As one of the founding partners of The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme

Sappi Limited, a leading global producer of dissolving wood pulp, speciality and packaging papers, graphic (printing and writing) paper and biomaterials, is pleased to announce its support as one of the founding partners of The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme .

The 3-5 year fellowships, announced last week by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), will attract academics from around the world to identify breakthrough solutions to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At launch eight Fellowships have been funded.

The Sappi supported Fellowship will focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goal “Reshaping the future of industry” (SDG9). It aims to build on Sappi’s current engagement with the CISL by investigating how trends of innovation and sustainability will come together to reshape the future of industry – looking at the paper and pulp industry as an initial example and examining drivers including the rise of artificial intelligence and the need to bring carbon emissions to net zero.

Commenting on Sappi’s decision to become a Founding Partner of the Fellowship Steve Binnie, Chief Executive Officer of Sappi Limited, said:

“We have been engaging at a group and European level with Dame Polly Courtice and the CISL team since 2013. They have helped and supported our European industry efforts related to the Green Growth Platform, the development of a new low carbon pulp technology (DES), exploring financing options to support industry’s transformation and investigating block-chain technology for timber certification.” He continued “The challenge for the pulp and paper industry is how to be much more effective than today, both in our journey towards durable sustainability and to the need for economic vitality and employment for future generations. This Fellowship programme and the research it will deliver will help take this work forward. We live in an age of hyper-innovation and we take responsibility for making it work positively. That is why we have chosen a subject which joins the desire and need for sustainable materials with the most revolutionary technology to appear for over a generation – that of Artificial Intelligence. We anticipate that the Fellowship programme will deliver students with a profound knowledge and understanding of these issues which will help drive new solutions for us and others, creating exciting opportunities far into the future.”

CISL, a 30-year old Institute with 80 staff and a network of 8,000 alumni and 250 companies, will host the Fellowship Programme alongside its existing industry collaborations and executive education programmes to foster an exchange of knowledge and ideas.

Speaking at the launch of the Fellowship, Dame Polly Courtice, Director of the CISL said: “The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme will create a rich intellectual space for collaboration between researchers and industry as we seek breakthrough ideas and leadership actions to towards meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals”.

Over and above Sappi’s topic of Industrial Transformation, the other confirmed research topics include Social and Environmental Accounting; Investing in Sustainable Communities; Sustainable Health; Radical Innovation and Disruption; The Role of Responsible Business in the Community; Inclusive Growth; Pathways to a Circular Economy.

On 26 June, during ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2018, Voith introduced its new smart service package, Virtual Reality Solutions by Voith Paper. It offers paper manufacturers the opportunity to have their new machine modeled in virtual reality. This means that Voith customers can benefit from more transparency, efficiency and safety in paper production over the entire life cycle of the machine.

Thanks to the new virtual reality technology a company can experience its own paper machine as early as the planning phase

• New paper machine can be brought to life as early as the planning phase
• Better learning outcomes thanks to customized, interactive training programs for new and existing machines.
• Staff can acquire proficiency in a safe virtual environment

With Virtual Reality Solutions by Voith Paper, paper manufacturers can obtain a digital representation of their very own new machine within a matter of days. The system allows the machine to be brought to life before it is even built, either on a monitor or for an even more realistic experience using virtual reality goggles. In the planning phase this makes it much easier to configure the machine and develop infrastructure e.g. for stock preparation, buildings and access routes in the planning phase. Providing information to stakeholders is also a much simpler matter if the characteristics and functions of individual components and the entire machine can be represented realistically at any location in the world.

With Virtual Reality by Voith Paper, paper manufacturers can become familiar with their paper machine in the planning phase

With Virtual Reality Solutions by Voith Paper effective use can be made of the time available prior to commissioning of the machine. Operators, maintenance crews and managers can acquire proficiency and familiarize themselves with the machine and those inner workings that are not directly accessible in real life. Virtual training programs allow personnel to acquire experience with the operation even though their paper machine is not yet running. Training in a virtual reality environment is about more than just visual perception; there is also a realistic noise backdrop and controls allow the user to move along the entire machine and execute certain hand actions. Much better learning outcomes can be achieved by addressing several sensory perceptions at once.

Virtual Reality Solutions by Voith Paper also ensures more efficiency during operation itself. Staff can practice maintenance activities in advance in interactive training scenarios. The training not only includes all work processes, which are simulated step by step with the necessary tools, it also focuses on occupational safety. For example, the replacement of a press sleeve or screen basket can be simulated and practiced in a safe virtual environment before the task is due to be performed at the machine. The routine acquired in this way then leads to shorter downtimes in real-life maintenance, a lower error rate and a reduced risk of workplace accidents.

Maintenance operations can be tried out in advance in a safe environment by means of virtual training programs

With Virtual Reality Solutions by Voith Paper the company is taking its next step on route to Papermaking 4.0. “Our aim is to combine the potential offered by digitalization with the physical manufacturing process and in this way optimize paper production,” explains Thomas Holzer, President Business Line Projects Voith Paper. In doing so, Voith is once again offering its customers a tailored, intelligent service solution based on customer requirements that will significantly increase machine availability and process reliability

CEPI, the European association representing the pulp and paper industry, today released its annual market and industry review for 2017 which confirms, despite a challenging global environment, the strong performance of industry in Europe.

“The 2017 figures demonstrate that the European pulp and paper industry is achieving a phenomenal turn around. Whether it is production, added value or exports, all key indicators are positive. The current level of investment, not seen since 2005, is indicative of industry’s self-confidence and the acceleration of its transformation.” says Sylvain Lhôte, CEPI Director General.

The latest investment figures also bode well for the industry’s ambitious investment agenda. 2017 exhibited a 7.5% growth of investment from 2016, at over 5 billion euros, which is aligned with the transformation outlined in the industry’s 2050 ‘Investment Roadmap’.  

Consumption of paper is up by 0.5%, a significant increase based on previous trends. Similarly the production of paper and board is up 1.5% from 2016, benefiting from a more favourable economic environment and from conditions promoting sustainable solutions.

Exports were particularly strong tallying a 5.2% increase from 2016, a noteworthy figure in the background of growing international tensions on trade.

Likewise the industry has also proved performant when it comes to paper for recycling. Notwithstanding the introduction in 2017 of the Chinese waste import restrictions, the paper and board recycling rate has increased to 72.3%. This comes in the same year that industry has witnessed a 1.4% increase in the utilisation of paper for recycling.

For futher information please contact Bernard Lombard CEPI General at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BillerudKorsnäs and Uppsala University are making paper batteries a reality, paving the way for energy storage in packaging materials.

BillerudKorsnäs and researchers at Uppsala University have together taken an important step towards the future’s paper batteries. Together they have taken basic research based on pure cellulose from algae and developed it to work with the same type of fibre that BillerudKorsnäs usually uses to manufacture packaging material. This development opens up for both inexpensive and eco-friendly batteries. The long-term aim is to enable large-scale production and the future use of paper batteries for applications in areas such as smart packaging.

testing of the material

Technology for large-scale production processes
The development work is being carried out by one of Sweden’s foremost research teams under Maria Strömme, collaborating with BillerudKorsnäs, as a leading company in the development of sustainable packaging technology, in a completely new form.

“What’s special in this case is the model for collaboration between BillerudKorsnäs and Uppsala University that has resulted in technology adapted to large-scale production processes. We’re combining the deep theoretical expertise of the researchers with our understanding of innovation and production technology. By successfully creating a joint platform, we can focus our work on the future, on creating an advanced product that can still be produced in an effective way,” says Lars Sandberg, project manager for innovation at BillerudKorsnäs.

Smart, connected packaging
In the long term, the paper battery opens up possibilities for developing packaging that is both smart and more sustainable. Small paper batteries with sensors can in the future open up for packaging that can be traced through the entire transport chain. This includes, for example, packaging that measures temperature or position in real time and provides information on what is happening with an item during transport.

A paper battery entails many new ways of using packaging and can thus offer exciting opportunities for the packaging industry and BillerudKorsnäs customers that wish to establish systems that safeguard quality and delivery reliability. For example, a light sensor along with a BillerudKorsnäs paper battery could provide information on where in the transport chain a product disappeared from its packaging.

With electrodes based on cellulose from wood fibre, the ambition is that in the future, it will be possible to recycle batteries along with their boxes and make them into new boxes or paper batteries.  

testing the paper battery potential and charge

“The paper battery is a key piece of the puzzle in efforts to produce smart packaging that requires small, sustainable power sources. By enabling this type of sustainable packaging, the work on the paper battery is fully in line with BillerudKorsnäs’ vision of challenging conventional packaging for a sustainable future. Storing energy in paper instead of in lithium batteries, for example, allows for bio-based batteries that can form part of a circular system, which provides major sustainability benefits,” says Magnus Wikström, technical director at BillerudKorsnäs.

Valmet will supply a complete Valmet Advantage DCT 200 tissue line to the Turkish tissue manufacturer Lila Group in Corlu, 100 km west of Istanbul. The TM3 line will be equipped with all state-of-the-art options available including stock-preparation and an extensive automation package to achieve production with high efficiency and low energy consumption. Start-up is planned for 2020.

Valmet has previously delivered two Advantage DCT 200 tissue lines to the same mill. TM1 started up in 2007 and TM2 in 2012. In addition to the new tissue line, Lila Group also ordered a rebuild of their TM1 and TM2 to Advantage ViscoNip press configuration.

The orders were included in Valmet's second quarter of 2018 orders received. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

"For us it is important to collaborate with a supplier who understands our demands and has the capability to deliver equipment that can meet our targets for efficient production, low energy consumption and high tissue quality. From our experience, we know that Valmet provides the best technology for our needs. In addition to the new tissue machine, we also have high expectations to improve our operations on TM1 and TM2 with the rebuild of the press sections," says Orhan Ogucu, Chairman of Lila Group.

"The Valmet Advantage DCT 200 concept with the Advantage ViscoNip press has become standard in the Turkish tissue market. We are happy to once again be trusted as a partner, supporting Lila Group's expansion plans and are looking forward to working together realizing their targets," says Björn Magnus, Sales Director, EMEA, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

Valmet's tissue machine delivery will comprise of a complete Advantage DCT 200 tissue production line with stock preparation equipment and the Advantage tissue technology. The scope will also include an extensive automation package with DCS, QCS and Softness sensor. Start-up, commissioning and training are also part of the delivery.

The new machine TM3 will add a capacity of 70,000 tons of tissue products for the domestic and export market.

About Lila Group

Lila Group is a leading Turkish industrial enterprise headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. The group operates in four different sectors in tissue paper, FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), energy and textile. The factory in Corlu is set to become the biggest tissue manufacturing facility under a single roof in Turkey and Middle East and North Africa. It employs nearly 1,000 people.

Read more www.lilagroup.com, https://www.linkedin.com/company/lilagroup

Celupaper S.A. successfully started up PM4, a new MODULO-PLUS tissue machine supplied by Toscotec, at its Papelera Nicaragua mill, Argentina. The tissue machine started producing sellable paper immediately after start-up and is scheduled to reach the target speed in the following weeks, after careful fine-tuning.

The new MODULO-PLUS produces 65 tpd and it features a single layer TT Headbox, TT SuctionPressRoll, TT SYD-3200MM, TT Milltech-MYH monosystem gas-fired hoods. The scope of supply also includes the approach flow system, the electrification & control system, training, erection supervision, commissioning and start-up assistance.

PM4 is part of a series of repeated orders awarded to Toscotec by the leading South American tissue producer. In 2015, the Italian manufacturer carried out the rebuilding of PM2, an existing Fourdrinier machine, and supplied a new steel Yankee dryer TT SYD-2500MM and the complete steam and condensate system. In 2016, Toscotec supplied PM3, a complete MODULO tissue line.

Mario Speranza, CEO of Celupaper S.A. says, “Thanks to the continued production increase implemented with Toscotec’s plants, we have grown significantly in the South American market. Since 2015, we boosted production by over 100 tpd. Tissue quality, machine efficiency and energy reduction are our key standards of investments in new equipment. Throughout 4 years of close partnership with Toscotec, we have achieved good results with respect to all of these aspects and have continuously improved such results”.

“PM4 project evinced once again the excellent cooperation we have with Celupaper. With every new project, we aim to improve their performances. We worked intensively together on the reduction of energy consumption, starting from the design, with our TT DOES solution (Drying Optimization for Energy Savings) all the way to the fine-tuning of the plants at the mill site. On PM4, we also optimized the layout of the electrical and auxiliary plants, to guarantee better access for the operators to the different areas of the machine" commented Toscotec’s Project Manager Pier Paolo Brunazzi.

Verso Corporation's (NYSE: VRS) Stevens Point Mill in Wisconsin this month celebrates a century of excellence in making specialty papers. With a 100-year tradition of innovation, passion and customer commitment that continues today, the Stevens Point Mill is North America's largest state-of-the-art specialty paper mill with the capacity to produce 200,000 tons of high-performing specialty paper annually.

"We are extremely proud of the generations of dedicated men and women whose papermaking expertise has made the Stevens Point Mill an industry leader over the past century," said Verso President of Graphic Papers Mike Weinhold. "As we celebrate the mill's 100-year anniversary, our Steven's Point team is more committed than ever to delivering the innovative products that help make our customers successful."

"Our mill's long-standing reputation for quality products, unmatched customer service, committed environmental stewardship and generous community involvement is a testament to the exceptional people who've worked here over the years," said Stevens Point Mill Manager Craig Helgeson. "I want to thank all of our team members, past and present, for their dedication to our mill, our customers and our neighbors."

On July 11, 1918, the Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company began construction of a hydroelectric plant and paper machine complex that produced its first ton of paper in 1919. The mill's two paper machines manufactured 15 tons of fruit wrap tissue, tissue paper, toweling and crepe paper per day, transitioning over the next few years to waxed bread wraps and high-grade crepe papers. When consumers moved away from paper bread wraps to plastic in the mid-1950s, the mill diversified its product line into flexible packaging papers with a focus on food packaging – a forward thinking decision that continues to benefit the mill and its customers decades later.

The mill invested over $300 million in the 1990s, increasing capacity to more than 480 tons per day and providing the opportunity to meet customer needs in additional markets such as thermally printed labels, wet strength beverage labels and release liner papers. Continuing investment and rapid innovation in the 2000s have resulted in exciting new customer partnerships and additional capacity, now at approximately 550 tons per day.  

"Verso's Stevens Point Mill was founded on hard work, integrity, innovation and a relentless drive to satisfy our customers," said Verso Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Papers Ed Buehler. "These values and ideals, combined with our state-of-the-art facility and unwavering commitment to excellence, continue to position the mill as a specialty papers leader among packaging converters and consumer brands nationwide and in more than 20 countries around the globe."

Kemira, a global chemicals company serving customers in the pulp and paper industry, announces price increases for sizing technologies globally.

Effective immediately or as contracts allow, the price of FennoSize ASA and AKD based offerings will increase by up to 15%.

The decision is triggered by continuous cost increases of raw materials, energy and logistics, and regulatory compliance requirements combined with limited availability of key raw materials which are used in the manufacturing of these technologies.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has acquired a 70% stake in Diatec S.R.L., a leading manufacturer of converting machines for the hygiene and food packaging industries based in Collecorvino in the region of Pescara, Italy. The remaining 30% will stay in the hands of the two current shareholding families.

Diatec designs and manufactures a wide range of special machines and technological solutions, mainly for the production of baby diapers and other absorbent hygiene products, but also for food packaging. With this acquisition, ANDRITZ complements its product portfolio in Nonwoven and is now able to offer the complete supply and value chain, from the raw material, to webfoming, finishing, and converting.

Diatec was established in 1992 and has developed very favorably since then, with many international references and renowned customers around the the world. The company is known for its innovative spirit, providing flexible and sophisticated solutions for the hygiene sector.

The Diatec owners and managers, who will continue to work in the company, acknowledge that ANDRITZ is the best partner to support the company’s long-term growth and – together with employees and suppliers – to create synergies that can satisfy the demands of its customers.

Andreas Lukas, Division Manager for ANDRITZ Nonwoven, says: “We are very excited about this complementary acquisition that extends our market coverage, process technology, and product range within the nonwovens industry.”

Diatec’s General Manager, Luigi Mancini, comments: “With ANDRITZ, we have found our ideal partner to strengthen our international market position and we are looking forward to growing further within this collaboration.”

Valmet has received the 250^th order for its successful Valmet Pulp Analyzer (Valmet MAP) for managing various applications regarding fiber furnish management at pulp and paper mills. The milestone analyzer will be installed at Sichuan Qianwei Fengsheng Paper Co. Ltd in China. The delivery will include a Valmet Kappa QC Analyzer, too. The raw materials used in the mill's tissue production include bamboo.

The order was included in Valmet's second quarter of 2018 orders received. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The solutions will be delivered in the third quarter of 2018.

"First, we trust Valmet and its advanced analyzer solutions. With accurate measurements, we will be able to get faster and more precise online updates of key fiber and papermaking furnish properties to improve runnability and productivity. Second, stabilizing the entire fiber line control will help us reduce variation, chemical usage and production costs. Also, easy-to-maintain Valmet analyzers will improve our labor efficiency and operator effectiveness as well," says Chuanping Zhou, General Manager at Sichuan Qianwei Fengsheng Paper.

"It is nice to cooperate with a customer who really wants to develop the mill's total pulp and tissue line performance. It means taking good care of basic issues. When the ultimate goal is clear both for the customer and the supplier, it is easy to find the right solutions and implement them. Performance improvement and development is a long-term project for which reliable analyzers and controls provide a solid foundation. It is easy for the mill and also for Valmet to take next steps towards more sophisticated solutions in the future when the foundation is reliable and in a good shape," comments Janne Määttä, Manager, Pulp & Paper Applications, Valmet.

Valmet's existing installations at Sichuan Qianwei Fengsheng Paper include a Valmet Brightness Measurement (Valmet Cormec5 X) and a Valmet Residual Measurement (Valmet Polarox5). Valmet is currently delivering a Valmet Fiber Image Analyzer (Valmet FS5) and consistency transmitters for the mill, too.

Information about Valmet Pulp Analyzer (Valmet MAP) and Valmet Kappa Analyzer (Valmet Kappa QC)

Valmet Pulp Analyzer (Valmet MAP) provides paper, board and tissue makers with fast and precise online updates of key fiber and papermaking furnish properties. It represents the state of the art in online fiber analysis, building upon continuous advancements by Valmet over the past thirty years. 

Valmet's online analyzer, Valmet Kappa QC, is a new-generation analyzer that not only measures pulp lignin content, brightness and fiber properties, but also fuses a unique stabilizing control capability and Valmet's decades of know-how.

Information about the customer Sichuan Qianwei Fengsheng Paper

Sichuan Qianwei Fengsheng Paper Co., Ltd. is located in Lingang Industrial Park, a new industrial development center in Leshan City, Sichuan province. The company was founded in 1958 and has a registered capital of 120 million yuan, with more than 450 employees. Fengsheng Paper is a national top 5 enterprise of bamboo pulp production. It is also the market leader of bamboo resources in Sichuan Province.