The paper rewinders will be installed downstream of the PM4 and PM5 dedicated to the production of special decorative paper, both located in Weifang City.

A.Celli is honoured to announce that Century Sunshine Paper Group Ltd has chosen to rely on A.Celli Paper’s technology by signing the contract for the supply of four E-WIND® P100 for its PM4 and PM5 lines located in Weifang City, in the Shandong province.

The new Paper Rewinders, scheduled for delivery in mid-2022, will be used to process Jumbo rolls of Special Decorative Paper with a maximum width of 3910 mm and basis weight ranging from 50 to 150 gsm, all at a design speed of 2300 mpm.

Finally, A.Celli supply will include two shuttles for the transferral of the Jumbo rolls between different production lines.

Mr. Ci Xiaolei, Century Sunshine Paper Group Chief Engineer, says “We are very happy to have chosen A.Celli Paper’s solutions. Their machinery is top-notch and, specifically, the iDEAL® P100 are the paper rewinders we were looking for to ensure maximum productivity and the best product quality. We hope this is just the beginning of a long-term partnership between our two realities”

CENTURY SUNSHINE PAPER GROUP – COMPANY PROFILE

Shandong Century Sunshine Paper Group Company Ltd., founded in late 2000 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange market in 2007, is one of the top 15 paper manufacturers in China and among the top 100 paper manufacturers in the world. With total assets of RMB 10 billion, 4,000 employees, 15 branches and a total paper production capacity of 1.5 million tons per year, combined with an unique positioning and differentiation strategy, Sunshine Paper is currently at the forefront of the Chinese papermaking industry.

Hygiene and health company Essity is launching a pilot project to run a paper machine CO²-free with green hydrogen in the company’s production facility in Mainz-Kostheim, Germany. For this purpose, natural gas is successively replaced by green hydrogen on the site’s largest paper machine during ongoing production. The project is the first of this magnitude in the paper industry. Essity’s investment in the pilot project amounts to EUR 4m (approximately SEK 40m).

Essity is starting to use green hydrogen in its production processes. The Essity site in Mainz-Kostheim is testing to what extent green hydrogen can replace natural gas in the tissue production process without compromising on the high product quality.

Following the necessary installations and the re-build of the paper machine, Essity will gradually add green hydrogen to its energy supply. It is planned to run the drying hood of the paper machine on 100 percent green hydrogen by autumn 2022.

"We will be the first in the world to use green hydrogen for tissue production. This is a clear commitment towards our ambitious climate agenda and a big step towards a decarbonized society. We are creating a sustainable process that is setting a new benchmark for the industry”, says Magnus Groth, President and CEO, Essity.

The investment in the green hydrogen pilot project will contribute to Essity’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company. We are dedicated to improving well-being through our products and services. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as JOBST, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda and Zewa. Essity has about 46,000 employees. Net sales in 2020 amounted to approximately SEK 122bn (EUR 11.6bn). The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Essity breaks barriers to well-being and contributes to a healthy, sustainable and circular society. More information at www.essity.com.

Even before extended producer responsibility (EPR) was mandated by the South African Government in May 2021, the pulp and paper manufacturing and recycling sector has been embarking on process and production innovation to reduce its environmental footprint, divert waste from landfill and stay ahead of the circular economy curve. 

What is the circular economy? It’s a closed loop of taking, making and re-using – as opposed to a linear “take-make-waste” approach.

The problem with the linear model is clear. When we treat raw materials (such as wood and water) and energy as infinite, we end up with waste. Waste costs money –  which in itself is waste, especially when you consider the costs of landfilling, the loss of reusable materials, and the livelihoods that could have been supported. There are also losses at the expense of the environment – greenhouse gas emissions when waste degrades.

The circular economy, however, is based on three core principles: reducing waste by design, retaining materials in circulation and restoring the systems from which resources are extracted.

Contrary to popular belief and opinion, the paper industry has for many years adopted the circular approach.

Fibres are pulped with water to make a slurry which is then sent through a series of refiners before heading to the paper machine.

Circles in the forest

We should all know by now that paper comes from the wood of trees – even the fibres in recycled paper came from a tree at some point in their lives. In South Africa’s case, these trees are sustainably farmed in plantations, with stringent management of their impact on water, soil, neighbouring indigenous landscapes and biodiversity.

Gone are the days of detrimental, wall-to-wall afforestation. Today, forestry companies work in tandem with wetlands, riparian zones and high conservation value areas to create a mosaic of planted trees and conservation spaces.

Sustainable forest management balances economic, social and environmental needs. While forestry practices optimise the land’s ability to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration, they also act as buffers for protected indigenous areas.

Depending on the species – usually eucalyptus or pine – these trees take around seven to 10 years to reach maturity. The reason we use exotic species is because they are fast-growing and we cannot – and will not – use indigenous trees for wood or paper products.

Currently, South Africa has 850 million trees growing over 676 000 hectares reserved for pulp and papermaking. Here’s the rub: less than 10% of this total area (67 600 hectares) is harvested during the year. The same area is replanted with new trees – saplings – often at a ratio of two trees for each one harvested.

This is the first circle: plant, grow, harvest, replant…

The circle of life

The circular economy in forestry extends to leaving forest residues in-situ as a mulch for the next generation of trees. After harvesting, bark, limbs, leaves and small parts of the harvested trees are left on the forest floor, offering sustenance and refuge for creatures that aid in the decomposition of organic matter, which in turn attracts birds – and so we have another circle.

In addition, through photosynthesis, trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into food for growth. They also take up water, from the ground or from rainfall. They keep the carbon locked up in their fibres and give us back the oxygen, and some water is also returned to the atmosphere through transpiration.

Circular production processes

Even pulp and paper mills operate in a closed loop process, by using natural resources efficiently – often more than once.

Process water is reused and recycled, lost fibre is recovered and reused, and spent chemicals are recovered for energy production. Even bark – a biomass – is used to power boilers, producing steam that generates electricity.

This sees us being better at using more of the tree, ensuring little goes to waste. 

Circling the bin

Once pulp and paper are made into what we know – office paper, magazines, books, pizza boxes, cereal boxes, cardboard boxes, newspapers, milk and juice cartons, paper cups – the circle starts to hit home. Office paper can be printed on both sides, and boxes can be reused as storage. Magazines and newspapers are used by school children for projects and posters.

Importantly, paper fibres can be recycled up to seven times; how we dispose of paper products creates another circle. With a four-year average recovery rate of 70%, paper is the second most recovered material in South Africa.

By putting them in our rubbish bin, paper products will go to landfill – or if they are lucky to be retrieved by a waste collector, they might get to a recycling mill. But this requires that people apply some basic practices to recycling paper.

Ideally, we want paper products separate from wet waste – this keeps them clean for recycling. Even the simple act of placing recycling in a separate bag or box for a waste collector who sells these back to a recycling mill makes a considerable difference.

Recovered paper is reprocessed and made into corrugated boxes, tissue, cereal boxes and moulded protective packaging that comes back into our homes, and which we use and recycle. And so the paper cycle – or circle – continues. The carbon also stays locked up for longer when paper is recycled.

Circles in the laboratory

This is where our circles get really exciting. Some wood-based products are already in circulation in everyday life. Dissolving wood pulp is used in food, pharmaceutical and textile industries. Cellulose is used as a binder, emulsifier and filler. It’s in our low-fat yoghurt, cheese and ice cream; it’s in the bathroom cabinet in our lipsticks and vitamins.

Our sector can extract xylitol from wood to make non-nutritive sweeteners, and it can also make bricks and bio-composites from paper sludge, the leftovers from the paper recycling process when fibres become too short for use.

We can make plastic, membranes and films with cellulose, and biodegradable alternatives to fossil fuels from lignin. We have students developing biodegradable fruit fly attractant sheets from nanocellulose, and controlled release fertiliser coated with cellulose, starch and diatomite (silica). We can also make attractants for mosquitoes from cellulose-based materials, to help society in the fight against malaria.

By increasing the circularity in our sector, we can ensure that we not only increase our contribution to society, the economy and employment, but the forest products sector can be part of the solution to climate change and green economic recovery.

Consumers can play their part too. By using pulp and paper products that are certified and responsibly produced, and by recycling paper products, we can practise sound environmental stewardship and be part of the circle.

Rottneros announces price hike of 75 USD/ton for all new orders effective 1st of November 2021. The increase is implemented on all High Yield Pulp grades and for all destinations.

The increase reflects rapidly increasing input costs for energy and particularly electricity as well increases for chemicals and transportation.

Rottneros is a supplier of fibre for selected niches, speciality paper and board applications. Rottneros offers a wide selection of High Yield and Kraft Pulp (bleached and unbleached) made from sustainably managed Nordic soft wood forests.

Kasper Skuthälla
Sales and Business Development Director, Rottneros AB

For more information:
Erik Gillberg
Head of Sales, Mechanical Pulp, Rottneros AB
erik.gillberg @ rottneros.com
Mobile: +46 70 343 10 34

Kemira’s new quick inversion polymer technology helps address one of the key concerns of recycled paper and board producers: stickies originating from tapes, glues, and labels used in recovered and recycled packaging material. 

The increasing use of recycled fibers in paper and board production brings unique challenges for the manufacturers. A common problem are the contaminants that are present in secondary fiber furnishes and can significantly reduce production efficiency and product quality.  

The new quick inversion polymers provide superior hydrophobic particle fixation and have proven success in improving machine cleanliness and with it, machine runnability and efficiency in both recycled linerboard and tissue grades. 

“Our customers need solutions that are cost-efficient, easy to apply, and compliant with modern regulations, e.g. suitable to be used in food contact. These products are the result of significant research into the right molecular weight and charge to find the optimal fixation performance to control the stickies,” says Michael Wallace, Senior Manager, Wet End Applications at Kemira. 

The quick inversion polymers are multipurpose products. In addition to being an excellent fixative for stickies control, they work well as retention and drainage boosters, improving dewatering performance e.g. in high-grammage paperboard grades, and also help improve the efficiency of other functional chemicals, such as sizing, in the papermaking process. 

“Improved machine cleanliness enables an increase in machine speed even on lightweight grades, helps significantly reduce product defects, and extends e.g. forming fabric and dryer felt lifetime. Improved retention and drainage performance at the wet end of the machine further improves production efficiency and productivity for our customers.” 

Kemira’s quick inversion polymers are part of the KemForm™ Retention and Drainage concept, and the products are available under the FennoPol™ tradename globally. As user-friendly pump-and-go products, they do not require complicated or costly polymer make-down equipment at the mill site. This increases the cost-effectiveness of the chemical solution. 

“Efficient use of recycled raw materials requires particular chemistry expertise. By combining the high-performing polymer products with our advanced chemical injection technologies and digital solutions for monitoring hydrophobic particles and process performance in real-time, we enable optimized processes for our customers in the challenging recycled grades production,” Michael concludes.

For more information, please contact: 

Michael Wallace
Senior Manager, Wet End Applications 
Pulp & Paper Americas 
Kemira Chemicals, Inc. 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Learn more about Kemira’s quick inversion polymers. 

Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water intensive industries. We provide best suited products and expertise to improve our customers’ product quality, process, and resource efficiency. Our focus is on pulp & paper, water treatment, and oil & gas. In 2020, Kemira had annual revenue of around EUR 2.4 billion and around 5,000 employees. Kemira shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.
www.kemira.com

Performa Light CarbonZero™ by Stora Enso is the first carbon neutral cartonboard offer in the market. It helps Stora Enso’s customers to have a smaller climate impact.  

Performa Light CarbonZero is a carbon neutral, renewable and recyclable cartonboard offering that helps Stora Enso’s customers to achieve carbon-related sustainability targets and show concrete and measurable actions on climate change through their packaging.

Performa Light CarbonZero is produced at Stora Enso’s Fors site in Sweden, which is fossil carbon emission-free in its electricity and steam production and from the beginning of 2022 also in internal logistics. This is a result of continuous work and investments in improving the operations. The production is therefore already very low on greenhouse gas emissions. To make Performa Light CarbonZero carbon neutral, the currently unavoidable emissions originating from raw material production are compensated with a well-established offsetting service provided by external partner South Pole.

Performa Light CarbonZero™

“Since sustainability is more and more a deciding factor in consumer purchases, we expect the demand for carbon neutral products to grow in the future. Carbon neutral Performa Light CarbonZero will help our customers to have a smaller climate impact and to differentiate on the market through their packaging” says Dmitry Panfilov, VP, Head of Business Line FBB and SBS.

Sustainability is at the core of Stora Enso, which culminates in the goal to become 100% circular, net biodiversity positive and net carbon positive by 2050. Stora Enso is already ambitiously reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its operations and value chain, and the share of fossil fuels in the group’s overall energy consumption is low. This has made the move towards offering carbon neutral material possible.

“Our priority is always to reduce fossil emissions in our operations and value chain as much as we can, and our goal is to eventually offer carbon neutral products without offsetting. However, some emissions are still currently unavoidable, which is why we use carbon offsetting to be able to offer carbon neutral packaging material already now," says Kristiina Veitola, VP, Sustainability, Packaging Materials division.

In addition to carbon neutrality, Performa Light CarbonZero is ideal for folding cartons for chocolate and confectionery, cosmetics and beauty care, healthcare and other premium packaging. The superior quality of Performa Light makes it attractive for premium brands. It has an exceptional visual appearance and thanks to FiberLight Tec™ by Stora Enso, a patented fiber treatment technology, the product is lightweight without compromising on strength.

Stora Enso
Part of the bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper. We employ some 23 000 people in more than 30 countries and our shares are listed on the Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Stockholm (STE A, STE R) stock exchanges. Our fiber-based materials are renewable, recyclable and fossil free. Our solutions offer low-carbon alternatives to products based on finite resources. We believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow.

For further information, please contact:
Elina Huopio
Product Manager, FBB
+358 40 5025372
elina.huopio @ storaenso.com

The modernisation of the Metsä Board Kyro mill’s finishing area has now been completed and the finishing line with new advanced equipment has started up. During the mill’s annual maintenance shutdown in October, a new state-of-the-art reeler and winder were installed on the production line, and the reel broke handling system was significantly upgraded. The investment, announced in December 2019, was worth EUR 20 million. Metsä Board is part of Metsä Group.

"The new high automation finishing line will further improve the quality consistency of the paperboard reels and increase the runnability on our customers' converting lines. In addition, the automation will improve upon the existing occupational safety level in the mill's finishing area and reduce the physical workload," says Petri Huiko, Mill Manager at Metsä Board Kyro mill.

The Kyro mill produces coated high-quality folding boxboard and innovative dispersion coated barrier board, which helps reduce plastic in consumer packaging. The mill has a production capacity of 190,000 tonnes per year.

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.

Metsä Group
www.metsagroup.com 

Metsä Group leads the way in the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, developing bioproducts 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, and tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group’s annual sales is approximately EUR 5.5 billion, and we have around 9,200 employees in 30 countries. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forest: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative owned by 100,000 forest owners.  

Driven by strong performance, Suzano’s leverage in USD drops to 2.7 times

Suzano, the global benchmark in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from eucalyptus, announces its results for the three months to September 2021 (3Q21), with operating cash generation reaching R$5.2 billion, a new quarterly record since Suzano’s inception following the merger between Suzano Papel e Celulose and Fibria in January 2019. During the 12-month period ended September 2021, operating cash generation totaled R$17 billion.

Adjusted EBITDA, another important indicator of the company's financial performance, reached a record R$6.3 billion in 3Q21. Due to the increase in adjusted EBITDA, combined with the fresh reduction in net debt to US$10.7 billion, ratio of net debt to EBITDA ended the quarter at 2.7 times in USD. With this, the company concludes its financial deleveraging cycle after the merger with Fibria and kickstarts a new phase of expansion with the construction of a pulp mill in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Mato Grosso do Sul state.

Suzano’s strong results in recent quarters underline its competitive strength and cash generation potential. “This new quarterly record was achieved in spite of inflationary pressures - especially on commodities, and the logistics challenges that have marked international trade in 2021,” says Walter Schalka, CEO of Suzano.

The 3Q21 results were driven by strong sales volume across all businesses. In the pulp segment, sales volume totaled 2.7 million tons. The company’s inventory levels remain below the desirable level from the operational standpoint. In the paper segment, sales volume totaled 337 thousand tons, higher than in the 3Q19, before the pandemic. Suzano’s net revenue came to R$10.8 billion in the period from July to September.

In the last line of the balance sheet, the weakening of BRL against USD at the end of the quarter was chiefly responsible for the negative net result of R$959 million. This is a noncash effect and is primarily explained by the balance of dollar-denominated debt when translated into Brazilian real.

Suzano announced two important developments after the end of Q3. As part of its ESG agenda, the company announced its revised carbon removal target, bringing its goal to remove 40 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere by 2030 forward to 2025. On the expansion front, the company today announced that its Board of Directors has approved the construction of a mill in Ribas do Rio Pardo. Details of the project will be disclosed on November 5.

“Our strategy remains focused on long-term results and on creating value for all our stakeholders. With regard to discussions on the climate crisis, since we understand that effective measures in the short term are critical, Suzano reiterates its commitment to the planet and to people by bringing forward its carbon removal target. By announcing our new goal, we hope that governments, companies and society also revisit their commitments so that COP26 becomes a strategic milestone for the advancement of a new low-carbon economy,” says Schalka.

About Suzano

Suzano is a global reference in developing sustainable and innovative solutions from renewable sources, guided by its purpose of renewing life inspired by trees. It is the world’s leading eucalyptus pulp producer and one of Latin America’s largest paper producers, playing a part in the lives of over 2 billion people from its 11 mills across Brazil and the joint operation Veracel. The company, whose history for over 97 years, has an installed capacity of 10.9 million tons of market pulp and 1.4 million tons of paper a year, and exports to more than 100 countries. Its operations are based on Innovability - Innovation at the service of Sustainability - and on the highest levels of social, environmental and corporate governance practices, and its shares are traded on stock exchanges in Brazil and the United States. For more information, visit www.suzano.com.br/en/

International technology group ANDRITZ has successfully started up a new 550 t/d HERB chemical recovery boiler (upgradable to 700 t/d) at Naini Papers Limited in Kashipur, state of Uttarakhand, India.

The boiler is designed to handle a mixture of hardwood and agro-based black liquor and enables environmentally friendly and more energy-efficient operation compared to the black liquor incinerator previously used in the mill. Thus, the mill’s pulp production as well as the power-to-heat-ratio will increase substantially. The boiler also features a unique vertical air system to minimize air emissions.

The scope of supply also included:

• Engineering for the entire system except civil work and the electrical and automation equipment
• Complete pressure parts
• Auxiliaries such as start-up oil burners, black liquor burners, and smelt spouts
• Safety-related system (SRS)

View of the new ANDRITZ HERB recovery boiler at Naini mill © ANDRITZ

Pawan Agarwal, Managing Director, Naini Papers Limited, says: “The entire ANDRITZ team has worked tirelessly and zealously to see to it that commissioning was trouble-free and fast. Team Naini conveys its warmest thanks to the ANDRITZ team for this wonderful support.”

This is the second of six ANDRITZ HERB recovery boilers currently being installed in India, thus showing the strong market share ANDRITZ holds in the Indian pulp and paper market.

Naini Papers is one of the leading paper brands in India and offers quality paper products from agricultural residue by using innovative, state-of-the-art technology, thereby providing an alternative to wood-based paper while conserving valuable resources and protecting the environment.

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 27,200 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.

Domtar received confirmation from the Sûreté du Québec this morning of the tragic news regarding the second worker, Mr. Hugo Paré, who also lost his life following the collapse of a scaffolding on October 26 at approximately 1:35 a.m. at the company’s Windsor mill. This loss is in addition to Mr. Yan Baillargeon, who was found yesterday.

Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the families of Mr. Paré and Mr. Baillargeon and to the colleagues affected by this tragic accident.

This tragedy affects and saddens us all. We are focusing our efforts on supporting our colleagues and their families.

Domtar would like to thank all those who have worked tirelessly to assist.

Domtar will continue to cooperate and participate in the ongoing investigation by the Sûreté du Québec and the CNESST to determine the cause of the accident.

About Domtar

Domtar is a leading supplier of a wide range of fiber-based products, including communication, specialty and packaging papers, market pulp and air-laid nonwoven products. With nearly 6,400 employees serving customers in more than 50 countries, Domtar is driven by the desire to transform sustainable wood fiber into useful products that people can rely on every day. Domtar has annual sales of nearly $3.7 billion and its common stock is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Domtar's main administrative office is in Fort Mill, South Carolina. For more information, visit www.domtar.com.