Toscotec will supply to linerboard manufacturer ETAP a technological rebuild of PM2’s press section at their Borg Elarab paper mill, near Alexandria in Egypt. The paper machine has a sheet trim width of 2,520 mm and it manufactures testliner and kraftliner in the range from 125 to 240 gsm. This is a repeat order for Toscotec, who in 2018 had completely rebuilt in stainless steel the Fourdrinier wire section of PM2.  

This new order includes the supply of the new bi-nip concept that will replace an existing plain press installed in the first part of PM2’s press section. The bi-nip configuration will deliver twofold benefits: an increase in the post-press dryness rate of the paper machine and an increase in the press section efficiency by significantly reducing paper breaks. 

Mohamed Ashour, Managing Director of ETAP, says: “With this new rebuild project, we aim to step up our production taking advantage of Toscotec’s advanced technology. Based on the fruitful cooperation we had with Toscotec in the past, we are confident in the positive outcome of this investment.” 

Enrico Fazio, Sales Director of Toscotec’s Paper & Board division, says: “Toscotec is glad to have the opportunity of cooperating again with ETAP, who is a key customer in the Egyptian market and the Middle East at large. We are very satisfied to continue the fruitful cooperation we have established three years ago. We are confident that selecting a supplier of advanced technology such as Toscotec will be rewarding for their growth strategy in the market.” 

Sameh Habib, CEO at Chemitex Egypt for Trading & Agencies, says: “We are delighted to work again with an important paper producer such as ETAP who is very well positioned in the Egyptian market.”

About ETAP
Established in 1990, ETAP is a family business that has grown to become one of the leading  manufacturers of high quality linerboard in Egypt. Its production facility is located in Borg Elarab, Alexandria, where it operates two paper machines, for an annual production capacity of approximately 120,000 tpy. The product range includes top kraftliner and testliner1 that are distributed in the local and export markets. 

For more information, please contact:
Enrico Fazio, Sales Director, Paper & Board division, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The operations of Metsä Group's only production unit in Russia, the Svir sawmill, have been suspended. Wood procurement in Russia for the Svir sawmill and imports to Metsä Group’s Finnish and Swedish mills has also been discontinued.
METSÄ GROUP

For further information, please contact:
Juha Laine, Senior Vice President, Communications, Metsä Group, tel. +358 10 465 4541

Metsä Group
www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is leading the way in advancing the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, bioproduct development and a fossil free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, as well as tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group’s annual sales amount to approximately EUR 6 billion, and we have around 9,500 employees in 30 countries. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forests: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative which is owned by nearly 100,000 forest owners. 

Henan Xinya orders two new A.Celli E-WIND® P100 paper rewinders for the Xianxing plant.

Given the excellent results obtained thanks to the solutions provided by A.Celli since 2005, including the E-WIND® P100 paper rewinder ordered in 2018, Henan Xinya New Tech Materials Co.,Ltd. will again turn to A.Celli rewinding solutions.

The new supply requested by the Chinese group for their mill located in Xianxing City, Henan Province, includes two E-WIND® P100 paper rewinders, designed to process white coated paper with a web width of 5720 mm at a design speed of 2500 m/min. This will be accompanied by the related installation and commissioning services.

We are extremely proud of Henan Xinya's confidence in A.Celli technology and we look forward to strengthening our partnership for years to come.

HENAN XINYA – COMPANY PROFILE

Henan Xinya was founded in 1979 and is one of the leading paper companies in Henan Province, with an annual paper production capacity of 800,000 tons and total business assets of 3.66 billion yuan. Henan Xinya was ranked 22nd among the companies of the pulp and paper industry in China.

BillerudKorsnäs and the Norwegian forest owner group Viken Skog are forming a joint venture to explore the possibilities of working together to establish production of bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp at Viken Skog’s Follum mill in Hønefoss.

BillerudKorsnäs and Viken Skog plan to initiate a feasibility study about future pulp production at Follum. This will be completed during the first half of 2023. The intention is to establish a state-of-the-art production line for bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) at the Follum mill with a capacity assumption of up to 200 kt/a. The Follum mill already has much of the infrastructure needed to establish such a production line and is located in an area with competitive and sustainable wood supply and good transports to BillerudKorsnäs’ board mills.

If the project will proceed after the feasibility study is completed, the investment for BillerudKorsnäs is estimated to be in the range of 600-800 MNOK.

“This initiative forms part of BillerudKorsnäs’ strategy for sustainable and profitable growth and supports our ambition to grow in paperboard. To cover the increasing need for BCTMP for our growing board operations, we want to explore the possibilities of producing this pulp quality in Follum together with Viken Skog. As part of this partnership, the intention is also to enter into a long-term wood supply agreement with Viken Skog. We initially see good prospects for creating an efficient supply chain and competitive access to the raw materials needed to produce the packaging materials of the future,” comments Christoph Michalski, President and CEO of BillerudKorsnäs.

“With BillerudKorsnäs, we have found a solid partner who, like us, wants to implement an efficient supply chain and explore sustainable product opportunities provided by the forest raw material. The existing infrastructure at Follum provides a promising basis for establishing pulp production with a relatively low investment need. We will in the feasibility study also explore the possibilities for producing biogas, and later also solutions for carbon capture at Follum. We are very pleased with the partnership, and we look forward to getting started with the feasibility study,” comments Olav Breivik, Chairman of the Board in Viken Skog.

Kıvanç Tekstil may be new to packaging, but their broad experience applying innovative and environmental approaches in their textile and energy businesses is also a focus in their containerboard venture. This greenfield 1,000 tpd recycled containerboard and special packing grade board machine will utilize a wet end system with AFT’s most advanced POM® technology. This technology choice was essential to enable faster grade shifts with less waste for the multiple grades planned for the new paper machine.

The system includes a complete screen room with MaxFlow screens, a POMix stock processor to feed the paper machine, POMp degassing, and POMLock drop legs.  The mill’s sustainable focus will benefit from this system, which is more compact, more flexible, and results in a cleaner operation with less waste and down time.

Compared to traditional systems, the POM paper machine wet end and headbox screening system has a smaller footprint, and the option to have no basement below the paper machine - thus simplifying construction and environmental permits. All this leads to enhanced paper making performance with high quality and greater production efficiency.

AFT Pom degasser

About Kivanç

Kıvanç Tekstil operates as one of the main woven fabric suppliers of the European and American apparel market, including famous local and global fashion brands, by producing an annual capacity of 18 million meters on a wide mix of fabric blends weighing between 100 g/m² to 500 g/m². Kıvanç Tekstil is an integrated woven fabric producer based in Adana, South Central Turkey. The company was founded by Hacı Mustafa KIVANÇ in early 1950 and since then has grown to become a vertical fabric producer covering all crucial woven textile production steps from spinning to finishing.

Kıvanç Tekstil targets and currently supplies high quality and innovative fabrics for business and classic apparel both for menswear and womenswear. The company’s innovative approach and know-how in the industry leads to long-term collaborations with fashion retail brands by producing best quality fabrics with a professional work ethics.

About AFT

AFT is a global supplier specialized in stock preparation, screening, refining and paper machine approach flow systems. With over 100 years of experience, we offer expert solutions that help mills produce more while using less energy, water and chemicals.  Our solutions are tailored to the customer’s furnish, their application and the end-product being produced in order to optimize their return on investment.  For more information, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Stora Enso today announced that they will stop all production and sales in Russia until further notice due to the ongoing invasion in Ukraine. Stora Enso has three corrugated packaging plants and two wood products sawmills in Russia, employing around 1,100 people. The Company will also stop all export and import to and from Russia. A mitigation plan has been activated to secure availability of input materials from other sources.

“The war in Ukraine is unacceptable and we are fully behind all sanctions. We will now focus all our attention on supporting our customers and the well-being of our employees,” says Annica Bresky, President and CEO.

Stora Enso’s sales in Russia is approximately 3% of total Group revenues. The impact on Stora Enso’s sales and EBIT is not material.

Part of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, 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 22,000 employees and our sales in 2021 were EUR 10.2 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 (SEOAY). storaenso.com

International technology group ANDRITZ will deliver drying, air and energy technology to Essity’s professional hygiene business for its PM3 and PM4 tissue machines at its mill in Menasha, Wisconsin, USA.

Start-ups are estimated for the end of 2022.

The ANDRITZ equipment enables sustainable and resource- saving production and includes:

• PrimeDry Hood HT (high-temperature) and air systems for PM3 – the ANDRITZ hoods for PM4 and PM15 were recently started up successfully.  
• an 18 ft. PrimeDry Steel Yankee for PM4, with head insulation for energy efficiency and ANDRITZ’s own metallization – PrimeCoat Stratos – to provide greater hardness and extended Yankee lifetime.

Workshop view: PrimeDry Hood technology to improve heat-transfer efficiency and optimize drying. © ANDRITZ

The ANDRITZ drying equipment will enable tissue machines at the Menasha mill to operate at speeds of up to 2,000 m/min with products for a wide range of basis weights. The scope of supply includes installation advisory services, start-up, commissioning, and training.

Mark Phiscator, Engineering Service Director of Essity North America, explains: “Our ambition is clear: We aim to innovate and implement new and improved production solutions with a smaller environmental footprint. And we expect the same from our suppliers. This is why we chose to work with ANDRITZ for the upgrade of our two tissue machines. We’ve worked together with the ANDRITZ tissue team in Montreal for a long time and really appreciate their expertise.”

Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company that conducts sales in approximately 150 countries and sells professional hygiene products under the globally leading Tork® brand. This order once again confirms the excellent business relationship between ANDRITZ and Essity.

ANDRITZ GROUP
International technology group ANDRITZ offers a broad portfolio of innovative plants, equipment, systems and services for the pulp and paper industry, the hydropower sector, the metals processing and forming industry, pumps, solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors, as well as animal feed and biomass pelleting. Plants for power generation, flue gas cleaning, recycling, and the production of nonwovens and panelboard complete the global product and service offering. Innovative products and services in the industrial digitalization sector are offered under the brand name Metris and help customers to make their plants more user-friendly, efficient and profitable. The publicly listed group has around 26,800 employees and more than 280 locations in over 40 countries.

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER
ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper provides equipment, systems, complete plants and services for the production of all types of pulp, paper, board and tissue. The technologies and services focus on maximum utilization of raw materials, increased production efficiency and sustainability as well as lower overall operating costs. Boilers for power generation, flue gas cleaning systems, plants for the production of nonwovens and panelboard (MDF), as well as recycling and shredding solutions for various waste materials also form a part of this business area. State-of-the-art IIoT technologies as part of Metris digitalization solutions complete the comprehensive product offering.

Valmet has on March 1, 2022 acquired North American-based Coldwater Seals, Inc., a global provider of consumables and services to the pulp and paper industry. Coldwater operates manufacturing facilities in the United States and Sweden. The value of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

Coldwater manufactures and supplies paper process parts, including suction roll seal strips, ceramics, plastics, doctoring products and other specialty products. It is the global market leader for suction roll seals and plastic dewatering elements.

In the last twelve months, the company had net sales of approximately EUR 15 million. The acquired operations employ about 60 people, who are located in Atlanta and Appleton in the U.S. and Kil, Sweden. Coldwater operates globally and has Technical Service Representatives in more than 70 countries.

"We are continuously strengthening our stable business, meaning Services and Automation. This acquisition supports strategy to expand our consumables offering. I warmly welcome the new skilled professionals to become part of the Valmet team and into our strong, global Services organization," says Aki Niemi, Business Line President, Services at Valmet.

"I am convinced that the future of Coldwater is in good hands with Valmet," adds David Withers, Owner and CEO of Coldwater Seals Inc.

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.  

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.   

Valmet's net sales in 2021 were approximately EUR 3.9 billion. Our more than 14,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.   

Read more www.valmet.com

Toscotec will supply an AHEAD 2.2 tissue line on a turnkey basis to the Bangladeshi consumer goods manufacturer City Group who sets out to enter the tissue market. The new tissue mill will be erected in Hoshendi Economic Zone near Dhaka, and it is planned to start production in 2023.

The AHEAD 2.2 machine has a design speed of 2,200 m/min and a production capacity of over 40,000 tpy. It is designed for superior drying efficiency through the combination of the latest generation design of both TT NextPress shoe press and TT SYD Steel Yankee Dryer, as well as TT Hood with multistage energy recovery. 

The turnkey supply encompasses the complete stock preparation and fiber recovery systems, the patented TT SAF^® Short Approach Flow with double dilution, the full electrification plant, Toscotec’s proprietary control system, and all associated auxiliary systems. Toscotec will also deliver the new OPTIMA 2200 slitter rewinder designed to preserve the bulk and softness of the mother reel. City Group ordered an extensive service package including detailed engineering, erection supervision, training commissioning, start-up assistance, and YES-CONNECT-VISION Augmented Reality remote assistance system. 

Md. Imran Uddin, Director of Planning & Business Development at City Group, says, “When we set out to enter the tissue market, we did a careful evaluation of machinery manufacturers at global level looking for a supplier of turnkey projects who could also provide all the assistance we needed to succeed. We decided on Toscotec because they offered the highest guarantee of advanced technology and wide experience in giving full-on support to newcomers in tissue.”

Gabriele Martinelli, Toscotec Sales Manager, says, “It is always exciting for us to take on a project of a company entering the tissue market. This is the second turnkey project in two years in Southeast Asia. We are happy to share our experience with City Group through technical meetings, visits to our workshops and to paper mills operating Toscotec’s tissue lines. We knew it was important for them to look at key components such as TT SYD and TT NextPress, and then see them in operation.”

About City Group
Established in 1972, City Group is one of Bangladesh’s leading consumer goods manufacturers. It owns 40 sister companies that specialize in different products and services, including vegetable oil, flour, sugar, tea, rice, PET and tin containers, packaging, water, animal & aqua feed, as well as maritime vessels, and electrical power. 

For further information, please contact:
Gabriele Martinelli, Sales Manager, Toscotec Tissue division, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Global leader in specialty chemicals for paper packaging to provide sustainable barrier coating solutions

In a world desperate for alternatives to plastics, the market-pull for dry molded fiber is enormous. To support converters in the transition to the new technology, PulPac continuously expands its network of preferred partners and suppliers. Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals focused on delivering sustainable solutions, has joined this global network of leaders supporting the dry molded fiber community.

“We are excited to be a force for sustainable change in the packaging industry by contributing to this groundbreaking technology. Solenis has a prominent culture of innovation, consistently delivering new-to-the-world products and next-generation technologies to meet the ever-changing market needs and challenges our industrial customers face. I believe we are uniquely positioned to provide safe and sustainable barrier solutions designed for circularity to the dry molded fiber converters that lead the way and set new standards for fiber-based packaging,” says Daniel Palrén, Business Development Manager at Solenis. “Fiber-based products coated with these barrier coatings typically are repulpable, recyclable, compostable and biodegradable, thereby offering packaging producers a way to improve their sustainability credentials with brand owners, retailers and consumers.”

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, has joined PulPac’s worldwide network supporting the dry molded fiber community

Dry Molded Fiber, invented and patented by PulPac, is a fiber-forming technology available to converters, brand owners and partners to help create a new and competitive standard in sustainable packaging. The pioneering technology is designed for the circular economy and uses affordable, globally available, renewable cellulose fibers to produce high-performance, fiber-based packaging and single-use products with highly competitive unit economics. Saving significant amounts of valuable water resources and energy, a dry molded fiber product can have up to 80% lower CO2 footprint compared to alternatives.

“Collaboration is key to putting an end to plastic pollution. By working together with leaders such as Solenis, we expand capabilities, expertise and capacity and speed up the on-going global transition to fiber, away from single-use plastics. The collaboration already shows very good results and together with Solenis’ reach, know-how and platform as a leading global chemistry supplier in fiber, we can work wonders on barrier technology,” says Linus Larsson, Chief Executive Officer at PulPac.

About Solenis
Solenis is a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, focused on delivering sustainable solutions for water-intensive industries, including the pulp, packaging paper and board, tissue and towel, oil and gas, petroleum refining, chemical processing, mining, biorefining, power, municipal, and pool and spa markets. The company’s product portfolio includes a broad array of water treatment chemistries, process aids and functional additives, 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, minimize environmental impact and maintain healthy water. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 47 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of over 6,000 professionals in 120 countries across five continents. Solenis is a 2021 US Best Managed Company.

For additional information about Solenis, please visit www.solenis.com

About PulPac
PulPac provides the packaging industry with a groundbreaking manufacturing technology for low-cost, high-performance fiber-based packaging and single-use products. By pioneering the technology of cellulose molding PulPac enables their customers to replace single-use plastics with a sustainable and cost competitive alternative globally. 

For additional information about PulPac, please visit www.pulpac.com