incorporated into the recovered fibre furnish. A white paper presents the outcome in detail.