MM strengthens its position in virgin-fiber based cartonboard and innovative barrier cartonboard solutions for plastic replacement

The Mayr-Melnhof Group (MM) has completed the acquisition of Kotkamills, Finland, which was agreed in December 2020, after receiving approval from all relevant competition authorities. Through the acquisition, MM strengthens its position in the virgin fiber cartonboard (FBB) market with an attractive range of barrier cartonboard solutions that can replace PE (polyethylene) -coated cartonboard. Moreover, MM enters the growing cupstock market. This acquisition complements MM’s established market position in recycled cartonboard. In addition, MM diversifies the business with Saturating Kraft Paper in which Kotkamills is one of the global leaders.

"MM Kotkamills will take a strong and dynamic position within MM as the innovator in novel cupstock solutions based on water-based dispersion barriers applied by on-line technology. Our medium-term objective is to raise the sales volume to the capacity of close to 400,000 t of cartonboard per annum. We are looking forward to a successful cooperation with our new colleagues," says Peter Oswald CEO of the MM Group.

MM Kotkamills operates the most modern virgin fiber board machine in Europe (built in 2016) as well as a machine for Saturating Kraft Paper with a capacity of 170,000 t and a sawmill. The mill employs approximately 500 people and generated sales of around EUR 380 million in 2020.

MM is Europe's largest producer of cartonboard and folding cartons focusing on sustainable and innovative fiber-based packaging solutions. In 2020, the group generated sales of around EUR 2.5 billion and employed approx. 10,000 people.

In June, Meghna Pulp & Paper Mills Ltd and Recard S.p.A. signed a contract for the delivery of a brand new tissue and MG paper production plant.

For the second time, this important client from Bangladesh chose Recard for the delivery of a plant.

The new turnkey plant includes three preparation lines for pulp where also waste paper can be used as raw material.

The paper machine with fourdrinier formation section is designed to reach a max operating speed of 1000 mpm and a production rate of 70 tpd. The plant features all the auxiliary equipment, from the vacuum system and recovery boiler to the water distribution system and full DCS and electrical system installation.

A special rewinder – suitable for both crepe papers and smooth papers like the MG – completes the plant.

Installation and start-up are scheduled for September 2022.

Recard will be in charge of all plant engineering, project management, installation supervision, start-up support, training, and post-start-up babysitting.

Meghna Pulp & Paper Mills Limited is a unit of Meghna Group of Industries, one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh, with over 35000 employees and a turnover of 2.5 Billion dollars.

The Mayr-Melnhof Group (“MM”) announces the closing of the divestment of its virgin fiber-based cartonboard mills located in Eerbeek, Netherlands, and Baiersbronn, Germany, to a subsidiary of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. The divestment is in line with MM’s strategy to focus on new acquisitions and growth capex.

The mills Eerbeek and Baiersbronn together have an annual capacity of about 245kt of virgin fiberbased cartonboard (FBB) produced on two board machines and employ approximately 400 people. Sales reached EUR 195 million in 2020.

For further information, please contact: Stephan Sweerts-Sporck, Investor Relations, Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG, Brahmsplatz 6, A-1040 Vienna, Austria Tel.: (+43/1) 50136 – 91180, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A.Celli Paper, together with the Smurfit Kappa Roermond Papier team, has successfully rebuilt and started up the PM3 of the Roermond plant dedicated to the production of packaging paper.

A.Celli Paper announces the completion of the rebuilt PM3 start up on the 24th of June, with total satisfaction of our client, Smurfit Kappa Roermond Papier, both for the performance achieved and for the compliance with the planned program, despite the difficulties related to the global pandemic.

The rebuilding interventions carried out by A.Celli Paper on the Smurfit Kappa’s PM3, a line dedicated to the production of 1000 tons/day of 2-layers liner packaging paper with basis weight ranging from 125 to 220 gsm and a width of 5090 mm, involved:

• The press section, with the substitution of the whole frame and the change of the press loading system from pneumatic to hydraulic. 
• The first group of the pre-dryer section with four new dryer cylinders and three vacuum rolls, including the relevant new hood. 
• Mechanical and piping erection services

Said interventions took a total downtime period of 21 days and the commissioning phase ended on the 21st of June.

Mr. Sjon Vrieze, Technical Operations Manager of Smurfit Kappa Roermond Papier, says: “We were able to resume production on the evening of June 24, and the machine is running stable since then. Uptime is above target, speed is on target and the quality achieve is above target, so from the point of view of the machine performance we are happy so far. I wish to send my regards to all the A.Celli colleagues who have worked hard to get the job done in Roermond.”

SMURFIT KAPPA ROERMOND PAPIER – Company Profile

Smurfit Kappa Roermond Papier is a company started in 1937 and part of the Smurfit Kappa Group, an international brand with 350 branches in 35 countries and leader in Europe for the production of corrugated packaging, containerboard and “bag in box”. In 2020, Smurfit Kappa Roermond Papier produced 635,000 tons of recycled paper from over 1.3 million bales of waste paper.

BillerudKorsnäs is in a process with the aim of divesting the paper mill in Beetham, UK. The process is ongoing and no binding agreement to divest the mill has yet been entered into. Since BillerudKorsnäs’ machine glazed (MG) paper business has primarily been focused in Skärblacka, the strategic importance of Beetham to the rest of the group has been reduced.

Beetham produces kraft paper for packaging of medical equipment, food packaging and other types of industrial applications and has a capacity of around 45 000 tonnes per year. In 2020, the facility had sales of around SEK 480 million.

For further information, please contact:
Ivar Vatne, CFO, +46 8 553 335 07
Lena Schattauer, Head of Investor Relations, +46 8 553 335 10

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from ST Paper to supply a new tissue machine for its recently acquired site in Duluth, Minnesota, USA.

Start-up is planned for the end of 2022.

The ANDRITZ tissue machine of the type PrimeLineTM W 2000 has a design speed of 2,000 m/min and a working width of 5.65 m to produce a range of bath, napkin and towel grades. The order includes:

• the approach flow equipment with double dilution capability for excellent fiber preparation
• a fully cantilevered PrimePress XT Evo shoe press for gentle dewatering
• a 16 ft. PrimeDry Steel Yankee with head insulation, steam and condensate systems, and high-performance Yankee hood and process air systems for energy-efficient drying
• mist extraction and dust removal systems for safe operation and
• a PrimeReel standard reel with turn-up equipment for excellent end product quality

The entire production line will be equipped with an ANDRITZ PrimeControl MCS automation system which includes extended features for process automation throughout the tissue line and minimizes the number of subsystems and associated interfaces. Installation advisory services, start-up and commissioning services are also included in the scope of supply.

PrimeLineTM tissue machine with shoe press © ANDRITZ

Sharad Tak, founder and principal partner of ST Paper: "We partnered with ANDRITZ because they offered state-of-the-art tissue machine technologies with a focus on optimized energy consumption and a commitment to achieve our project goals.”

Joseph Guadagno, ANDRITZ Vice President Tissue and Air Systems, North America, adds: “We are very pleased that ST Paper selected ANDRITZ as a trusted partner. The relationship developed with the ST Paper team on past projects contributed to this success”.

ST Paper acquired Verso Corporation’s idled Duluth mill in May, with the intention to convert the mill’s production from specialty paper grades to tissue. ST Paper has already successfully converted two fine paper machines into tissue machines at its Franklin, Virginia facility. ANDRITZ was a key supplier to ST Paper on both PM 5 & PM 6 rebuild projects at the Franklin mill, with the supply of the Yankee hoods and complete air systems for both rebuilds, including one of the widest Yankee hoods in the world at 8.43 m (332”) hood width installed on PM 6.

This order once again confirms ANDRITZ’s strong market position as one of the leading suppliers of machines and systems to the North American tissue industry and ANDRITZ’s expertise specifically in wide tissue machines and energy-saving components.

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 26,950 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.

RAK Mill, Indonesia, signs new ABB contract as part of digital transformation project to help achieve its highest ever production.

ABB has won a first order for its recently-launched Sheet Break Performanceas part of a major digital transformation project at PT. Riau Andalan Kertas mill (RAK) in Indonesia, part of Asia Pacific Resources International Limited.

ABB is a long-standing digital transformation partner to RAK, helping the papermaker to reach its optimization goals and improve paper machine runnability, with the end objective to move from diagnosis to prediction and eventually prevention measures. The mill has recently reported achieving its highest ever annual paper production.

RAK had experienced a high number of sheet breaks and wanted to better understand the causes. ABB started with base level control tuning and Paper Machine Fingerprint and is implementing recommended actions, all delivered via Collaborative Operations, to enable RAK to reach the next level.

Sheet Break Performance is the latest addition to several other ABB Performance Services, including Wet End Control and Paper Machine Drives Performance, at the mill. The site is capable of producing up to 2.8 million tons of pulp and 1.15 tons of paper per year.

“ABB was the natural digital partner for our ambitious mill transformation, and we have complete confidence in their vision to help us to accurately diagnose sheet breaks and move up the curve to a more predictive approach to operations,” said Mr Clinton Vught, RAK BU Manager. “The digital transformation journey that we have been on with ABB has so far enabled us to increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and set a new output record. With our mill being one of the top five most efficient pulp and paper mills in the world, sustainability is equally important to us, so we look forward to using ABB’s Sheet Break Performance to enhance our operational performance while fulfilling our ambitious sustainability goals.”

“The RAK operators desired to improve OEE by reducing web breaks,” said Ramesh Satini, Product Manager at ABB. “We recommended following our three-phase methodology that first benchmarks performance followed by a systematic implementation of solutions that would address any uncovered issues. Digital services were implemented to sustain and further improve the performance in key areas with remote support made possible via Collaborative Operations. The customer’s positive approach and confidence to try new digital solutions has enabled them to make signficant headway in reaching their end goal.”

With automatic curation and contextualization of multiple data points into an intuitive user interface, Sheet Break Performance enables immediate diagnosis and action. RAK will further benefit from root cause analysis within a minute after the break happens, and operators will get alerts when a break is imminent in order to take corrective actions sooner.

The system’s connected service element in addition to its operational and process variability analyzer modules will help the mill achieve the ‘golden run’ by finding planned operational times to run the machine, further contributing to their objectives of increased EBITA, runnability and availability.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

Process Automation: ABB’s Process Automation business is a leader in automation, electrification and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our #1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, announced on 27 July 2021 an investment of EUR 210 million in increasing folding boxboard capacity at its Husum mill in Sweden. The company is responding to growing demand for sustainably produced packaging materials that support the circular economy. The investment strengthens Metsä Board's position as the leading producer of folding boxboard in Europe.

At present, the annual folding boxboard capacity of the Husum’s paperboard machine BM1 is 400,000 tonnes, and after the investment it will rise to 600,000 tonnes. Additional capacity will enter the market during 2024–2025. The investment value is approximately EUR 210 million, divided in 2021–2024 and mainly in 2022–2023. The investment will be financed with current cash funds and future cash flows from operating activities. The Husum port concept will be examined separately, taking into account the growing logistics volumes of the entire integrated mill, and the necessary potential investments will be decided later.

Preparatory work for construction will begin in October 2021 in connection with the planned annual maintenance shutdown of the Husum integrated mill. The ramp-up of additional capacity is expected to start in autumn 2023 and full production capacity is expected to be reached by the end of 2025.

The investment will increase Metsä Board's annual sales by approximately EUR 200 million. In addition, the investment is estimated to have a positive impact of approximately EUR 50 million on the company's annual comparable EBITDA. Sales growth and EBITDA improvement are expected to be achieved in full in 2026.

Metsä Board’s operating result for July–September 2021 will include an impairment loss of approximately EUR 5 million related to the paperboard machine BM1, and it will be reported as an item affecting comparability.

The additional capacity will be directed mainly to the North American and European markets, where the demand growth for Metsä Board's premium lightweight paperboards is expected to continue. Metsä Board's folding boxboard is used, for example, in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics packaging as well as in food service packaging.

METSÄ GROUP

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 5.5 billion, and we have around 9,200 employees in 30 countries. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forests: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative which is owned by 100,000 forest owners.

Metsä Board
www.metsaboard.com

Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards. We focus on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The pure fresh fibres we use in our products are a renewable resource, traceable to origin in sustainably managed northern forests. We are a forerunner in sustainability, and  we aim for completely fossil free mills and raw materials by 2030.

Together with our customers we develop innovative packaging solutions to create better consumer experiences with less environmental impact. In 2020, our sales totalled EUR 1.9 billion, and we have about 2,400 employees. Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

With a visionary design study, technology group Voith is creating the paper production line of the future. The design particularly focuses on improved efficiency and ease of maintenance. As a full-line supplier, the company has considered all aspects of the paper production process for an integrated concept. Maintenance and operation of the facility are simplified, a higher degree of interconnectedness reduces interfaces, and an appealing design ensures a consistent overall look, while at the same time improving efficiency, safety and sustainability.

• As a full-line supplier, Voith presents a holistic concept for all areas of paper production
• The long-term design study is to significantly increase efficiency and maintainability
• The focus is on the implementation of a "Clean Design" as well as the latest digitalization and automation solutions in combination with artificial intelligence

“The goal of our long-term design study is to significantly improve efficiency and ease of maintenance across the entire production line,” says Dr. Michael Trefz, President Division Projects at Voith Paper. “We are considering a wide variety of aspects, such as the degree of automation of the machine, the interconnectivity of various sections, better accessibility and greater safety as well as optimized availability. However, the materiality and an appealing design also play an important role in the concept.”

‘Clean design’ for greater efficiency and a smooth production process
Special attention was paid to the implementation of ‘clean design’ principles, for example by increasing cleanliness in the wet end. Less contamination reduces the risk of unscheduled downtimes due to web breaks. Consequently, operational reliability and machine efficiency are improved and the production process runs smoothly. Also, scheduled shutdowns are completed more efficiently thanks to more accessible work areas and simpler maintenance procedures. The design concept is a long-term project and will be implemented step by step over the coming months and years.

Optimized human-machine interface improves ease of maintenance
“The smartphone has shown how simple and intuitive communication between humans and machines makes many areas of everyday life more efficient. In the industrial environment too, the information and all relevant functions a user needs will in future be presented in one platform,” says Oliver Kunerth, Digital Product Manager at Voith Paper. As part of the vision for the future, a standardized and intuitive user interface will therefore be introduced from stock preparation through to the reeling. In this context, the human-machine interface uses a role-based operating concept to adapt to the individual task of users, which at the same time improves ease of maintenance. In the future, more efficiency will also be ensured by distinctive SmartLights on individual components of the system. They show the machine status at a glance, and if necessary, whether operator intervention is required.

Automatic data analysis replaces pure monitoring
Papermaking 4.0 solutions, sensors, field devices, scanners and actuators already monitor the condition of machines and the quality of production in real time. In the coming years, automatic data analysis will become even more important and replace pure monitoring. Intelligent algorithms will then ensure that in a very short time, the system autonomously creates the optimal conditions for resource-saving production. In the near future, new apps on the Voith OnCumulus IIoT platform will create complete transparency about all conditions in a paper mill and give paper producers far-reaching optimization potential. “For example, one of these apps, the AI-based OnEfficiency.BreakProtect system, can already provide users with recommendations about how to avoid web breaks,” says Oliver Kunerth. Time-consuming and cost-intensive downtimes can thus be minimized, while maintenance and servicing are optimized in a forward-looking manner.
In the future, the OnCumulus cloud platform will also provide a networked interface to all service functions, such as for ordering spare parts via the web store or to the remote service center OnPerformance.Lab, enabling more efficient and sustainable production.

Appealing design for a calm overall appearance
In future, Voith’s expertise as a full-line supplier is also set to be reflected in the design of a plant. In this context, clear structures, high-quality surface finishes and modern materials underline the special quality of a Voith BlueLine stock preparation and XcelLine paper machine.

For more information and details on the paper production of the future please go to: Papermaking Vision | Voith.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Voith wins this year’s AI Champions Award in the ‘large enterprise’ category for its newly developed AI application OnView.DigitalEye. For the first time, this innovation allows the quality of recovered paper to be analyzed at the stock preparation stage, one process step before paper production. Every year, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Employment and Tourism of the state of Baden-Württemberg awards the accolade to outstanding innovations that contribute to a successful AI ecosystem with the help of artificial intelligence. Voith’s digital solution impressed the committee with its sustainability, innovative strength, area of application, and added value for the customer.

• With its AI Champions Award, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Employment and Tourism of the state of Baden-Württemberg recognizes outstanding solutions from the field of artificial intelligence (AI) that contribute to a successful AI eco-system.
• With the help of the digital analysis tool OnView.DigitalEye, it is possible for the first time to determine the precise quality of recovered paper even before the stock preparation process.
• The key criteria applied by the jury included sustainability, degree of innovation, areas of application, and the added value of the Voith innovation for the customer.

“With the award-winning modular system OnView.DigitalEye it is possible for the first time in the paper industry to assess the quality of the recovered paper immediately before the first step in paper manufacturing,” says Dr. Linus Friedrich, Senior Manager R&D Technology & Digitalization at Voith Paper. “We can use the newly generated signals for example to increase the yield from recovered paper preparation and improve operational reliability. The innovation is thus another important element of Papermaking 4.0 and autonomous paper production.”

More than 70 percent of the paper produced in Europe is recovered from recycled paper. Nowadays, assessing the quality of the recovered paper is generally limited to an incoming goods inspection that either takes the form of a visual inspection or a random sampling process involving costly or labor-intensive solutions. However, the quality of the recovered paper is not known immediately before it is pulped for paper manufacture, which can result in a high degree of uncertainty for the process. Voith has now developed a solution to deal with this. OnView.DigitalEye is based on artificial intelligence, although it uses images from conventional color cameras, which keeps the investment costs comparatively low. The centerpiece of OnView.DigitalEyes is an artificial neural network that leverages expert knowledge to learn how to assign recovered paper with a high degree of accuracy to its respective commercial grade. In combination with conventional image analysis, additional valuable signals are generated for recovered paper properties that can be used for efficient process control. The AI application OnView.DigitalEye is currently undergoing final trials in pilot installations at customers in Germany and abroad, and will probably be available from the middle of next year.

KI champions awards

The expertise and digital infrastructure established for OnView.DigitalEye are planned to also be used in future for other cross-industry applications relating to AI-supported visual inspection at the Voith Group. “By using Voith’s own robust IIoT & AI services, we can realize customer solutions for groundbreaking application requirements simply and agilely,” says Thomas Greil, Vice President IIoT & Advanced Applications at Voith Group Innovation & Technology. “In the process, the underlying technology services will be further expanded successively and sustainably, while at the same time creating a harmonious application eco-system for our customers. The added value for the customer, with a pragmatic approach to the latest technologies, is always the focus of our digital ambitions.”

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

www.voith.com