Paper Mart Emagazine February-March Issue 2021

Vol. 21 No. 06

Feb-Mar, 2021

Price INR 100/-

The anniversary issue

Century Pulp and Paper Starts 36000 TPA Tissue Machine Supplied by Valmet...18

Emami Paper Mills: Well-Positioned to Look at Further Opportunities in the Paper Industry...12

Ruchira Papers: Translating its Dynamic and Forward-Looking Approach into Growth...28

Kuantum Papers: Transformational Growth Underpinned on Consistent Innovations and Upgradations...22

EDITOR’S LETTER Celebrating Paper Mart’s 21st Anniversary

Yes, you read that right!!! Paper Mart turned 21 this year – a milestone close to quarter of a century. Along the way, we have watched the industry grow into its colossal phase starting with launching some top quality products to the creation of specialized papers.

Paper Mart has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a pioneer industry magazine. The Feb-Mar 2021 issue marks the magazine’s 21st Anniversary.

Paper Mart was started in the year 2000 — and is the only renowned and trusted commercial publication in India for the pulp and paper industry. For 21 years — Paper Mart has brought to the world the stories of paper business and industry leaders through its huge circulation of 18000+ copies which is demanded and read by pulp & paper manufacturers, paper converters all across the country — even in the remotest parts.

No one at the outset in 2000, thought the magazine would gain tremendous growth and popularity. Since then! Well, the love continued to flow.

Our bi-monthly print publication is perfectly augmented with the web portal (www. papermart.in) — which is updated on regular basis along with our busy social media hubs like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter — that bridge the gap between the industry enthusiasts and the companies.

Over the past years, Paper Mart has covered and published some major breakthroughs from the paper industry and cover stories that featured industry leading paper manufacturer’s interviews, innovations, expansions, collaborations… and one of our prime coverage — Top Paper Companies in India.

There’s another reason to spread the love now — later this year, Paper Mart will roll out its Directory, offering a one-stop-solution for industry to connect and network.

We’re gearing up for a launch in August this year — so stay tuned.

Paper Mart has overcome and thrived the onslaught of digitalization and economic seesaw over the last 21 years. Industry’s one of the favorite B2B magazine will continue to evolve and help in bringing in top blend of news stories and developments from the pulp and paper industry to the masses.

Pushing Forward Of course, the COVID-19 outbreak has undoubtedly shaken the whole world and businesses are feeling the brunt of the virus. With multiple industry events being cancelled and several global markets almost in lockdown, it has been worrying times for the pulp and paper sector with logistics restrictions, material delays, legal issues, jittery clients, and most importantly, health and safety all causing concerns in the industry.

Times are certainly tough, but despite the challenges, we must not forget that we have gone through similar struggles and paper businesses have overcome them in the past. The timely and successful rollout of the vaccination programme will determine how fast India will traverse the road to economic recovery.

----- Let’s stick together and remember that this too shall pass!

Mr. Parveen Kumar Jain Editor & Publisher

CONTENTS February-March, 2021, Paper Mart

PANDEMIC, CRISES AND PRICE RISE

38

Team Paper Mart initiated a detailed feature to get insights into why there has been a sharp increase in the prices of all types of paper and the challenges the Indian paper industry is grappling with, by interacting with a number of players in the industry.

38

PANDEMIC, CRISES AND PRICE RISE

12

18

Emami Paper Mills: Well-Positioned to Look at Further Opportunities in the Paper Industry

12

Our next step would be to install another packaging board machine with internal accruals. However, we would plan such machine in a horizon of the next three to five years. In the meantime, we may install a small capacity machine in the packaging segment either to produce duplex board or Kraft paper.

Century Pulp and Paper Starts 36000 TPA Tissue Machine Supplied by Valmet

18

Century Pulp and Paper has commissioned its second tissue paper machine supplied by Valmet with highperformance and world-leading technologies.

Kuantum Papers: Transformational Growth Underpinned on Consistent Innovations and Upgradations We have recently commissioned our new backward integration project at an outlay of INR 440 crores, which was executed with the strategy to remove certain existing imbalances in capacities.

22

22

Bellmer India: Bringing Calenders that are Mainstay for Improved Properties of Paper and Boards

44

Bellmer India is arguably the first Indian company manufacturing the state-of-the-art calenders, equivalent to a European calender…

28

Ruchira Papers: Translating its Dynamic and Forward-Looking Approach into Growth

28

Over the years, Ruchira Papers has reinforced responsible growth through a number of pertinent initiatives. One, the Company has made a fundamental choice towards responsible growth through the consumption of renewable agro-based raw materials, reinforcing its positioning of being - ‘Committed to the Earth’.

44 48

34 Orchid Laminates: Looking Beyond Conventions and Expanding Capacities in Different Areas

34

The production in unit 2 for kraft paper had commenced just prior to the COVID-induced lockdown in 2020. The company was able to overcome logistical issues and had established a good foothold in a short duration of time.

BTG Celebrates 100 Years

48

To commemorate the occasion of reaching the 100 year-milestone, the company has launched a campaign re-emphasizing the values that have guided and that will continue to guide the company forward — prioritizing innovation and customer-focus.

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NEWS

70

N•E•W L•E•A•D•E•R

Emami Paper Mills: Well-Positioned to Look at Further Opportunities in the Paper Industry Mr. Vivek Chawla, Whole Time Director and CEO, Emami Paper Mills Limited in an exclusive interview with Paper Mart, sheds light on his responsibilities he has on account of being the Chief Executive, the opportunities he foresees for the Company and the Indian paper industry, the vision of the Emami Group and the key challenges.

Further, he also presents his plans with regard to - increasing production capacity and enhancing efficiency, and the efforts of the Company in CSR and sustainability.

Excerpts of the interview: Paper Mart: To start with, could you please take us through the overview of the roles and responsibilities you have on account of being the new Chief Executive of Emami Paper Mills? In fact you started with cement business and now you have been given the responsibility of paper business, so how do you feel coming to the paper industry?

Mr. Vivek Chawla, Whole Time Director and CEO, Emami Paper Mills Limited

Our next step would be to install another packaging board machine with internal accruals.

However, we would plan such machine in a horizon of the next three to five years. In the meantime, we may install a small capacity machine in the packaging segment either to produce duplex board or Kraft paper.

Vivek Chawla: I started my association with Emami Group under the dynamic and able leadership of the promoters – Shri. R S Aggarwal ji and Shri. R S Goenka ji, the founders of the Group which is now being spearheaded by the secondgeneration in their respective families.

– Shri. Aditya Aggarwal ji and Shri.

Manish Goenka ji lead the Agro and paper business.

Since 2016, I have been associated with Emami Group and I have been immensely satisfied with this journey of around five years.

After spending my lifetime in

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N•E•W L•E•A•D•E•R the cement industry, I would like to mention that one remarkable accomplishment of the Indian cement industry is that it has adopted the world-class technologies and worldclass capacities since very early days and has quickly adapted to changes.

The cement industry also holds the distinction of being the largest consumer of fly ash. I would also like to emphasize that there has been a number of afforestation drives undertaken by the industry as part of its efforts to reduce the carbon footprint.

Having held the position of the Whole Time Director and CEO at Emami Cement Ltd. for more than four years, I was presented with this incredible opportunity to work with Emami Paper Mills Limited. On visiting the manufacturing plant and meeting the team of Emami Paper Mills, I am personally very excited and thrilled on embarking on this new journey. The paper industry has its own challenges and I am confident that we can make a difference and

create opportunities from the challenges that we face. I look forward to and am excited to work in the Indian paper industry.

PM: As you mentioned that it is a big group, a family-driven group, now the second generation has come in; throw some light on the vision of the Company, the vision of the Group and the kind of strategies it adopts.

VC: The inception of Emami Group took place in 1974, in West Bengal, when two childhood friends, Mr. R.S. Agarwal and Mr. R.S. Goenka went on to set up a cosmetic manufacturing unit in Kolkata. The Company started its journey with a meager amount of Rs. 20,000 and today, it’s worth is around Rs. 22-23 thousand crore, with an employee base of more than 15,000.

Emami Group has always believed in achieving and sustaining growth.

In fact, Emami Group is amongst a few companies from the FMCG sector in India to carve out a strong global presence through a portfolio

of products customized around specific markets. The Group has its presence in relatively -underpenetrated segments through a range of differentiated products and is best known for its diverse business portfolio of FMCG, edible oils, healthcare products, retail, real estate, hospital and paper business, amongst others. The growth story of the Group is also underpinned by a basket of wellness-centric products, such as Boro Plus, Navratna Oil, etc. which have become household-names in the country. As a matter of fact, the group has incredible strength in building very strong brands.

With regard to the paper division of the Group, Emami Paper Mills is a company which is the largest in terms of newsprint, and has maintained its leadership position in the high-end packaging board segment. The stateof-the-art manufacturing facilities and established supply chain system strategically positions the company to further enhance its leadership position in the Indian paper industry.

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N•E•W L•E•A•D•E•R PM: What kind of opportunities do you foresee in the paper industry?

How would Emami respond to these opportunities?

VC: At present, we have four technologically advanced machines at our manufacturing facility in Balasore, Odisha. Out of these four machines 3 machines are made flexible to make Writing & Printing paper as well as News Print or high-end Kraft paper. The fourth machine is for making high end Packaging Boards. The Packaging Board/Paper Board machine has the annual production capacity of around 2,00,000 MT per annum. Also, at present, Emami Paper Mills is the largest producer of Newsprint in the country.

With regard to our product expansion strategies in the writing & printing segment, we have recently forayed into the copier paper segment.

Also, now, we are looking to explore Azurelaid paper. We are intending to make certain additions to the writing & printing segment with introducing newer grades which will be different in terms of physical as well as aesthetic values of the product including lower grammage paper and so on.

Apart from the above, it is important to understand, that we have a strong well-defined process of interacting with our customers or the endconsumers. We diligently strive to get feedback of our customers & incorporate the same in products that we bring out in the market.

Also, there are a few things in our mind with respect to the paper-based packaging segment that is projected to grow further as an environmentallyfriendly and sustainable alternative to plastic in packaging.

PM: What do you think are the key challenges for the Indian paper industry and how do you intend to address those at Emami Paper Mills?

VC: One of the key challenges for the Indian paper industry is the steady availability of raw materials, that is, in maintaining our access to quality and cost-competitive raw materials. At Emami Paper Mills, we use recycled fiber (waste paper) and

various grades of imported virgin fiber as raw material. Moreover, one of the major concerns for us is to ensure the consistent availability of pulp since in order to maintain the best quality we source pulp for our mills from across the globe.

We ensure the best quality Packaging Boards, and hence import pulp from Scandinavia, Canada, South America, New Zealand etc. Indian fiber quality is good for making fine paper but not ideal for packaging grades. Moreover, the softwood pulp is not available in India which needs to be imported.

Apart from the above challenges of ensuring availability of the desired raw material, the changing habit of people with regard to reading News Paper/using writing & Printing Paper is putting not only a dent in the demand but also the availability of waste paper.

To sum up, I would like to say that all the above challenges will compel us to find new opportunities, innovate to reduce our costs, and become more efficient. Going forward we would like to look more avenues/products where the demand and growth is better and carve out a completely new strategy for future.

PM: What are your plans with respect to enhancing the production capacity?

We have ordered a metering size press from Valmet to be installed on PM 3 which will help us further improve our products range & quality. We would commission the upgradation by the end of December’2021 with an investment of around Rs. 20-30 crores.

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VC: At the moment, our plan is to attain complete utilization of our three machines which are into the News Print, writing & printing & Kraft Paper segments. In fact, 4th machine, the packaging board machine is completely sold out and running at full capacity. Thus, our next step would be to install another packaging board machine with internal accruals.

However, we would plan the machine in a horizon of the next three to five years. In the meantime, we may install a small capacity machine in the packaging segment either to produce duplex board or Kraft paper.

We are also looking at some low CapEx projects, which would further enhance the quality of the products and develop newer varieties of Kraft paper. We have started exporting Kraft paper to countries including Vietnam, China, etc and in due course of time we would like to improve on both scale & product range for import.

PM: Introducing process efficiencies is an ongoing process in any mill. So, have you identified any area wherein Emami Paper would require some kind of improvisation or CapEx to have better process efficiencies?

VC: In my understanding, the efficiency in production operation is a continuous process since potential for improvement is limitless. This requires focus and commitment of the team towards a shared goal.

Encouraging team members to come up with innovative ideas in structured brain storming sessions and agree on plans to achieve goals. A plan must get executed, it is imperative that rigorous execution and effective monitoring of tasks must be made even more rigorous. An efficient and effective execution includes the ability to use the time and available resources in a focused and result oriented manner.

Thus, it is important to continuously streamline the business operations, increase efficiency and productivity, which eventually helps in gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace.

PM: Has there been any recent development at Emami Paper Mills that you wish to talk about?

VC: As regards the latest development at Emami Paper Mills, we have committed certain capexfor our

N•E•W L•E•A•D•E•R existing machinery setup. We have ordered a metering size press from Valmet to be installed on PM 3 which will help us further improve our products range & quality. We would commission the upgradation by the end of December’2021 with an investment of around Rs. 20-30 crores.

Besides, I would like to mention that as a team we are effectively focusing on – how quickly we adapt to new ideas, and how we quickly adapt to the changes taking place in the market? The way we work together as a team and bring about continuous reduction in costs to achieve higher operational efficiencies – are some of our major concerns. Embracing change is a key strength that we as a team would continuously build on.

PM: There has been a lot of volatility regarding raw material-prices – various kinds of raw materials, and even the final product going out to the market. What is your view on this challenging-scenario? When do you foresee the stabilization happening?

VC: In my understanding, the stabilization with regard to the raw material-prices, would take the next 3-4 months with the shipping issues being resolved. The major reason for this is the demand and supply gap of containers. In effect, this has impacted import/exports and has sharply increased costs as compared to the pre-COVID rates.

Overall, it can be said that the shipping will improve in the next 2-3 months, as this problem seems to be a temporary setback which isn’t going to remain for a longer period of time.

Given some time, everything is going to settle down, and of course, after the next 3-4 months, the demand is projected to increase which will provide a boost to the paper industry.

PM: Could you please shed some light on the CSR and some of the sustainability efforts, which Emami Paper Mills has undertaken?

VC: Emami has initiated and implemented a number of CSR programs for improving the life of largely under privileged people, and in the areas of – education, health, skill development, rural

development, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, women empowerment, etc. in and around our mill. The Company has helped in providing infrastructural support to local educational institutions, scholarship program, the ‘Bal Vikas’ Program, free distribution of notebooks and capability building through community teachers. We’ve been operating free Homeopathic, Ayurveda camps, Allopathic mobile health units, specialized health camps and infrastructural developments in PHCs to provide healthcare facilities to the community.

Our Company is committed to environmental sustainability, ecological balance, conservation of natural resources, and a number of CSR activities have been taken up for environment and sustainability like free seedling distribution to local villages & educational institutions, block plantation, roadside plantation and peripheral plantation. We have also been continuously working to reduce our freshwater consumption at the mill.

PM: Anything else you would like to add on the market-front?

Furthermore, we have recently developed a product development group which comprises of competent people from various functions who have their different areas of expertise.

This group will continuously look for new products development keeping in mind the changing behavior of the consumer.

Emami Paper Mills is confident of fortifying its market-standing in the Paper & Paper Board segment leveraging on our dynamic strategies, execution excellence, continued investments in technology and a future-ready product portfolio. PM

VC: I would like to reiterate that Emami Paper Mills will continue with its motto of – quality, service and strategic partnership with our customers, and dealers, and these three are the main pillars on which the Company has built its standing.

We have been successful and have attained a leadership position in the market.

BEYOND BUSINESS

For instance, it’s quite noteworthy that our recycled grades of Packaging Board is regarded as top-rate in the country and in fact, in the whole of Southeast Asia. Our products have made their position in the international markets such as – South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, middle East, some parts of Europe and so on. Secondly, in the virgin-grade category, we are at par, and even better than the most formidable player in the country.

Thus, we have diligently developed our product range with their many key strengths, and our USP is quality & service, as well as customer-centric approach.

Key to Success: Delegation and empowerment of the team.

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Your favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The best advice you’ve ever received: Make yourself surplus.

Always learn to do the work of 1 level up rather than interfering/ doing the work of 1/2 level below.

The kind of music you listen to: Hindi melodies for 60s and 70s / Piano by Brian Salas Your favourite movie: Forrest Gump - Tom Hanks Your creative pursuits or hobbies: Learning/Playing Tabla and singing One quote you live by: You always have a second chance in life, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

N•E•W D•E•V•E•L•O•P•M•E•N•T

Century Pulp and Paper Starts 36000 TPA Tissue Machine Supplied by Valmet Century Pulp and Paper has commissioned its second tissue paper machine supplied by Valmet with high-performance and world-leading technologies.

Century Pulp and Paper Starts 36000 TPA Tissue Machine Supplied by Valmet

Century Pulp and Paper has successfully commissioned the new Valmet Tissue Advantage DCT 100HS tissue machine on March 16, 2021. The new production line will add over 36,000 tonnes per annum of high-quality facial tissue, toilet tissue, kitchen towel and napkin grades to the company’s current annual production capacity. TM 7 has a deckle width of 285 cm and a design speed of 2,000 m/min.

Speaking on the development, Mr. J.P. Narain, Chief Executive Officer, Century Pulp and Paper says, “we are the first company in India to install a tissue line equipped with Valmet Advantage ViscoNip press. The combination of the state-of-the-art pressing technology and Valmet Advantage ReDry will provide significant energy savings, uniform moisture profile and nip-load flexibility up to 150kN/m.

The machine has got a soft-nip calendar that helps in improving the paper properties.”

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The machine is equipped with an OptiFlo headbox and a 16-foot Yankee cylinder. It also features the Advantage tissue technologies AirCap and Hot Air system, as well as a SoftReel, along with the new ReDry technology, i.e. a novel way to recover energy from hood exhaust air to heat the web before drying. In combination with the ViscoNip press, it has proven to provide significant energy savings and quality improvements.

The machine will use a mix of 25 percent imported pulp and the remaining 75 percent will be obtained from captive pulp production.

Market-Shift in terms of Demand There has been a conspicuous demand-shift in the post-COVID world with regard to the market share of the ‘Away-From-Home’ consumption and ‘At-Home’

N•E•W D•E•V•E•L•O•P•M•E•N•T consumption of tissues. Touching upon the same, he says, “it’s very important to note that prior to COVID, the ‘At-Home’ consumption was around 35%, and the ‘AwayFrom-Home’ was about 65%. But with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘Away-From-Home’ category was completely shut, and the ‘At-Home’ consumption increased phenomenally. The reason for the surge of the latter category can be owed to the growing awareness about the importance of hygiene.”

He further adds “as a result, now, the ratio of marketdemand for the two said segments should be somewhere around either 45% and 55% or 50-50%. Overall, this is a promising sign for the Indian tissue paper market. Going ahead, the demand that we are seeing right now will be further accelerated as the hospitality and travel sectors are yet to revive fully.”

Hygiene Awareness and Tissue Converting Highlighting the efforts of Century Pulp and Paper in digital marketing, he asserts “we’ve been diligently working to enhance our reach through social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We have been promoting content to educate the audience about the tissue paper-usage in general, relating it to the concept of wellness and hygiene. At present, we are driving through all the sources and later in future, when we have established a PAN-India distribution, especially for our retail products, we might take the route of electronic media as well.”

Hygiene – An Indispensable Part of Our Lives Many research studies have shown that the consumption of tissue papers is effective, convenient and economical.

Bathroom tissue, paper towels, facial tissue, paper handkerchiefs and table napkins all play a critical role in our basic daily hygiene, cleanliness and comfort.

Touching upon the surge in growth of the tissue and hygiene paper market in India, he says, “the tissue paper segment is growing relatively fast in the overall paper sector. In fact, the growth in the category has been around 10-12% which is seemingly a good growth rate and the future seems to be very promising. Also, the potential of the segment is certainly very high, keeping in view the level of awareness related to hygiene that has been created with the outbreak of the pandemic. This has correlated the usage of tissue paper products with the concepts of health and wellness.”

There has been a discernible shift in the consumer-behavior and outlook towards understanding the role of hygiene and the importance of tissue papers in the pre-COVID times and the post-COVID society. Explaining the distinction, he says “there has been a remarkable and noticeable shift in the consumption of tissue papers in our daily lives. Also, as the new generation which is growing now, have witnessed and inculcated the tissue paper-usage as part of their lifestyle.”

As a leading player in tissue paper industry and considering role of tissue paper in hygiene, Mr. Narain feels that “Tissue paper is required to be spread across consumer base and consumers should be provided with more affordable tissue paper with highest hygiene quality.” Century Pulp & Paper has taken major drive in this aspect by introducing Economical Grade of 100% virgin tissue made from ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulp which are OBA (Optical Brightening Agent) free.

Future Plans

Mr. J.P. Narain, Chief Executive Officer, Century Pulp and Paper

With the range of tissue paper products, the Company is planning to expand their reach; he elaborates “we have only recently ventured into this market. At present, we are only catering to the north Indian market as our manufacturing facility is located in Sonepat, Haryana.

Further, we are planning to initiate the second one in the western part of the country, and then we will gradually expand our footprint across the country. Also, I would like to underscore that we diversified into converting operations with the primary aim to create awareness about hygiene.”

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Talking about the way forward, Mr. Narain asserts that “presently, we are looking for further opportunities to educate the society as well as to diversify into different avenues. With this approach, in August 2020, we introduced the ‘Barber Hygiene Kit’ containing a barber cutting cape, beard shaving cape, and the napkins to make it suitable for use instead of conventional non-woven cloths, terry towel or plastic sheets to maintain hygiene.

Our plan is to introduce hygiene bed rolls to the Indian Railways, which is already being used at the hospitals.

If this plan gets materialized, our overall goal will be to promote the idea of a ‘circular economy’. Our proposition is that we will supply the hygiene bed rolls to the railways and then, we will collect the used bed rolls at a pre-decided premium price. This move will be profitable and cost– effective to the railways and the used bed rolls will be a source of pulp for us, which will be equitably advantageous for both. To sum up, this is the kind of thought-process and plans we have for the future for the tissue division.”

K•U•A•N•T•U•M L•E•A•P

Kuantum Papers: Transformational Growth Underpinned on Consistent Innovations and Upgradations Mr. Pavan Khaitan, Managing Director, Kuantum Papers Ltd. gives us a glimpse into the business journey of the Company, the recent modernization of the plant, their product branding, market positioning and raw material-procurement strategies, their association with SAP for integrated and efficient workflows, and their future plans in an exclusive conversation with Paper Mart.

Paper Mart: Please tell us about Kuantum Papers and its business journey?

Pavan Khaitan: Kuantum Papers Ltd is an integrated agro and wood pulp-based paper manufacturer and has been in the business of producing superior quality writing and printing paper, copier paper and specialty paper for the past four decades The company has four paper machines with a production capacity of 450 TPD, which are capable of producing papers of differential varieties.

Mr. Pavan Khaitan, Managing Director, Kuantum Papers Ltd.

We have recently commissioned our new backward integration project at an outlay of INR 440 crores, which was executed with the strategy to remove certain existing imbalances in capacities.

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Before I step into the journey at Kuantum, I would like to share at the very onset, as this brings a lot of pride to all of us at Kuantum, that we have recently commissioned our new backward integration project at an outlay of INR 440 crores, which was executed with the strategy to remove certain existing imbalances in capacities in the plant operations, making it completely optimized and cost-effective. As part of this project, we have taken the capacity of our Agro Pulp Street to 200 TPD and enhanced the Wood Pulp Street from 60 TPD to 180 TPD, thereby, isolating ourselves from the vagaries of the fluctuating international wood pulp prices.

K•U•A•N•T•U•M L•E•A•P

Pulpmill

An additional chemical recovery plant with 500 TPD capacity has been installed to manage the increased black liquor generation, and the captive power generation has been enhanced to a notable level of 38 MW with 2 new back-pressure turbines and a high capacity high pressure boiler operating at a remarkable 110 bar. The establishment of a Chlorine Dioxide (ClO₂) plant enables that our paper conforms to the ECF grade.

The company has ensured that all these technologies are state-of-theart which will keep the operations in good stead long into the future.

Starting at a fledgling capacity of 30 TPD way back in 1980, the company has grown from strength to strength, transcending most boundaries and verticals in any operation, and is now operating at 450 tonnes daily. This growth journey at Kuantum has been truly enriching, heartwarming and satisfying to all associated with it.

Most aspects connected to improving machine efficiencies, focusing on quality outputs, timely upgradations and plant modernizations, process re-engineering and accreditations, expanding product portfolio along with its branding and premium segmenting, creating successful collaborations with MNCs which are in operation for more than a

decade, and more has been delved into all these years to create a robust Kuantum as it stands today.

The journey would not have been possible without the tireless and

Starting at a fledgling capacity of 30 TPD way back in 1980, the company has grown from strength to strength, transcending most boundaries and verticals in any operation, and is now operating at 450 tonnes daily.

This growth journey at Kuantum has been truly enriching, heartwarming and satisfying to all associated with it.

dedicated efforts put in by the members of Team Kuantum, with whom we have reached dizzying heights of glory. It makes me personally immensely proud and extremely happy to be working with Team Kuantum.

PM: Could you please shed some light on your products and market positioning?

PK: Our products are extensively used in the printing of notebooks, text books, directories, envelopes, diaries, calendars, office stationery, annual reports and others. We have a strong pan India dealership network of 90+ dealers from which we undertake order based manufacturing, and help serve the market needs primarily. We have been successful in creating a strong branded portfolio of products namely Kuantum Gold, Kresto, Krayo, Kaleela, Keon, K-One, Kappa Premium, Kuantum Bond and Kosmo range of specialty papers. The company caters to marquee clients in the publishing and printing sector and has associations with big business houses and institutions.

PM: As stated in the annual report of the Company, you have undertaken the modernization of the pulp mill.

Kindly describe the areas in which

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K•U•A•N•T•U•M L•E•A•P capacity. This will take care of the additional black liquor being produced on account of the increased pulping capacities. The recovery system technology has been supplied

by ANDRITZ, a global leader in this field.

At present, we use the soda cooking process for pulping, but after the installation of the new recovery Plant, we shall go for the Kraft Sulphate process to improve pulp quality parameters and reduce the operating costs.

PM: Lastly, you have also invested in captive power generation. Share with us the kind of technology you have invested in and the outcome of this expansion?

Thermal Boiler

you have upgraded the existing technologies and outline the investments in the project. What are your expectations with respect to the upgradation and its impact on the overall productivity of the mill?

PK: We now have in place two state-of-the-art pulping streets, one for agro and the other for wood and bamboo which have cost us close to INR 120 crore. This spend includes a 26-inch Continuous Digester for agro material, a new wood pulp street and Chlorine Dioxide (ClO₂) plant.

We have optimized the capacity of the agro pulp street to 200 TPD, and have also incorporated ECF Bleaching in the process. The wood pulp street has been augmented from 60 TPD to 180 TPD, which also includes oxygen delignification and ECF Bleaching.

Post-expansion, in addition to the beneficial productivity-increase and pulp quality improvement, another benefit shall be achieved by way of AOX reduction in effluent due to elimination of chlorine.

The better washing of pulp, oxygen delignification and Chlorine Di-oxide

bleaching will lead to a reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) which shall result in the further betterment of the quality of effluent.

The technology selected for the implementation is best in class from GL&V, Sulzer, Westech and Bossco.

The improved pulp quality will lead to production of superior grades of paper resulting in better realizations and a healthier bottom line.

PM: Also, as stated, Kuantum Papers is strengthening the chemical recovery process. Please elaborate on the same and brief us up about the capabilities in this regard?

PK: In today’s scenario of increasing energy costs, chemical costs and stringent environmental regulations, the need for improved recovery of chemicals from the pulp and paper making process has become a critical factor in the industry. We decided to replace the existing Fluidized Bed Reactor which was not as efficient, and enhance the recovery system with a new chemical recovery plant of 500 TPD black liquor solids processing

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PK: The need of the hour is to be self-sufficient in power requirement to counter the ever increasing cost of purchased power as well as its quality of supply. It therefore becomes imperative to go for 100% captive power generation to sustain operations on a long term basis. Kuantum Papers is currently operating a 17.5 MW co-generation power plant for captive use, supported

by Grid Power. We decided to go in for a total of 38 MW power generation capacities for our increased energy needs, while eliminating dependency on Grid Power. To meet the demands of process steam, and to generate sustainable power, one high pressure CFBC boiler, supplied by ISGEC, with an operating pressure of 110 Kg/cm2 and 130 T/Hr steam flow has been commissioned recently.

Post this expansion, Kuantum shall be self-sufficient to meet the power demand for its entire operations with reduced air emissions from stack. We were running three power boilers, but with this project implementation, we shall operate only two power boilers, giving better efficiency and productivity. The ESPs shall operate more effectively, designed for 30 mg/ NM3, giving substantial reduction in stack emissions, thereby reducing air pollution. With the new CFBC boiler, higher thermal efficiency shall be achieved giving better steam to fuel ratio. The existing two old and in-efficient turbines of smaller

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K•U•A•N•T•U•M L•E•A•P ratings shall be de-commissioned, and replaced with two highly efficient back pressure turbines of 20 MW and 8 MW, supplied by SIEMENS. PM: Fibrous raw materials have always been a major challenge for the Indian paper industry. Please tell us how you plan to ensure raw materialsustainability for Kuantum Papers.

PK: It is true that fibrous material has always been a challenge for the Indian paper industry, given that it is closely associated with environmental connotations. However, at Kuantum, it is our persistent endeavor to source fibrous raw material from responsible sources. Our fibrous raw material is categorized in two parts—agro and wood.

In the case of agro, we use large quantities of wheat straw, bagasse and sarkanda (wild grass). We have developed a healthy procurement ecosystem in the surrounding areas, which has proven to be a boon for the farmer community. We source our wood from approved responsible sources meant for industrial and commercial uses. However, we have not just rested here. We are also aggressively working on increasing our social forestry footprint, by way of distributing clonal varieties of tree saplings in our factory catchment area. This enhances the livelihood generation for the farmer community while also providing us with an additional source of wood material.

We are also a FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified company.

PM: Could you please touch upon your association with SAP for the integrated and efficient workflows?

Also, please relate the outcome of this partnership while charting your future goals and key targets for the further digital transformation of the Company.

PK: Today, SAP is undoubtedly the leading Enterprise Resource Planning system globally, due to its highly integrated business modules, control driven processes, scalability and advanced analytics. We decided to leverage these features and implemented SAP S4 HANA powered with the best in class hardware

infrastructure at Kuantum. This has helped us not only to re-engineer our business processes to align them with the best industry practices, but has also provided us with an enormous data bank for undertaking advanced analysis to facilitate decision making.

At the transactional level, Kuantum Papers has harnessed the SAP platform to create documentation, place control measures, create logs and establish a robust audit trail, which has helped us to identify and eliminate gaps and improve efficiencies. At the macro level, the S4 HANA database has allowed us to generate and analyze data and install a system driven MIS framework.

Further, Kuantum has been using SAP for integration with third party solutions which perfectly gels with our future endeavor of automation and digital transformation. We have several initiatives lined up in the coming years namely, the integration of SAP with DCS, online customer portal, SAP mobility solutions, and machine learning based predictive analysis.

We can confidently say that with SAP, we have laid a strong and robust foundation for digital transformation of our company and we are adequately equipped for the future.

PM: Kuantum Papers is planning to venture into the tissue paper segment, could you please share some details on this development and the progress you’ve made in this front?

PK: The tissue paper business will mark our foray into the hygiene segment. This is the fastest growing

26 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

segment within the paper industry and has been favorably impacted post the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very upbeat about the future of this segment from the Indian market’s perspective which is primarily dominated by a couple of players

The tissue paper business will mark our foray into the hygiene segment….

We have started work on setting up our own tissue machine and are looking forward to commissioning it at the earliest.

K•U•A•N•T•U•M L•E•A•P PK: Kuantum is known for producing high quality writing and printing paper. In recent years, we have also added specialty papers of various grades in our product portfolio. The company’s product development team is keenly looking at developing new varieties of specialty paper products for industrial and commercial applications. The government’s strong stance to ban single-use plastics has also opened up a plethora of new avenues for the paper industry and paper-based products. We see a lot of promise in the food grade paper segment in the foreseeable future.

The government’s strong stance to ban single-use plastics has also opened up a plethora of new avenues for the paper industry and paperbased products. and thus allows us substantial room to make a meaningful impact. We have started work on setting up our own tissue machine and are looking forward to commissioning it at the earliest.

PM: What will be your focus with regard to the product mix and market reach of the paper products? Are there any imminent plans about exporting paper or the focus will primarily be on the domestic market?

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a catalyst in our constant efforts to look at product diversification in order to cater to the changing needs of our customers. Our foray into the tissue paper manufacturing is a firm step in this direction.

Our current focus is on the Indian market, given that there is ample appetite available within the country to absorb our production.

However, we always keep the export market on our scanner for any good opportunities.

PM: Going ahead, what are your future plans for growth and the different strategies you’ve devised?

PK: The Indian consumer’s per capita consumption of paper is currently at the lower end of the spectrum at 13kg/ annum versus almost 57kg/annum for the developed countries. Thus, there is a huge potential for us to introduce advanced technologies and newer use of paper to our consumers. Industrial, food grade and other specialty grade papers are some of the segments that we are we keenly looking at from a future standpoint. Apart from this, our team is fully geared up to deploy Industry 4.0 solutions which will further optimize the operations. Our strategy is to deploy the right set of technology solutions which will help us to leapfrog further in terms of business excellence, customer centricity and sustainability. PM

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www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021 | 27

C•O•M•P•A•N•Y F•E•A•T•U•R•E

Ruchira Papers: Translating its Dynamic and Forward-Looking Approach into Growth In an exclusive interview with Paper Mart, Ms. Ruchica G Kumar, Vice President, Marketing, Ruchira Papers Ltd. talks about the company and the manufacturing capabilities, the recent upgradation project and its related advantages. Going ahead, she also delves into the product range of Ruchira Papers, sustainable raw material sourcing strategies, and the future goals of the Company.

PM: To start with, could you please present an overview of Ruchira Papers Limited? Kindly cast some light on the – infrastructure and the manufacturing capabilities of the Company.

Ms. Ruchica G Kumar, Vice President, Marketing, Ruchira Papers Ltd.

Over the years, Ruchira Papers has reinforced responsible growth through a number of pertinent initiatives. One, the Company has made a fundamental choice towards responsible growth through the consumption of renewable agro-based raw materials, reinforcing its positioning of being ‘Committed to the Earth’.

28 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

RGK: Ruchira Papers is a contemporary paper farm in the heart of Himachal Pradesh. Since our launch in 1981, we have endeavored to be one of the greenest papermakers in the industry. We take great pride in creating a quality range of treefree papers for writing, high-volume print and packaging. Ruchira Papers is actively involved in integrating earth-friendly practices at every stage of the production cycle. Our materials come from the earth.

Locally sourced agricultural waste – sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, and wild grass create the fibers of our paper. Our plant is equipped with modern power and water-conserving features that keep the consumption of natural resources to a minimum. Our processes are engineered to carefully treat any byproducts before they make their way back into the environment.

The Company started its operations on 14 August 1983 with the production of kraft paper and with an installed capacity of 7 TPD. Over the years, the company has expanded its capacity from 7 TPD to 160 TPD of kraft paper unit. The ever–increasing

C•O•M•P•A•N•Y F•E•A•T•U•R•E demand for writing & printing paper in the domestic as well as international markets has brought a plethora of opportunities for the Company to diversify into the writing & printing paper segment and set up a new unit having a capacity of 100 TPD. The said unit had started its operations in March 2008 along with the chemical recovery plant to meet out the norms of the pollution control board along with 8.1 MW power co-generation. Presently, the company is producing about 450 MT of paper per day.

The Company utilizes agro wastes such as – wheat straw, bagasse and sarkanda as the main raw materials.

PM: The Company had recently executed an INR 44 crores modernization and upgradation-project in the areas of – Recovery Boiler, ETP, Power Turbine, and Size Press; could you please outline the significant details about this project?

Also, what has been the progress attained in this regard and the advantages attained from the said upgradation?

We have upgraded the paper machine of the writing & printing paper unit by replacing its existing size press with the latest film size press including the size kitchen…

With this upgradation, we are being able to manufacture surface sized paper.

RGK: We have upgraded the paper machine of the writing & printing paper unit by replacing its existing size press with the latest film size press including the size kitchen.

With this upgradation, we are being able to manufacture surface sized paper required by publishers for printing job at four/five color latest high-speed machines by improving surface strength and stiffness of paper. Besides this, the quality of our regular writing & printing paper has improved further and has attained better competitiveness in the notebook segment too.

We have modified the chemical recovery plant to improve the efficiency of the unit. The main objective of the present modification was to increase the firing capacity of black liquor up to 250 TDS/day. By executing this, the cogeneration of power has increased.

The Company has proposed to replace the existing 5.6 MW turbine with a new turbine of 6.1 MW having better efficiency which will facilitate us to generate more power with the same steam. With this, the overall efficiency of turbines will also be increased.

Regarding ETP upgradation, we have installed a fullfledged Effluent Treatment Plant to take care of the process requirement of water. The Company’s ETP is based on the activated sludge process, adopted internationally all over the world in the pulp and paper industry. With the existing

30 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

ETP, we have already achieved the necessary guidelines and conditions as specified in the charter with respect to the quality of water and its recycling. Now, the company has undertaken the modifications and upgradation in the existing ETP for the de-colouring of discharged effluents.

For this, the Company has adopted the Fenton system. This Fenton system removes colour and COD from treated water and degrades all the pollutants in the wastewater to ensure the stability of effluent quality. This is a state-of-the-art technology process for any kind of colour removal from effluent.

PM: In 2017-18, Ruchira Papers had proposed a Greenfield expansion in Punjab; could you please brief us up on the same and share its status?

RGK: The Company has already acquired around 140 acres of land in Chamakur Sahib, Punjab. We are closely monitoring the present market scenario and shall take a call accordingly.

Ruchira Papers has already acquired around 140 acres of land in Chamakur Sahib, Punjab. We are closely monitoring the present market scenario and shall take a call accordingly.

PM: Please talk about the product range of the Company along with the strengths which present the company with the competitive advantages. It is quite noteworthy that the names of the products have Indianized names such as – Safeda, Kora, Maati, and so on; so, could you please elaborate on the idea behind selecting these names for the product range?

C•O•M•P•A•N•Y F•E•A•T•U•R•E

www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021 | 31

C•O•M•P•A•N•Y F•E•A•T•U•R•E RGK: Ruchira Papers manufactures and markets two product segments, namely, kraft paper as well as writing & printing paper. The Company is a prominent player in these segments in Northern India. The Company diversified its product mix from kraft paper to a wide product range of writing & printing paper de-risking in the event of volatility in demand or prices. Our tagline “Committed to the Earth” itself explains that we are dedicated towards sustaining the environment and natural resources and our passion engenders the distinctive brand names of the products.

PM: Since the mantra of the Ruchira Papers is “creating a quality range of TREE FREE PAPERS”; how do you ensure the proper availability of high-quality raw materials?

Also, how do you enhance the Company’s capability in sustainable resource sourcing?

RGK: We have made a fundamental choice towards responsible growth, reinforcing our positioning of ‘creating a quality range of TREE FREE PAPERS’. The Company uses different combinations of tree-free raw materials mainly comprising wheat straw, bagasse, sarkanda besides small quantities of other raw materials like fillers and waste paper (in kraft paper). The Company is located at the Border of Haryana and just 60-65 KM away from Punjab, which is the main hub of agriculture and where the raw material is available in abundance. In addition to the locational benefit, Ruchira Papers keeps sufficient stock of bagasse for its availability throughout the year.

PM: What is your outlook on the recent price volatility in the pulp and paper industry — how do you think this impacts the overall paper industry in India?

RGK: During the last months of Q4 of FY 2021, the situation had started improving and was showing good signs of recovery and the offtake as well since the pricing had improved substantially. At that time, it was anticipated that FY 21-22 shall have a better pace of growth. But during the last 10-15 days, all of a sudden, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased which has forced different states to put some restrictions which has started affecting the mindset of consumers as well as the demand for our products.

Keeping in view the second wave of COVID-19, it is very difficult to assess the overall impact of COVID-19 on the paper industry.

PM: Ruchira Papers affirms that it produces “paper with lowest carbon footprint”; could you please elaborate on the said assertion and how do you go about achieving the same?

RGK: Over the years, Ruchira Papers has reinforced responsible growth through a number of pertinent initiatives. One, the Company has made a fundamental choice towards responsible growth through the consumption of renewable agro-based raw materials, reinforcing its positioning of being — ‘Committed to the Earth’. Two, the Company has invested proactively in equipment and processes such as – chemical recovery system, effluent treatment plant and power cogeneration unit.

32 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

Three, by using agriculture residue as its main raw material, the company eliminated the use of harsh chemicals, consuming less energy and less water on the one hand, and on the other hand, promoting the use of renewable resources. The result of this forward-looking commitment has translated into a moderated consumption of water, energy and raw material resources – the ability to reduce carbon footprint.

PM: What are the future plans of the company going forward? What are the initiatives that will take the Company ahead?

RGK: We believe that by doing small de-bottlenecking of existing facilities we can achieve growth in volume as well as in topline. Our existing track record itself is evident of the fact that there has been a consistent growth of the Company. Such de-bottlenecking does not require major Capex as it generally remains a crucial part and parcel of maintenance capex.

PM: Is there anything else that you wish to add to the interaction?

RGK: As the demand for packaging papers continues to grow, we have introduced ROGAN, i.e., a lightweight packaging paper that is an optimal choice for a wide variety of applications such as – food boxes, quick service restaurant, consumer packaging and sterile packaging for the medical field. PM

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

Orchid Laminates: Looking Beyond Conventions and Expanding Capacities in Different Areas Paper Mart interviewed Mr. Pramod Tantia, Director, Orchid Laminates Pvt. Ltd., wherein he presents a brief overview of the recent developments at the Company, the key strengths of the product range, the capabilities in terms of – manufacturing and technology, the details about the recent expansion undertaken and the future plans.

Paper Mart: To begin with, we would like you to glean some insights into the – business story of Orchid Laminates and some of the recent developments at your end.

Pramod Tantia: Orchid Laminates (OLPL) is engaged in the manufacturing of coated paperboard, kraft paper and high pressure decorative laminate sheets (HPL sheets).

The Company is managed by myself, Mr. Aditya Tantia and Mr. Ashish Tantia and is ably assisted by a team of professionals.

Mr. Pramod Tantia, Director, Orchid Laminates Pvt. Ltd.

The production in unit 2 for kraft paper had commenced just prior to the COVID-induced lockdown in 2020. The company was able to overcome logistical issues and had established a good foothold in a short duration of time.

We began our manufacturing activities during the years 2011-12 in laminates with the capacity of 6 million sq m; followed by paper boards between 2012-13 with the capacity of 60,000 TPA which has been gradually augmented to 90,000 TPA. In 2020, a second unit for the manufacturing of kraft paper was commissioned with the capacity of 100,000 TPA. PM: With regard to the product portfolio, as the Company is engaged in the manufacturing of Coated Paperboard, Kraft Paper and HPL Sheets; please touch upon the key unique strengths that give your products across these categories an added edge over your peers in the market?

PT: Since the Company is involved in the production of both the packaging varieties of paper, that are – coated paperboard as well as kraft paper in addition to the HPL sheets, it has effectively led to a better product mix and diverse portfolio. Further, our strengths are in factors such as – customer support, raw materials sourcing and advantages of better utilization of resources and fibers.

PM: Could you please give us a glance into the – present manufacturing capability of the company and the technology and machinery installed at your manufacturing plant? Also, please share if there has been any recent augmentation in the form of – capacity expansion or any latest technology introduced at your plant?

34 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

Kraft Paper Division

PT: The paperboard unit is equipped with four pulp machines for layers – top, protective (pre-top), filler and bottom layer, respectively. This presents us with a good flexibility with regard to fibre utilization. In addition, the paper machine at the facility is equipped with DCS and QCS which ensures consistency in the quality of the products. The finishing house is equipped with eight Synchro Fly sheeting machines which ensures trim-free and burr-free boards. At present, the enhancement of productquality and our capabilities with regard to energy and water conservation remains a focus point and equipment at our facility are upgraded on a regular basis.

In addition, the Group also has a unit by the name Eco Papers India Pvt Ltd, which had commenced production for absorbent kraft paper in 1997. The production capacity for absorbent paper, which caters to the laminate industry, has been increased to 30,000 TPA. PM: What is the key shift you have discerned with regard to the recycling of paper in the Indian paper industry?

PT: The Indian paper industry, in general, has been discernibly shifting towards the adoption of newer technologies and machinery which results in the better quality of the finished paper in terms of strength and cleanliness with lower quality recycled fibre.

PM: As Orchid Laminates had recently started production in its second unit in 2020, could you please take us through the details of the recent expansion and the outcome of the expansion?

PT: The production in unit 2 for kraft paper had commenced just prior to the COVID-induced lockdown in 2020. The company was able to overcome logistical issues and had established a good foothold in a short duration of time. Even during the raw material-crisis, the kraft plant has been consistently operating at 90% plus level and with the ongoing changes, we are hopeful of exceeding the rated capacity of 100,000 tonnes.

PM: Since kraft paper is the main raw material in the production of corrugated boxes which has witnessed a sharp rise in the segment, what kind of future trends do you foresee for the demand and growth of the Kraft paper market?

36 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

PT: The kraft paper would continue to grow between 8-9% as the demand for packaging continues to rise. The sharp jump in wastepaper prices is majorly due to the supply chain-disruptions in the global market owing to the crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in the policy of China. In our understanding, the ongoing situation would be transient and a more realistic change will happen in the coming future.

PM: Could you please talk about the initiative ‘Wonder Waste’ that you had introduced to increase awareness about recycling? Are there any other initiatives in the pipeline that you would like to introduce in the near future with the same objective?

PT: The inherent idea behind the ‘Wonder Waste’ initiative is our belief that the paper waste is indeed a “wonder waste”, as it can get recycled several times, with a very high recovery rate. As a matter of fact, more than 50% of all packaging grade paper in India are derived from recycled fibre. In addition, the waste paper as a resource in paper mills have also led into a drastic reduction in the consumption of – water and power.

Recently, the company has initiated some efforts on the plastic waste-front and as to how it could be utilized for consumer products. We hope to start working on the proposition once the travel restrictions are removed or eased out.

PM: What has the kind of growth registered been so far in the past one year and the kind of performance you anticipate for the coming future?

Even during the raw materialcrisis, the kraft plant has been consistently operating at 90% plus level and with the ongoing changes, we are hopeful of exceeding the rated capacity of 100,000 tonnes.

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

Coated Paper Board Division

The inherent idea behind the ‘Wonder Waste’ initiative is our belief that the paper waste is indeed a “wonder waste”, as it can get recycled several times, with a very high recovery rate.

PT: After the expansion undertaken in the previous year, the Company has seen robust growth and the revenues have almost doubled, despite a sluggish growth registered in the Q1 in FY 2020-21. However, the last quarter of the year was quite remarkable in terms of growth. In our understanding, the Indian paper industry would witness good growth despite some occasional disruptions.

PM: Going ahead, what are the plans of Orchid Laminates?

PT: At present, Orchid Laminates is strongly focusing on renewable energy and the 40% of the energy requirements are met by captive power generation, i.e., by windmills.

Further, the Company is installing more windmills which would enable us to meet 100% of the energy requirements from green energy. Also, the boilers are operated using 100% biofuels and the modern ESPs (Electrostatic Precipitators) have ensured very low pollution-discharge, that is below 35 ppm while the industry standards are 150 ppm/nm3. Moving forward, the development of renewable energy would remain among a key focus point for us, besides the enhancement of our capacities in different areas. PM www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021 | 37

P•R•I•C•E R•I•S•E

PANDEMIC, CRISES AND PRICE RISE

Team Paper Mart initiated a detailed feature to get insights into why there has been a sharp increase in the prices of all types of paper and the challenges the Indian paper industry is grappling with, by interacting with a number of players in the industry.

As we are in the middle of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, we can see the severity of the second wave and its impact on the healthcare infrastructure which is under significant stress. As per a report by S&P Global, in addition to the substantial loss of lives and significant humanitarian concerns, the outbreak poses downside risks to GDP and heightens the possibility of business disruptions.

The lockdown imposed due to the pandemic has affected almost every industry in the world economy including the pulp and paper industry. This has brought significant supply chain disruptions causing shortages and challenges in a number of areas in the industry.

The imposition of the lockdowns and the continuing constraints of the economy while the health crisisaspect of the pandemic have meant a huge hit in a number of segments

in the paper industry is not under control, for instance, the continued closure of educational institutions has dealt a massive hit to the writing & printing segment of the overall Indian paper industry.

costs which do not add value to our customers. While it is certainly true that these are testing times for the whole industry, there are a number of opportunities as well which we can explore.”

In fact, the prices of all types of paper are surging and this upward price-hike trend can be attributed to a number of factors including the increase in basic price of the raw materials for the paper industry.

Consequently, the price of the finished paper has witnessed a significant surge in the recent times.

Shortage of Shipping Containers: A New Catch-22 Situation

Raw Material Price-Increase At present, the Indian paper industry has been struggling with the shortage in the supply of one of the major raw materials for the paper mills in the country, i.e., the waste paper from the US and Europe. Further, as a major setback and dampener for the printing and packaging industry is the continually rising prices of kraft paper, which in turn is due to the rising prices of waste paper.

In the words of Mr. Sanjay Singh, Group Head – Paper and Packaging, ITC Limited, “in effect, the packaging board prices will continue to remain high in the next two quarters of FY 2020-21… This is also the need of the hour for the industry to cut

38 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

The global shortage of shipping containers, primarily caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, has also resulted to a drastic inflation in shipping and container prices and has increased delay times for a number of industries. This has impacted the price of sea freight which has increased to almost threefold.

Explaining the impact of the container-shortage scenario, Mr. R N Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, N R Agarwal Industries Limited, asserts that, “the issue of price rise has been aggravated with the non-availability of shipping containers which has largely hindered the imports of Kraft paper and other kinds of packaging paper by China.”

To sum up, while the second wave of the pandemic is a grave concern at this time, the paper industry is trying to remain optimistic and is looking towards the government to put in place the building blocks needed to push the growth of the Indian paper industry.

P•R•I•C•E R•I•S•E While it is certainly true that these are testing times for the whole industry, there are a number of opportunities as well which we can explore.

Mr. Sanjay Singh, Group Head Paper & Packaging, ITC Limited

The prices of paper and board have just about reached Pre-COVID level or slightly better. The main reason for the price-increase can be attributed to a number of factors including the increase in pulp prices, and a sharp rise in container transport charges. In effect, the packaging board prices will continue to remain high in the next two quarters of FY 2020-21 due to the high pulp prices and high waste paper prices as the collection of waste paper is relatively lower than before.

Also, the demand for paper could be further affected if schools/colleges and other educational institutions don’t reopen. This also brings us to the set of circumstances such that it becomes imperative for us to find new

applications of paper. For instance, at high-class restaurants, all cutlery and plates are packed and stored in paper to maintain hygiene. The substitution of plastics for packaging with paper is a huge responsibility and presents a lot of opportunities for the paper industry.

In essence, we need to innovate and find innovative solutions. Although it is going to be challenging at first, there will be a plethora of opportunities in the area. This is also the need of the hour for the industry to cut costs which do not add value to our customer.

While it is certainly true that these are testing times for the whole industry, there are a number of opportunities as well which we can explore.

The price increase in some of the grades of waste paper has even reached to be more than 100% over the Pre-COVID price range. Further, the issue of price rise has been aggravated with the non-availability of shipping containers which has largely hindered the imports…

Mr. R N Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, N R Agarwal Industries Limited

It is true that the prices of all kinds of waste paper are soaring and this price-hike can be attributed to the effect of the price of sea freight rising to threefold in addition to the increase in basic price of the raw materials for the paper industry. As a consequence, there has been a substantial increase in the price of the finished paper.

Overall, the price of duplex packaging boards has remained quite steady over the past five years till 2020 (in PreCOVID times). Also, the minor shifts in price have been majorly driven by some of the globally applicable factors such as – the significant variations in the overall demand and supply of waste paper and export. As a matter of fact, the price of waste paper significantly impacts the overall cost of the finished paper because it constitutes more then

50-60% of the total cost.

The average price trends of the duplex board of different qualities/grades during the years - 2019, 2020 and 2021 can be summed up as: • In 2019: INR 34000/T to Rs.35000/T • In 2020: INR 34000/T to Rs.36000/T • In 2021: Rs.39000/T to Rs.43000/T All things considered, it can be said that after April, 2021, the prices of the duplex board range are projected to go up further depending upon the input costs.

At present, the Indian paper industry has been facing a problem of the

www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021 | 39

P•R•I•C•E R•I•S•E shortage in the supply of waste paper from the US and Europe due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In effect, we were compelled to buy waste paper at unreasonable price points because of the availability-related issues. The price increase in some of the grades of waste paper has even reached to be more than 100% over the Pre-COVID price range. Further, the issue of price rise has been aggravated with the non-availability of shipping containers which has largely hindered the imports of Kraft paper and other kinds of packaging paper by China.

With respect to the duplex boards in

the packaging segment, it seems that in the next two quarters, this segment is projected to have significant and increased opportunities owing to an increased demand in sectors like the Pharma, FMCG and other related industries.

However, the second wave of the COVID-19 has started to heavily impact India, particularly from the first week of April onwards; and its side effects will be very difficult to predict. Now, considering the scenario, it seems better to wait, watch and act accordingly after assessing the situation and being diligent.

The future of the writing & printing paper in the short to medium-run is quite encouraging as the Government of India has already announced the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP)… This would require an escalation in the printing and publishing of textbooks with the newly-implemented syllabus and other related activities.”

Mr. Anil Kumar, CEO and Executive Director, Shreyans Industries Ltd.

We are a writing & printing paper manufacturing company and we produce paper out of agricultural residues. The nature of the Writing & Printing segment is quite cyclical, and also, also during any year, the prices might vary from month to month owing to the seasonal nature of the demand which is majorly linked to the education sector. In fact, the education sector remains the biggest driver for the demand-and-supply situation of the segment.

A lot has been said regarding the recent and sudden increase in the prices of the Writing & Printing paper products, however, a rational analysis would clearly show that this priceincrease was not exceptional nor was unjustified. If we look into the prices of the Writing & Printing paper during the last couple of years, this will seem to be amply borne out of a number of market-related factors.

In 2019, the prices of paper varied between INR 51,000 to INR 58,000/ MT (base grammage of 56 GSM). This range was, as mentioned above, has

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been due to the seasonal nature of demand. In 2020, the pre-lockdown prices were about INR 54,000MT, which started coming down from the month of May 2020 after the mills restarted post-lockdown in MarchApril, 2020. There was a continuous slide in the prices of paper products and these prices even touched a low of INR 37,000/MT during NovemberDecember, 2020.

The year 2021 had started on a low note, but within the first week of January, due to the general control on the new pandemic infections, the announcements regarding the approval of vaccines and the general expectations regarding the reopening of educational institutions had uplifted the spirits of the country. Further, the prices of paper products started going up and the price-rise was quite sharp and rapid. Thus, within a period of around one month, the prices went up from a low range of INR 37,000/MT to quite high range of INR 63,000 to INR 65,000/MT, which resulted in a sharp outcry from the user-end. However, if we look at this issue rationally, the

P•R•I•C•E R•I•S•E price range reached in the current year was only 7-8% higher than the corresponding price range of 2019.

Further, the increase in prices was quite expected keeping in view the recent inflation in the system.

However, this price momentum has been dampened sharply by the recent spurt in the infection rate all over the country and also, on account of the uncertainty on the reopening of schools and colleges. At present, the prices have somewhat mellowed down. Going forward, much will depend on the trajectory of the spread of COVID-19 and I am hopeful that the current second wave would ebb down very shortly, thus kindling the hopes of a normal academic session starting by the third quarter of 2021.

In my viewpoint, the future of the writing & printing paper in the short to medium-run is quite encouraging as the Government of India has already announced the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) which is slated to be implemented by the 2022-23 academic session. This would require an escalation in the printing

and publishing of textbooks with the newly-implemented syllabus and other related activities.

Overall, the Indian paper industry is looking forward to a much better performance in the current year as compared to the last year, but at the same time, we are keeping our fingers crossed as the COVID- situation still remains quite fluid and at peak.

While talking about the price of the finished paper, it must be kept in mind that the prices of various inputs have risen sharply, as the entire commodity market is on fire. The lower availability of the recycled fiber coupled with a three-fold jump in the sea freight has resulted in the sharp increase in the prices of recovered fiber which is a major input for many paper mills.

Additionally, any other inputs have also shown sharp increases, therefore, a part of the increase in prices is due to the cost-push.

All in all, we hope that the situation will settle down to be in its equilibrium once normalcy returns on the healthfront.

The Indian paper industry has a promising opportunity to become a global supplier of segments such as Kraft paper, and by upgrading technologically, we can seamlessly be on the path to be the leader globally.

The price of paper has been showing an upward trend these days and chiefly speaking, the less availability of the containers has substantially impacted the prices, and in effect, the collections in western countries has been majorly affected since the emergence of the pandemic.

Mr. Shankar Patel, Managing Director, Sukraft Group

As the availability of containers are getting eased day by day, I can see a slight downtrend taking place in the raw material prices; however, at this point, we have to observe the collections and output from the western countries since this factor is going to play a key role in the domestic market-conditions.

At present, India is going through the second wave of the COVID-19 and

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it is a completely different scenario than the first phase of the lockdown in which people had actually spent some money. However, in the current scheme of things, the people are cutting their expenses on a day-to-day basis and the new consumer behaviour has been affecting the local paper waste generation.

In my understanding, the Indian paper industry has a promising opportunity to become a global supplier of segments such as Kraft paper, and by upgrading technologically, we can seamlessly be on the path to be the leader globally.

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

Bellmer India: Bringing Calenders that are Mainstay for Improved Properties of Paper and Boards Bellmer India is arguably the first Indian company manufacturing the state-of-the-art calenders, equivalent to a European calender…

Mr. Ranajoy Chowdhury

Paper Mart interviewed Mr. Ranajoy Chowdhury, Managing Director, Bellmer India Pvt. Ltd., wherein he outlines the – overview of Bellmer India, the capabilities, Turbo Calender – TURBOCal, presence in the Indian paper mills, and the future plans of the Company.

Paper Mart: At the start, could you please present a brief run-through of the Company – Bellmer India Pvt. Ltd and its market footprints. What are the significant achievements for the company so far?

Ranajoy Chowdhury: Bellmer India Private Limited, formerly known as – GapCon Engineering Pvt. Ltd., is an Indo-German joint venture, which was conceived with the envisaged growth in the demand of modern pulp and paper machines in India. The production of correctly engineered paper machine calenders

has always been an uphill task in the world over, considering that the knowledge base was closely guarded in Europe. With the advent of Bellmer India, the primary objective was to bring to India for the first time, away from the European shores, the knowledge, experience and knowhow on the paper machine calenders and its related services. A state-ofthe-art investment was set up in the year 2014, to engineer, manufacture and service complete paper machine calenders and crown compensated (CC) rolls. Apart from investing in knowledge and technology for calenders, the investments were strategically rendered in arguably one of the best grinding machines in India, along with an automatic test bench for simulating the CC roll operation on a real-time basis.

Bellmer India has been showcasing an economical and ergonomical calender named TurboCalender, with German precision and engineering support, felicitous for the Indian market. With this, we offer a complete state-of-theart new calender TurboCalender and also, we utilize the existing equipment as applicable to build a new TurboCalender or rebuild an existing Multinip to a modern TurboCalender.

This comes with both – the hard or soft nip concept, which provides paper mills a technically advanced tool to directly influence their paper/ board surface properties.

Bellmer’s team in India, has been working relentlessly, to rectify the previous mistakes, as observed in various installations of calenders, bringing to the market correct solutions with a driven CC roll,

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importance of a heated roll and application of multizone CC rolls.

PM: Please describe the company with respect to – the manufacturing capabilities and also outline an overview of the infrastructure of your facility.

RC: Bellmer India is involved in a number of activities as a prelude to the manufacturing efforts of TurboCalender, in their state-of-theart plant, which is located close to Kolkata. Some of the activities include – engineering of complete tailor-made calender, procurement, and assembly of both – calender CC rolls and complete calenders. In addition, our capabilities also include - service and repair of all kind of CC rolls, hydraulic test bench for CC rolls, grinding, balancing and repair of all functional rolls, quality control and training.

PM: Kindly present an overview of the Turbo Calender – TURBOCal. How do you think Turbo Cal is positioned to provide paper mills a technically advanced tool to directly influence smoothness, two-sidedness, bulk, gloss, and profile?

RC: TurboCalender is a smart surface treatment tool, which can be designed for multiple applications as a pre- and post-calender, which would directly influence features such as – sizing, two-sidedness, caliper profile, gloss and smoothness. The applications are all directly related to the relevant surface property improvements, influencing the final product, with its feel, optical properties and printability. Bellmer India is

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

arguably the first Indian company manufacturing the state-of-the-art calenders, equivalent to a European calender, both hard and soft, for all grades and application.

and also the rebuild of any existing calender; could you please shed some light on the necessary capabilities of the company which enables it in undertaking turnkey projects?

PM: Elaborate on some of Bellmer India’s recent associations and projects executed for the paper mills in India? What was the scope of the supplies and how do you think it will benefit the mills in the long run?

RC: Bellmer Group is fully equipped to supply complete machine from the headbox to the reel, and as an alternative, all relevant key sections comprising of the headbox, topformer, shoe press, film press, coater, pre- and post-calender, reel and winder. At this juncture, the Indian operation is restricting its scope to supply and manufacturer of complete paper machine calenders and its related services. However, in due course of time, depending on the market pre-requisites, the further decision to append its product range, and to include the key sections would be introduced. Further, the customers should feel free to approach our counterparts in Europe for other key sections or for turnkey project machines.

RC: There has been an aggressive technical campaign in the market, to rectify the previous mistakes in the supplies of calenders, bringing to the paper mills, correct solutions with a driven CC roll, heated roll concept and usage of multizone CC rolls. Bellmer India was the first company to introduce the concept of integrated loading system in BILT, the usage of two multizone CC rolls in Khanna Paper Mills, apart from numerous modern pre calenders for coated board, LWC (lightweight coated paper) etc. in the market.

Our pre calenders are working in nearly 50% established coated board manufacturers in India, for instance, Deevya Shakti Paper Mills, Sripathi Paper & Boards, Khanna Paper Mills, Sahota Papers, Emami Paper Mills, to name a few. However, it’s just an extract, with benefits attributed to properties such as – gloss and bulk.

Our objectives are to realize the dream of Indian paper makers, to have a tool which directly influences the surface properties without compromising on strength.

PM: Having expertise in the design, manufacturing, supply, and commissioning of calender, film press, deflection compensation rolls and its corresponding services,

PM: How do you view the Indian pulp and paper industry with respect to the demand for modern calenders?

Also, what is your viewpoint with respect to capacity expansions, quality enhancement, and productivity improvements in the pulp and paper industry?

RC: As stated earlier, the investment in Bellmer India was based on the envisaged increase in the consumption and growth in the Indian market. Today, the Indian market is certainly aware of the cheap imports and its impact on the surface properties of paper/boards and herein lies the growth in demand by the Indian paper mills for a modern and efficient calender. In fact, I

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would like to emphasize that security for all investments, movement in tandem with the growth in demand, the return on investment would come only with the product having improved surface properties, i.e., with a Bellmer TurboCalender.

PM: Please outline on the recent product developments at your end and the upgradations you have introduced in the recent past at your production unit. Also, what is the future roadmap of Bellmer India going forward?

RC: At present, we are considering to make investments in our existing operation to append our capacity with respect to both – space and manpower, to exceed the existing capacity for the supply of new TurboCalender and related services.

There has also been a reasonable advancement in developing a fullfledged automation team in India, not just for TurboCalender but also in Bellmer Shoe Press – TurboPress.

Depending on the market-demand and trends, we will plan to introduce technologically advanced equipment, which will be manufactured in India, and will act as a replacement for expensive imports. PM

C•E•N•T•E•N•N•I•A•L M•I•L•E•S•T•O•N•E

BTG Celebrates 100 Years To commemorate the occasion of reaching the 100 year-milestone, the company has launched a campaign re-emphasizing the values that have guided and that will continue to guide the company forward — prioritizing innovation and customer-focus. products and solutions, please describe some of the biggest highlights in BTG’s history?

Keith Waters: We are very proud to have reached the milestone of a century serving the pulp and paper industry with innovative solutions.

BTG has its origins in Sweden in 1921, when Torsten Källe, the inventor of a “regulator” to automate the control of temperature and load in a local sulfite mill, launched the Källe Regulator Company. Over the course of the next several decades, the company invented and developed a range of pulp consistency transmitters, steam conditioning valves and specialty pulp and paper analyzers before becoming Eur-Control in the 1960s.

Mr. Keith Waters, General Manager-Asia Pacific, BTG Group

Paper Mart interviewed Mr. Keith Waters, General Manager-Asia Pacific, BTG Group, as the Company celebrates its 100 years-anniversary, on the major achievements of the Company, the shared vision with the Voith Group, the solutions based on Industry 4.0, the outlook on the Indian paper industry and the future goals of the Company.

Established in Sweden, BTG Group has spent the past century dedicated to its founding principles of quality first, technology and manufacturing innovation, global reach and people development. Through the years, the Company’s continued investment in core capabilities and strategic acquisitions have played a major role in strengthening its position in the pulp and paper industry.

To commemorate the occasion of reaching the 100 yearmilestone, BTG has launched a campaign re-emphasizing the values that have guided and that will continue to guide the company forward: innovation and customer-focus.

Excerpts from the interview: Paper Mart: To begin with, what an accomplishment to be around after 100 years! As 2021 marks a century of serving the pulp and paper industry with innovative tools,

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After merging with coater manufacturer AB Inventing in 1985, BTG (Bonnier Technology Group) was formed, and the development of high-performance coating and creping blades soon followed. In 2001, BTG acquired Mütek, with its comprehensive range of inline and laboratory analyzers for the paper industry. In 2016, Capstone Technology, a leading provider of software for process control optimization and decision support analytics across several processing industries was acquired and in 2019, BTG became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Voith Group.

Fast forward to 2021 — BTG is a pulp and paper technology focused company with a unique capability to craft solutions that deliver sustainable gains in our customer’s business performance.

Fast forward to 2021 — BTG is a pulp and paper technology focused company with a unique capability to craft solutions that deliver sustainable gains in our customer’s business performance.

PM: Since the Voith Group had acquired the Company around a year and a half ago, we would like you to touch upon – the synergistic relationship of the two companies and the combined vision for further growth in the pulp and paper industry.

KW: Voith Paper and BTG have both been committed to delivering technological innovation to the pulp and paper

C•E•N•T•E•N•N•I•A•L M•I•L•E•S•T•O•N•E Voith Paper and BTG have both been committed to delivering technological innovation to the pulp and paper industry for decades. industry for decades. As a full-line supplier, Voith Paper provides customer-centric solutions from a single source for an efficient and sustainable papermaking process. The BTG portfolio and competencies are highly complementary with those of Voith Paper.

Knowledge and experience are being shared both within our respective technology centres and in the field across to ensure that the combined capability is available to our customers. To ensure focus on our respective areas of expertise, BTG operates as an entity with Voith Paper and our sales and service teams remain engaged in delivery of pulp and paper solutions.

Together, we focus on making the world better with paper.

PM: In 2020, BTG had introduced SMART Monitoring as its first Industry 4.0 solution/service; could you please elaborate on the same and take us through your plans with regard to introducing more solutions with Industry 4.0 as its foundational principle/model?

KW: SMART Monitoring was developed consistent with BTG’s guiding principle to deliver innovative, value adding, and customer-focused solutions. With SMART Monitoring, our engineers can be connected to BTG sensors at mill in real time, 24 hours a day/7 day a week, to assist in ensuring optimal performance. This enables teams to intervene faster, ensuring even greater reliability and availability.

The global drive to digitalization is at the centre of BTG’s technology development pathway that includes the MACS suite of Advanced Controls and dataPARC, an industry leading data visualization and analytics platform.

SMART Monitoring is a step along that journey and is one of the many advanced digital solutions offered by BTG for the Industry 4.0 enabled paper mill.

PM: What is your viewpoint on the Indian pulp and paper market with respect to – the potential and the opportunities for the Company? What is your current market presence in India and expansion plans?

KW: The Indian pulp and paper market is rapidly expanding with a particular focus on packaging grades and achieving optimal yields from limited fibre resources. BTG has well developed competencies in these process areas, with local resources in place, and we are actively engaged in projects with our valued Indian customers. Our sales and service teams are based in both Gurgaon and Hyderabad, where we also have a service centre.

The Indian pulp and paper industry is an exciting place to be, and we are fully committed as it continues to develop and grow.

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PM: Also, the Company had introduced – Pulp 4.0 - an integrated solution to improve overall Fiberline performance, a while ago; could you please talk about the market-acceptance of the same and the advantages with regard to finance (production cost) and efficiency?

KW: Pulp 4.0 is about optimizing pulp quality and cost across the entire fiberline. It combines process measurements with our MACS advanced process control suite and strong domain expertise. MACScook and MACSbleach address digester and bleach plant optimization respectively and there has been significant interest from Indian mills.

The current state operations and savings potential are comprehensively assessed at the outset of a project providing a pathway to a sustainable return on investment.

Typically, the savings are in the range USD 2 to USD 10 per ton.

PM: As BTG is now at a very significant juncture in its business journey – having completed 100 years and growing, what are the future goals of the Company? Also, what do you think are the aspects which have helped the Company in growing through the century?

KW: A commitment to quality, service and the delivery of solutions that assist our customers in achieving significant and sustainable gains in business performance has been a common focus for BTG for a century now. This remains central to our strategy as we start our next century.

The paper industry and technological environment of 2021 is very different to that of 1921. We will continue to adapt, developing our consumables, automation technologies, software, and process expertise to deliver high quality, productivity enhancing solutions that reflect a state-of-theart approach. This is what has made us successful for the last 100 years!

PM: Any concluding thoughts that you wish to add to the interview?’

KW: Reaching the 100 Year milestone would not have been possible without the dedication of our employees over many years. People make the difference. We also thank our valued pulp and paper customers to be a part of this memorable journey and will continue to remain in their business endeavor.

Thank you for the opportunity to share the 100 Year milestone with our friends in the Indian pulp and paper industry. PM

N•E•W A•L•L•I•A•N•C•E

Yueli Machinery Consistently Growing its Presence Around the World Established in 1978, Yueli Machinery is the machinery manufacturer for the paper, corrugated and flexo printing products. The Company has collaborated with Omicron Paptech LLP for the Indian market.

After four decades of steady growth, Yueli Machinery is now among the top manufacturers of complete paper and corrugated machineries. It is based in Taichung - Central Taiwan and Wuxi - China, with more than 75,000 sq m of premium quality manufacturing facilities. In the first quarter of FY 2020-21, the Company installed two paper machines in Asia, two winders in Taiwan and Japan and did four rebuilds in the USA. Recently, Longchen Paper & Packaging Co., Ltd. at its Erlin plant in Central Taiwan, started Yueli’s 300,000 TPY containerboard machine. The scope of delivery included the complete wire part, dryer section, film size press, pope reel and a complete automatic winder from core loading to the finished product tail taping designed to operate at 2500 m/min.

Another line installed by Yueli in 2020 was to a confidential customer in Vietnam. This container board machine with capacity up to 350,000 TPY enables the customer to consolidate their position in the evergrowing market in Vietnam.

Yueli’s ambitious plans to manufacture wider machines was achieved in the first quarter of 2021, when it supplied its first 8-meters machine, a fully loaded winder 8300 mm x 2500 MPM to Japan. In the pipeline are winders for the APP Group (in Indonesia), SCG Group (in Philippines) and paper machines for Malaysia which are scheduled for the startup and delivery in 2021-2022.

For India, Yueli has collaborated with Omicron Paptech LLP which has its head office in Mumbai.

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I•N•D•U•S•T•R•Y W•A•T•C•H

Pulp

FOR PACKAGING GRADES – A GROWTH AREA

E-commerce sets new records every year, and the long-term trend is clear. E-commerce, globalization, and increasing living standards, environmental awareness are driving the growing need for paper-based packaging.

Online shopping is boosting the demand for packaging paper and paperboard. Sustainable packaging is becoming an increasingly important factor in e-commerce and other marketplaces, creating new opportunities for fiber-based, recyclable and biodegradable packaging materials. A bright future for liquid board is also predicted, as many companies want to replace plastics as packaging material for food products.

“Pulp for packaging grades is a future area, and we’re really noticing this at Valmet, with many customers investing in kraftliner, fluting and liquid board production. We provide them with complete fiberlines and boardmaking lines, from wood raw material to finished paper and board.

Our offering covers machinery, process technology, automation and services,” explains Jan Laredius, one of the concept owners of the area of Pulp for packaging grades at Valmet.

“The decreasing demand for printing and writing paper means pulp and paper mills are seeing the potential to convert the fiberline to pulp for packaging paper and paperboard production. A large part of the growth for packaging will come from recycled fiber, but there’s also a need for fresh virgin pulp to make higher qualities.

Our goal is to transform existing fiberlines into first-class kraft pulping production with our know-how and machinery,” Laredius says.

The global containerboard market to grow 2.4% annually

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between 2016 and 2030 Source: RISI

Higher kappa numbers for higher yield The fiberline for kraftliner production has the same critical components (e.g. cooking and washing equipment), as that for kraft pulp intended for bleaching. The pulp is cooked to a higher kappa number for a higher yield and then refined to achieve complete fiber liberation and the desired pulp properties. When the kappa number increases above the defibration point – by decreasing the cooking time and chemical charges – mechanical defibration is required.

The pulp is defibrated by refiners in the blow line or after the blow tank, followed by screening and washing.

“Valmet has a long and successful history in this field, dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. At the beginning of the 1970s, we were the first company to offer continuous cooking in combination with blow line refining,” Laredius explains.

I•N•D•U•S•T•R•Y W•A•T•C•H

Pulp for packaging grades is a future area, and we’re really noticing this at Valmet, with many customers investing in kraftliner, fluting and liquid board production.

The importance of impregnation, cooking and washing “Today, our Continuous Cooking G3 system is a cornerstone when we design new fiberlines,” Laredius emphasizes.

“Impregnation is an important part of the cooking process, and it especially applies when pulp is produced for products such as linerboard, fluting, liquid board and sack paper. Owing to optimal impregnation means a higher pulp yield is obtained, and less energy is required in refining. There’s no process that matches Valmet’s ImpBin solution. The benefits are many, including more homogeneous cooking and delignification, which results in a narrower kappa number distribution and therefore the possibility to increase the kappa number. In turn, this means a higher yield. With ImpBin and Continuous Cooking G3, our customers achieve superior impregnation and cooking, which is of great importance for the end result,” Laredius continues. For example, a longer average fiber length and stronger final paper and board are obtained.

“Another key to success is the washing efficiency of our TwinRoll wash presses. Because of the liquor displacement and high output consistency, the carry-over of dissolved substances from the pulp mill to the paper machine is minimized,” Laredius says. “All the benefits are also demonstrated in our cooking references, which are the only new in the area during the past ten years.”

Refining and screening for every need

Jan Laredius, one of the concept owners of the area of Pulp for packaging grades at Valmet

refining follows in one or several steps: blow line, hot stock, deshive and reject refining. The process design and selection of equipment are adapted for each customer to achieve the desired pulp quality. For example, low consistency refining in OptiFiner Conflo is applied for pulp for kraftliner and sack paper, for a medium to high kappa number.

“The acquisition of GL&V made us stronger in refining. All the refining techniques are now available on the market, and we can choose the one that’s best for each application and customer. With the latest technology, we’re continually developing the process to achieve even better performance and properties in the pulp, and reduce energy consumption.

“Screening plays a key role in achieving the high cleanliness of the end product. The fine screens have excellent efficiency and separation.

They are also characterized by their high availability and runnability, with large operating windows. The design is optimized to prevent the screens from plugging,” says Laredius.

Sustainability and environmental aspects are strong drivers E-commerce, globalization and higher living standards mean that the demand for packaging paper is continuing to increase. Sustainability and the environment are also strong drivers, not least because consumers and companies want to see new environmentally friendly and climatesmart alternatives to plastics.

“There’s a strong demand for fiberbased renewable materials to replace plastics, and the future looks very bright for products such as linerboard, fluting and liquid board. The upside is huge – for example, the food industry is looking for new ways to produce taste- and odor-neutral packaging with a minimal environmental footprint.”

“Companies are very willing to invest in bio-based packaging, not least because consumers are increasingly expecting it. We’re going to see many new packaging solutions in the future. The power of innovation is impressive, and it seems there are scarcely any limits to what we can achieve,” Laredius concludes.

Facts About Global E-Commerce: •• In 2019, retail e-commerce sales amounted to EUR 3.3 trillion •• 19 percent estimated global growth rate in 2020 •• Online shopping is one of the most popular online activities worldwide.

After impregnation and cooking,

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Source: Statista

A•U•T•O M•A•T•I•O•N & D•I•G•I•T•A•L•I•Z•A•T•I•O•N

Continuous Performance Improvement through Automation and Digitalization At Valmet, everything starts from customer-benefits. Automation and industrial internet applications increase process reliability and performance.

Building technology and know-how with customer benefits in mind has been at the core of Valmet’s automation system development from the start.

Combining automation and the industrial internet seamlessly is paving the road toward autonomous factories.

Black box Mata Hari and Valmet test pilot Esko Halme - 1953

Valmet’s automation business is known for its innovative process industry automation systems, but perhaps surprisingly the roots of the company’s operations are in aviation.

In the 1940s, a production plant that had served as Valmet’s instrument factory began to manufacture equipment for the Finnish Air Force. In Tampere, the company’s engineers designed devices such as a black box for recording flight information to improve aviation safety, one of the firstof-its-kind. In addition to measurement technology, the company set out to develop various controllers needed in industrial processes. They could be used for functions such as adjusting valve positions with pressurized air.

From there, the development work moved on to digital automation systems, at the forefront of which Valmet has been for five decades now. The company had launched its first decentralized control system, Damatic, in 1979 as the

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second company in the world.

“Valmet moved over to fully digital process control very early on. It helped customers do things more efficiently,” says President of the Automation Business Line, Sami Riekkola from Valmet.

Solutions to production development challenges are increasingly often services The global megatrend of sustainability is increasingly often at the core of customers’ operations. Therefore, improving performance is often motivated by a need to decrease emissions and use raw materials more effectively. Changing customer needs increase the demand for automation and digitalization, as new technologies can improve performance in several different areas.

A•U•T•O M•A•T•I•O•N & D•I•G•I•T•A•L•I•Z•A•T•I•O•N The industrial internet connects systems and creates value beyond the value chain In the conventional scheme, automation has consisted of independent islands that only have limited connections outside. Today, the industrial internet can easily connect systems with one another. “We are witnessing a technological breakthrough in which the internal network of systems extends securely across the internet into IoT solutions that connect different systems and devices. This requires actions such as responding to all information security threats, which is a key area of our constant development work,” says Vice President of R&D Jukka Ylijoki.

Valmet Damatic

Valmet is one of the few operators that are able to supply key customer industries with systems in which data-based production plant performance development is made possible by seamlessly combining the same company’s digital process technology, measurement devices and process automation. “For example, we are currently carrying out quality optimization across the customer’s entire value chain – from fiber to the end product,” says Vice President of Industrial Internet Jari Almi from Valmet.

Toward autonomous factories through digitalization

Kari Huovila, Automation Services Business Unit head at Valmet, says that the majority of automation projects start with charting the problems that need solutions together with the customer. After that, work can start to outline what kind of technology is needed.

In addition to distributed control systems and industryspecific automation applications, Valmet’s automation offering includes quality management systems as well as analyzers and measurements, various industrial internet applications and automation services.

“Instead of just technology, we are providing more and more services that are tied to performance and benefits to the customers. For example, a paper mill will no longer purchase just a device for measuring fiber properties.

Instead, the customer will acquire a service for achieving the desired level of quality,” Huovila comments.

The heart of Valmet’s automation offering, the Valmet DNA Automation System, was introduced to the market at the beginning of the millennium and is constantly being developed further.

“Our technology is developed in a manner that allows for maintaining and updating the customer’s systems even decades later. The customer can trust that new applications can always be connected to the existing system,” Huovila says.

A good example of this is the Valmet DNA User Interface, which is one of the first web-based user interfaces on the market. The application makes it possible to use the automation system also outside the control room, and previously supplied systems can be upgraded with it, bringing the benefits of browser-based operation to the customer quickly.

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Industrial internet (IoT) based applications and services with which Valmet improves the reliability and performance of customers’ processes are among the company’s significant growth areas. Customers can use Valmet’s customer portal for purposes such as co-operating with Valmet’s remote service center experts, using industrial internet applications and reading performance reports.

“Our services include aspects such as data analyses, online monitoring, anticipatory diagnostics and timely maintenance planning,” says Vice President of Industrial Internet, Jari Almi from Valmet.

Jari Almi says that IoT solutions are paving the road to further automated and autonomous mills and plants. This enables customers to achieve more efficient production processes at plants such as pulp mills.

“In simplified terms, an autonomous mill means that the process is started with a push of one button. After that, the production is monitored and controlled automatically by means such as the industrial internet and artificial intelligence,” Almi explains.

Performance optimization requires multidisciplinary know-how When the performance of a mill or a plant is being optimized, there is a multitude of factors to be taken into account. High availability, energy efficiency, optimizing the amount of raw materials used, quality control – each requires specific know-how. Optimizing daily maintenance and long-term lifecycle management in a manner that also takes the changing and developing business needs into account is often a challenging puzzle.

A•U•T•O M•A•T•I•O•N & D•I•G•I•T•A•L•I•Z•A•T•I•O•N

Valmet DNA User Interface

Kari Huovila says that customers in different industries share a wish: that expertise is available quickly and nearby when needed. “Our service network covers the most important market areas. Our local experts are near, and they know the customer’s business well.”

Valmet has supplied almost 5,000 automation systems and more than 100,000 analyzers and measurements across the globe. The equipment and services have a strong market position, especially in the pulp, paper and energy industry, but the company has customers in other areas of the process industry as well. Furthermore, the company’s automation technology is utilized in hundreds of cruise and cargo ships. “We are able to provide our customers with additional value in many industries. Our system is easy to adapt to different customer applications, from pulp mills to cruise ships,” says President of the Automation Business Line Sami Riekkola. “We also provide customers with access to the know-how of the entire Valmet Group, creating significant synergy,” Riekkola continues. “It is a great advantage that in addition to automation we have thorough industrial process know-how and knowledge inhouse.”

“The starting point for everything is that our staff are very committed to solving the customers’ problems,” Riekkola comments. “We are quick when it comes to developing new things, but in product development our focus is always locked on helping the customer. A close relationship with the customer also clarifies the goals of product development.”

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“Additionally, a key aspect of our competitiveness is highquality project implementation. That means that the customer receives what they want – and preferably a little more – within the agreed upon schedule,” Riekkola says. He states that Valmet’s ambitious goal is to find growth outside its current strong industries as well.

“Lately, we have been automating sites such as battery chemical plants with the latest technology.”

Valmet is the world’s leading supplier of technology, services and automation for eg. the pulp, paper and energy industry.

The company provides its customers with advanced automation solutions from systems that cover production in its entirety to individual measurements in different industries. Valmet has more than 200 years of industrial history in Finland. Today, the company has a global network of 14,000 professionals serving its customers around the world.

KROFTA

NEW MEGACELL

Krofta introduces State of the Art Technology: NEW DAF especially designed for Paper Industry.

A unique technique, far enhanced compared to circular machines.

MEGACELL PRODUCT RANGE:

SALIENT BENEFITS:

Ÿ 50-70% savings* in Civil Cost

Model Number

Maximum Flow(m³/h)

Power (kW)

Megacell-5

50

0.37

Ÿ Higher capacity Product at Low

Megacell-10

100

0.37

Foot Print (Required lessor land space)

Megacell-15

150

1.1

Megacell-20

200

1.5

Ÿ Much Lower running Power cost

Megacell-25

250

1.5

in comparison to Present DAF Technology

Megacell-30

300

1.5

Ÿ Excellent Output performance Ÿ Cheaper installation cost* Ÿ A very compact unit

Megacell-35

350

1.5

Megacell-50

500

1.5

Megacell-65

650

1.5

Megacell-75

750

1.5

Megacell-100

1000

3.0

compared to Sedicell

*As per Krofta Terms and Conditions.

Krofta Engineering Limited Durga Bhawan, A-68, FIEE Complex, Okhla Industrial Area Phase-II, New Delhi – 110020.

EPBX : +91-11-4724 2500 E-mail :krofta@kroftaengineering.com Web : www.kroftaengineering.com

T•E•C•H T•A•L•K

Roll Diameters for Calenders for Paper Production The bigger the better? Why bigger roll diameters for calenders are not necessarily an advantage.

When running a sheet through a calender, we merely talk physics.

Some of the effects a sheet experiences when running through a nip (which is generated by two rolls) are contradictory.

However, everybody knows that the technology works, and here is some background knowledge that hopefully helps explain the effect of the roll diameter.

Mr. Hans-Josef Reiners, Sales Director-Paper and Board at ANDRITZ Küsters, provides some insights into this effect.

Mr. Hans-Josef Reiners, Sales DirectorPaper and Board at ANDRITZ Küsters

ROLL ARRANGEMENT

Our calenders enable reliable soft calendering for a wide range of applications.

The outcome – the excellent surface finish – is often created by a simple pair of rolls.

The sketch below shows a crowncompensated roll in the top position (blue) and a heated roll in the bottom position (orange). The sheet running through the nip passes from left to right.

Calendering is an effect in which surface properties are transferred from the rolls to the sheet. This is subject to several parameters like • Nip Load • Temperature • Moisture • Dwell Time There are other parameters, but let’s stick to these four as the most prominent ones.

NIP LOAD We will start with the nip load – represented by the letter F in the sketch. In an ideal approach, there is just one point of contact between the two rolls. Accordingly, the nip load is sometimes referred to as the linear nip load.

In practice, the rolls have a certain elasticity and are flattened by the nip load (following the laws of Hertzian pressure). That means that the nip load is distributed over an area in a practical way and becomes a specific nip load.

The area is dependent on the elasticity modulus – represented by Em and Et - of the rolls, but it is also subject to the physical properties of the sheet.

As a matter of fact, we use the specific nip load for our internal calculation of the rolls.

TEMPERATURE

2D-sketch of the two rolls of a calender

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The fibers in the sheet show resistance to deformation. Higher temperature lowers this resistance and makes the sheet more flexible.

The base temperature at which the sheet enters the nip is the starting point – represented in the sketch by tB. The increase in temperature may only be noted on the surface and not

T•E•C•H T•A•L•K pass through the entire web. For this reason, and in order to reduce twosidedness, a second calender stack may be installed. For this purpose, the roll pair is arranged in an alternate manner. In one calender stack, the heated roll is in the top position, whereas in the other calender stack the heated roll is in the bottom position.

MOISTURE

Example of an ANDRITZ PrimeCal Soft calender, installed at Zellstoff Pöls PM3, Austria

idea may be to reduce the line speed to increase this parameter. However, this will lower production and is the wrong approach.

The next prominent parameter is moisture. Water softens the fibres, hence a certain sheet humidity is helpful. In some special applications with high quality demands, water is added (by steam or water spraying) before the calender. Here, it is worth considering moisture profiling to keep the moisture in CD direction constant.

A workable solution is to add nips because the time of exposure in each nip would thus accumulate. This idea led to the development of multinip technology, like the ANDRITZ PrimeCal ProSoft calender. In other applications, two calender stacks were installed in a double arrangement in which the heated rolls are arranged on the same side to drastically improve the smoothness there.

DWELL TIME

CONCLUSION

Dwell time, as the last prominent parameter, means the time period over which the sheet experiences the change in its environment (i.e. higher nip load and temperature). The first

Based on this background knowledge, an increase in the roll diameter would increase the parameter dwell time only to a very minor extent.

However, the contact area would increase as well and the specific nip load would be reduced accordingly.

Although a larger diameter may allow a higher linear load, there are also severe negative consequences.

Besides space considerations, the disadvantage of increasing the roll diameter may be that this approach sometimes does not pay off.

ANDRITZ PrimeCal calenders provide full control of the nip and a finish that creates paper and board qualities with optimum printability. These calenders are well suited to final calendering of newsprint, fine papers, and various types of board. By making use of the single element-controlled PrimeRoll MHV technology, all PrimeCal calenders are able to create state-ofthe-art CD caliper profiles.

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C•A•S•E S•T•U•D•Y

Toba Pulp Lestari Takes Valmet Remote Support to the Next Level DCS migration and upgrade achieved without a production shutdown.

While carrying out the project, audio and video tools were used for interfacing with Valmet engineers.

PT Toba Pulp Lestari Tbk (TPL) locates in Porsea, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The DCS for the pulp mill, power plant, wastewater plant, and drying machine as well as other related departments needed to be replaced due to obsolete hardware and maintenance challenges. The total I/O’s for the upgrade is about 15,000 and the whole project is being phased over a number of years. The first stage started in 2018 and will be carried out gradually until 2021.

As scheduled, the control system of boiler feed water was to be upgraded in 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions made it impossible to implement commissioning work in the normal way. A pioneering approach to remote commissioning was proposed and carried out. The successful project completion was achieved by TPL’s own personnel assisted by innovative remote support from Valmet’s automation specialists in India.

Remote Support The schedule set by TPL was tight, with the replacement of the existing digital control system, already at endof-life, to be accomplished without a shutdown of the boiler feed water system. With hardware design and manufacturing as well application engineering completed in India, the pandemic meant that Valmet engineers could not provide in-person on-site support. Ir. Sanatali Kaharuli/ Lie Liang San as Dy Engineering and

Sanatali Kaharuli, Deputy Engineering and Maintenance Department Head

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Maintenance Dept. Head, P.T Toba Pulp Lestari Tbk explained that TPL’s team restructured all the hardware and re-engineered the I/O’s addresses to suit conditions required for an on the run installation without removal of the old cabinets. System testing, installation, and commissioning would have to be performed by the TPL team remotely supported

by Valmet. Remote support was achieved by using live video and audio capabilities.

Good Planning Valmet and TPL worked together to make an exhaustive precommissioning activities list, which was closely followed by TPL at the site. The migration project to replace the existing system with the Valmet DNA automation system was to take place in phases. Valmet supplied DCS hardware, decoded the existing software, and did rigorous testing before actual replacement. For each phase/area a separate software factory acceptance- test was done on-site, a daily activity plan was made and jobs completed in a very short period.

Field cabling and existing termination modules were replaced completely by the TPL team and connected to the Valmet DNA automation system with the new cross-connection provided by Valmet. TPL installed

C•A•S•E S•T•U•D•Y the two cabinets, with approximately 650 inputs and outputs (I/O), in two days under the remote supervision of Valmet engineers. Kiran Wirkar, Project Engineer, and Ashish Chaudhari, Development Engineer from Valmet in India were heavily involved to support the installation of the Valmet DNA automation system according to the correct procedures and protocols. Lie Liang San said that “good planning, good preparation before execution, and good teamwork of young generation team with full motivated continuous improvement resulted in no interruption to the mill processes during the switch over.”

“Good preparation work, like better system training, cooperation between Valmet and the Customer as well as personal networking inside the mill helped us to achieve the successful commissioning. We understand the customer’s needs to deliver exactly what they want,” says Rajeev Srivastava, Senior Project Manager, Automation, Valmet.

Successful Execution Since there was no shutdown planned, the boiler feed water system was running locally from the motor control center (MCC) during the installation and commissioning. Once the automation system was ready with field termination completed, TPL personnel moved controls one by one to the Valmet DNA automation system. Lie Liang San confirmed this novel project was only made possible with proper planning, full Hazop analysis, and systematic procedure on execution and Valmet’s remote support even without any remote connection to the Valmet DNA automation system, and TPL is very satisfied with the automation system performance.

“This is our first time using online support for commissioning on the mill running condition. Both sides did a lot of communication and preparation to ensure the commissioning went smoothly and successfully. We’re satisfied with the automation performance and together we brought good results,” concludes Lie Liang San, TPL. Live video and audio allowed Valmet engineers to be virtually onsite to offer help and advice.

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N•E•W•S

Aadharshree Paper Mills Successfully Starts Production of Kraft Paper The company has installed capacity of 28500 TPA, and manufactures low GSM MG kraft paper, MG poster, electrical grade paper and hard tissue paper.

April 13, 2021 Aadharshree Paper Mills has successfully started the production at its plant in the first trial. The Haridwar-based paper mill is manufacturing low GSM MG kraft paper (32 to 80 GSM), MG poster paper (20 to 70 GSM), electrical grade paper and hard tissue paper.

The surge in demand for packaging and use of lower GSM paper for varied applications motivated the company to manufacture MG Kraft paper.

The paper machine’s deckle size is 4500mm and the installed capacity is 28500 TPA. The raw material used is 100 percent recycled-based fibre. The major strength of the company is its state-of-the-art paper machine and its capability to manufacture various grades of papers.

Aadharshree Paper Mills has been set up to cater only high quality paper segment while maintaining the most efficient system to reduce the water and power consumption. The company’s workforce includes experienced personnel who are dedicated to assure that quality is always up to the mark with stringent testing of all the parameters.

As informed to Paper Mart — the company is satisfied with the response it is getting from various paper distributors regarding the quality and is expecting a huge demand and massive growth for the same. Currently, Aadharshree Paper Mills is catering to the local demand, however, it is also in talks with overseas companies to start exporting and mark its global presence.

Mr. Shrey Verma, Director, Aadharshree Paper Mills Pvt. Ltd.

Commenting on the domestic market scenario and company’s strategic approach for the years to come — Mr. Shrey Verma, Director, Aadharshree Paper Mills Pvt. Ltd. says, “As far as I can say, India is the most unpredictable market and is not bound to any statistic! Still, with what we can see, there is definitely overall growth in all the paper segment except for the newsprint and w/p paper segment.

Our only strategy is not to be bound to local market but also to increase our presence in the global market because it’s always seen that when there is decline in local demand, exporting always helps and saves during the slump.” 

Emami Paper Mills Orders Metering Size Press and Size Kitchen from Valmet The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the first quarter 2021. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

April 13, 2021 Valmet will deliver a metering size press with sizing starch preparation and sizer supply system to Emami Paper Mills for its paper making line (PM3), which is located at its Balasore mill in Odisha, India.

“We chose Valmet for their superior technology and look forward to working closely with them to make this project a success,” says Mr. M.B.S Nair, President, Emami Paper Mills.

The delivery is scheduled for the fourth quarter 2021.

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N•E•W•S “We are honored to contribute to Emami’s strategic path for a more flexible product mix of writing and printing, and newsprint and containerboard. Our design of the main equipment and unique offering of complete scope together with size kitchen will help in achieving the objective effectively. This rebuild will be the leading reference in the country for grade conversions,” says Varun Jain, Director, India Region, Valmet.

layer controlled by film thickness, clean and high efficiency operation, and also user-friendly operation.

Valmet’s delivery includes the design, construct, supply, commissioning and start-up of the new metering size press with automated sizing starch preparation and sizer supply systems. These will ensure stable and streak-free sizing

After the rebuild, PM3 will produce mainly writing and printing paper (newsprint if needed) with the wire width 3,560 mm and the basic weight range of 45–90 g/m2. The daily capacity will be 233–275 tonnes with the maximum speed of 900–1,100 m/ min. 

The delivery also covers an air turn unit with an air system, a tail threading system including tail cutters, a vacuum conveyor F, a rope stretcher and rope drives with extended engineering services and training services to ensure the smooth start-up and operation.

Nioni Paper Orders 200 TPD Kraft Paper Plant From JMC Paper Tech The Halvad Morbi-based paper mill is setting up a 200 TPD high BF single wire MF machine with size press.

March 31, 2021 Nioni Paper LLP will set up a 200 TPD High BF Kraft Paper Plant at Halvad in Morbi district of Gujarat. The company will install a high BF single wire MF (machine finished) machine with size press. The company intends to upgrade the machine to top wire in future.

The machine’s deckle size is 4100 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 360 MPM (operating speed is 320 MPM). The raw material used will be OCC, NDLKC and KCC. The estimated cost of the project is INR 50 crore.

JMC Paper Tech Private Limited will supply a partial pulp mill section, a complete paper machine section along with other finishing equipments (electrifications, boilers, pumps, etc.). As informed to Paper Mart, the plant’s erection and installation is under full swing and Nioni Paper expects to go for commercial production from July 2021.

Nioni Paper Site

Before stepping into the paper industry, Nioni Paper’s management team was involved in the business of spinning industry for woolen yarns. The company’s workforce includes around 200 skilled and unskilled personnel. 

Kuantum Papers Successfully Starts New HERB Recovery Boiler Supplied by ANDRITZ ANDRITZ’s supplied HERB chemical recovery boiler will help in managing the increased black liquor generation and enhance captive power generation at the Kuantum Papers.

April 12, 2021 International technology Group ANDRITZ has successfully started up a new 500 t/d HERB chemical recovery boiler at Kuantum Papers Limited in Saila Khurd, Hoshiapur district in the state of Punjab, India.

The boiler is designed to handle a mixture of hardwood and agro-based black liquor and enables environmentally

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First black liquor firing at Kuantum Papers Limited

N•E•W•S friendly and more energy-efficient operation compared to a conventional boiler with direct contact evaporator. Thus, the mill’s pulp production as well as the power-to-heat-ratio are substantially increased. The boiler also features a unique vertical air system to minimize air emissions.

Mr. Pavan Khaitan, Managing Director, Kuantum Papers Limited, says: “We are very satisfied with the successful startup of the ANDRITZ boiler. The entire team at ANDRITZ has worked tirelessly with us for successful commissioning of the HERB recovery boiler along with the set of evaporators.”

The scope of supply also comprised:

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

•

Engineering for the entire system except civil work and electrical and automation equipment

•

Complete pressure parts

•

Auxiliaries such as start-up oil burners, black liquor burners, smelt spouts

•

Safety-related system (SRS)

Kuantum Papers is active in the production and marketing of wood-free writing and printing paper, thereby providing an alternative to wood-based paper while conserving precious resources and protecting the environment. 

Valmet Appoints Petri Paukkunen as an Area President, Asia Pacific Area Mr. Petri Paukkunen will lead and develop Valmet’s Asia Pacific Area sales and services operations that move customers’ performance forward.

March 10, 2021 Valmet has announced that will change its top management in Asia Pacific with appointment of Mr. Petri Paukkunen (B.Sc., Eng.) as Area President, Asia Pacific at Valmet from April 1, 2021.

Mr. Paukkunen is currently employed as Vice President, Board and Paper Mills business unit (BU) in Valmet’s Paper business line.

He will lead and develop Valmet’s Asia Pacific Area sales and services operations that move customers’ performance forward, and will report to Pasi Laine, President and CEO, Valmet

and will be a member of Valmet’s Executive Team.

Petri Paukkunen is a sales and general management professional who started his career with Valmet in 1991. He has an extensive background in board and paper production related process technology development, product management, and sales and customer relationship management. In the past years Petri Paukkunen has successfully grown Valmet’s largest process technology business unit, Board and Paper Mills BU, managing more than 1,200 professionals around the world.

Mr. Petri Paukkunen

As Valmet announced earlier, Jukka Tiitinen, current Area President, Asia Pacific, will take the role as Area President, North America at Valmet as of April 1, 2021. 

APRIL Group Sets Out Ambitious 2030 Targets to Support Sustainable Growth The company’s APRIL2030 strategy is comprised of 18 targets across four commitment areas – Climate Positive, Thriving Landscapes, Inclusive Progress and Sustainable Growth.

March 19, 2021 APRIL Group has recently rolled out a slate of progressive targets to 2030 that will have a positive impact on climate and nature, while also supporting the long term sustainable growth of its business. Through its APRIL2030 strategy, the company is targeting a drastic reduction of carbon emissions to achieve net zero emissions from land use and a 25% cut in product carbon emissions.

The company has also committed to net zero loss of protected areas and measurable gains in biodiversity and ecosystem

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benefits in the conservation and restoration areas under its active management. In addition, APRIL has stated that it will embrace the use of recycled textiles as an alternative fiber source. APRIL has substantial production and manufacturing operations in Indonesia and is part of the Singaporeheadquartered RGE group.

Mr. Anderson Tanoto, Managing Director, RGE, said: “Continued investment in climate, nature and sustainable development assumes even greater urgency if the global economy is to

N•E•W•S

Mr. Anderson Tanoto, Managing Director, RGE, pictured at the launch of APRIL2030

Mr. Praveen Singhavi, President, APRIL Group

achieve a strong recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. We are determined to ensure the next decade is one of action and further transformation for our company as we play our part to achieve a lower carbon economy and make a positive impact on climate, nature and people.”

circularity and responsible production as strategies for sustainable business growth. These will include increasing material efficiency and chemical recovery, using less water per product tonne and reducing solid waste to landfill. As part of investments in research and innovation on next-generation fiber, APRIL plans to source up to 20% of cellulosic fiber for viscose from recycled textiles.

The Climate Positive area includes four targets that will drastically reduce and mitigate carbon emissions based on science-based solutions, including net zero emissions from land use and 25% less product carbon emissions. These will be achieved through investment in technology, enhancement of operating systems and sourcing most of APRIL’s mill and fiber operation’s energy needs from cleaner, renewable energy.For Sustainable Growth, APRIL has three targets on diversification,

Mr. Praveen Singhavi, President, APRIL Group, said: “We’re making these 2030 commitments from a developing economy where the responsibility to achieve sustainable business growth and deliver essential progress for communities is greater than ever. No company’s sustainability vision can be enduring if communities are left behind”. 

Solaronics SAS Acquires Selas Heat Technology High Intensity Infrared Burners Assets With this acquisition, Solaronics SAS augments its portfolio of gas infrared emitters for the paper & board, metal processing and other markets where the company is active.

April 1, 2021 Solaronics SAS is a global leader in gas driven infrared drying and air technology systems for a wide range of industries such as paper & board, metal, and glass processes, and has been active in these markets for more than 50 years. It is part of the Argynnis Group, a family owned Swedish group founded in 1984 specializing in niche companies with unique products and technologies for a professional clientele.

“This acquisition perfectly fits our long-term strategy to extensively offer the best possible non-contact drying solutions to generate value for our existing and future customers. Combining Solaronics’ and Selas’ high intensity infrared technologies will create new opportunities for future growth” says Yannick Lescanne, CEO of Heating and Drying group and General Manager of Solaronics SAS.

Gas infrared emitters

“This acquisition is perfectly in line with our strategy to be the technology leader in all our business units, this will also give us the strength for the next level of growth” says Leif Gustavsson, CEO, Argynnis Group. 

www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021 | 75

N•E•W•S

Gloris Paper Orders 200 TPD Absorbent Kraft Paper Plant From JMC Paper Tech The Halvad Morbi-based paper mill is setting up an absorbent kraft paper plant with a capacity of 200 TPD. April 12, 2021 Gloris Paper LLP will set up a 200 TPD absorbent kraft paper plant at Halvad in Morbi district of Gujarat. The company will install a single-wire absorbent kraft machine with dandy roll.

The dandy roll will be mounted on the wire part, which will help to flatten the top surface and improve the finishing.

The machine’s deckle size is 4150 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 300 MPM (maximum operating speed is 275 MPM). The raw material used will be OCC, NDLKC and KCC. The estimated cost of the project is INR 45 crore.

JMC Paper Tech Private Limited will supply a partial pulp mill section, a complete paper machine section along with other finishing equipments. As informed to Paper Mart, the company’s directors — Mr. Manish Patel and Mr. Dhaval Patel told that the plant’s erection and installation is under full swing and Gloris Paper expects to go for commercial production from July 2021.

Before stepping into the paper industry, the founders of Gloris Paper were engaged in the laminates industry. They are pioneer in decorative laminates. The company’s workforce includes around 180 skilled and unskilled personnel. 

Gloris Paper Site

Paques BIOPAQ®ICX Reactor Successfully Commissioned Within a Single Day at Sainsons Paper Industries Paques India achieves remarkable milestone of commissioning BIOPAQ®ICX Reactor at Sainsons Paper Industries in Haryana, India.

March 25, 2021 Paques India has successfully commissioned BIOPAQ® ICX reactor at Sainsons Paper Industries, in Kurukshetra – Haryana.

Within few hours of commissioning, the reactor notably started producing biogas.

The wet washing wastewater from the paper mill is treated in the process for removing of harmful chemicals, resulting in clean water being generated for further utilization and thus adhering to the norms of regulatory authorities. 

Remarkable Commissioning of Paques BIOPAQ®ICX reactor at Sainsons Paper Industries

76 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

N•E•W•S

ITC-PSPD’s FiloBev: Recharge & Recycle ITC’s Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division has launched FiloBev — an innovative sustainable solution for serving beverages replacing single use non-recyclable plastics and LDPE coated cups.

In the interest of health and safety, ITC-PSPD has observed a shift towards disposable packaging for food and beverages.

FiloBev is made with wood fibers from sustainably managed plantations and coated with a special barrier that gives excellent water-resistant properties.

This brings us to the waste generated by food and beverage packaging: •

FiloBev is 100% recyclable as certified by CPPRI (Central Pulp & Paper Research Institute) and can be recycled in any existing standard recycling systems.

•

The board and the barrier coating conform to stringent food contact codes.

•

FiloBev can be converted in standard cup making machines. 

R.S.ENGINEERS

Manufacturers of : • Doctor Blades • Doctor Holders • Doctoring Systems

• Doctor Oscillation Systems • Felt Stretchers • Autoguides

Address : Plot No.19, SR.NO.2608, Shanta Gulab Industrial Park, Besides Damanganga Industrial Park, Karvad, Vapi-396193 Cell : +91 9898130415, +91 9227830415 Email : ayaz@rs-engineers.com, sales@rs-engineers.com Website : www.rs-engineers.com

www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021 | 77

N•E•W•S

Berthold Technologies: Measurement Solutions for Pulp and Paper Applications Due to the unique variety of sensors and measurement components Berthold offers the optimal solution in terms of measurement performance, practical feasibility and cost.

February 2, 2021 Berthold Technologies is expert in monitoring critical processes. As technology leader of radiometric measurements we bring benefit to the pulp and paper industry by providing highly accurate and reliable online measurements – the base for a cost-efficient and high-quality production.

Applications are wide ranging from the radiometric level measurement on a pulp digester, over the concentration measurement of green or black liquor, up to the mass flow measurement of recycling paper on conveyor belts. Using microwave transmission technology we provide real-time measurements of the moisture content of wood chips.

These advantages are used to make critical applications more reliable: •

Non-contacting: outside mounting of components

•

Reliable under extreme conditions

•

Wear and maintenance-free

•

Easy installation on existing pipes and vessels via clampon solutions

•

Smooth handling and operation

•

Nore-calibration required

•

Outstanding long-term stability

•

Virtually no operational expenses

Pulp and Paper Mill

The processes in which Berthold instruments are used include Level and high-level switch in the pulp digester, Pulp stock level in the MC pump standpipe, Mass flow of recycled paper, Blockage detection in the pulper, Mass flow of wood chips or bark, Density of green or liquor, Density of lime mud, Moisture of wood chips and Ash content in the pulp. 

Shivay Kraft Papers Orders 150 TPD Kraft Paper Plant from JMC Paper Tech Gujarat-based Shivay Kraft Papers is setting up a 150 TPD single wire Kraft Paper plant and the Company will manufacture a range of high bf kraft paper, fluting media, and test linear paper at the facility.

April 6, 2021 Shivay Kraft Papers Pvt. Ltd. will set up a 150 TPD single-wire Kraft Paper plant, supplied by JMC Paper Tech Pvt. Ltd., in the Mahesana district in Gujarat. The company will manufacture a range of high bf kraft paper, fluting media, and test linear paper at the facility. The Company intends to upgrade the single wire paper machine to top wire in the future.

The company will install a high BF single wire MF (machine finished) machine with a size press. The machine’s deckle size

78 | www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021

Shivay Kraft Papers Site

N•E•W•S is 4300 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 350 MPM while the operating speed will be 300 MPM. The raw material used will be – OCC, NDLKC, and KCC.

is INR 42 crore. Also, the plant’s erection and installation are under full swing and Shivay Kraft Papers expects to go for production from June 2021.

JMC Paper Tech will supply – the pulp mill section, the paper machine section, finishing equipment, and other equipment – such as electrifications, boilers, and pumps, etc. to the Gujaratbased company.

Prior to entering into the paper industry, Shivay Kraft Papers Pvt. Ltd- Management team had been greatly involved in the paper packaging and corrugation industry as M/S. Shiv Containers. The company’s workforce includes more than 170 skilled and unskilled personnel. 

As informed to Paper Mart, the estimated cost of the project

Nestlé Smarties Brand Switches to 100 Percent Recyclable Paper Packaging Nestlé began introducing Smarties sharing block packed in recyclable paper in the UK last year.

March 30, 2021 Nestlé has announced that its popular Smarties brand is now using recyclable paper packaging for its confectionery products worldwide. Smarties is the first global confectionery brand to switch to 100% recyclable paper packaging, removing approximately 250 million plastic packs sold globally every year.

The new Smarties paper packaging is sourced sustainably and is made of a coated paper, paper labels or cartonboard.

Information about how to properly dispose of Smarties paper packaging is also included on its labels to raise consumer awareness. In Romania, the Smarties product portfolio consists of Smarties tube 38g, Smarties tube 130g and Smarties Mini 158g.

“Nestlé’s initiative to use exclusively recyclable paper packaging for the entire Smarties range globally represents further evidence of the company’s commitment to addressing the packaging waste problem in all countries where the company operates, thus contributing to the development of a sustainable future. The company has ambitious plans for

Nestlé Smarties brand is now 100% packed in recycable paper

the entire confectionery portfolio, but we wanted to start, symbolically, with a brand designed for children. Nestlé wants its products to be both tasty and healthy and better for the environment. Thus, the transition of the entire global Smarties portfolio to 100% recyclable paper packaging is a step that the company takes for a sustainable future and also an invitation to consumers to take part in this process.” said Silvia Sticlea, Business Executive Officer Confectionery & Dairy South East Market Nestlé. 

Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s New Servera®Ultra Papers Provide Sustainable Food Packaging for QSR Market Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s next generation of sustainable food packaging solutions, Servera®Ultra complements the existing Servera® papers by offering a premium sustainable food packaging solution.

March 30, 2021 Ahlstrom-Munksjö has announced that its Servera® papers offer the highest kit level for a paper free of fluorochemicals, while being cost-effective. These eco-friendly papers are available in bleached and natural options.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s new Servera®Ultra Papers provide grease and water resistance in addition to heat retention without traditional polycoated treatments.

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N•E•W•S By providing grease and water resistance in addition to heat retention, these innovative papers protect package contents without traditional polycoated treatments. Additional product benefits include wet strength and food release to eliminate sticking.

“For food packaging manufacturers and brand owners searching for a product that supports all your food safety and packaging needs while supporting specific sustainability goals, Servera®Ultra is truly the answer,” stated Jeff Murphy, Vice President of Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Food Packaging Solutions business. 

Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s new Servera®Ultra Paper

Valmet Delivers 100th Vacuum Washer from Pune Workshop in India to North America Since 2006, Pune workshop has manufactured 50 washers for its Indian customers and the remaining to customers in other parts of the world.

March 22, 2021 Valmet’s Pune workshop in India achieved an important milestone in the beginning of 2021 as it delivered its 100th vacuum washer to a pulp mill. The vacuum washer technology decreases the wastewater pollution and improves the washing process efficiency in the pulp and paper industry. The 100th vacuum washer was delivered to a pulp mill in North America.

Strengthen the operation through constant development Pune workshop started its operation in 1999 as a technical office. With the manufacturing facility expansion in 2006, the production capacity of Pune workshop has been increased to better support the growing customer needs.

Today Valmet’s Pune workshop manufactures chemical pulping equipment such as vacuum washers, liquor filters, pressure screens, chemical mixers and other bleach plant equipment. It also manufactures equipment for stock preparation including refiners, disc filters, pulpers and agitators.

“The facility is located in the golden triangle of Mumbai – Pune – Nasik in India. The region is known for wide range of quality suppliers and technical talent. This, coupled with Valmet’s expertise in pulp and paper, helps us serve our customers well and move their performance forward,” said Mr. Abhay Warhadpande, Managing Director, Pune Operation, India, Valmet.

High performance vacuum washer technology with top manufacturing quality

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The 100th vacuum washer delivered from Valmet’s Pune workshop in India

Valmet vacuum washer technology provides high consistency stock discharge for high performance washing and thickening.

The technology features improved washing efficiency and faster and easier maintenance.

“Quality is one of the keys in our manufacturing excellence; we aim for the top-quality products with lean manufacturing process. Positive feedbacks have been received from our three largest customers.” Mr. Abhay Warhadpande added. 

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BillerudKorsnäs Launches New Generation of Coated Liner BillerudKorsnäs is introducing its latest development in White Top Kraftliner, Pure DecorX™.

April 21, 2021 The launch opens up great improvement potential for decorative corrugated packaging in terms of strength, print appearance and sustainability.

Pure DecorX is a 3-ply construction made of 100% primary wood fibres, which makes the liner strong, stiff and with high thickness. In practice, this means great lightweighting opportunities, high runnability in converting machines, reduced risk of washboarding, and enhanced packaging performance.

DecorX is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, and the fibres can be traced back to responsibly managed forestry.

Pure DecorX is coated for surface smoothness, yielding excellent print results in terms of lifelike image reproduction and colour fidelity. This makes the product very competitive in applications such as shelf-ready packaging, displays, and packaging of food & beverages and premium consumer goods.

The new liner is produced at the company’s Gruvön mill in Sweden on KM7 -- a relatively new machine commissioned on June 28, 2019 with the capacity to produce 550,000 tonnes per year of liquid packaging board, white top kraftliner, cartonboard and cup stock.

White Top Kraftliner, Pure DecorX

The BillerudKorsnäs range of Pure liners are backed up by the Containerboard BoxLab services, where customers can turn for support and advice on optimization of packaging solutions. 

Kotkamills and Siegwerk Partner to Create Innovative Solutions for Development of Fibre-Based Packaging By combining their expertise and latest innovations, Siegwerk and Kotkamills will actively create new capabilities for fibre-based packaging printers and producers, promoting circularity.

April 8, 2021 Kotkamills and Siegwerk have joined forces to create innovative solutions for printers and producers of fibre-based packaging to further drive packaging circularity.

Under the motto “Together we accelerate change for good”, this strategic partnership aims to provide the market with highly sustainable and eco-friendly solutions by combining the latest technologies of both companies. The collaboration is based on the potential of water-based dispersion barrier coated paperboard to replace traditional polyethylene (PE) coated board. Thus, the switch in coating not only offers an economic driver to collectors and recyclers, it also reduces the environmental impact of the packaging.

Siegwerk and Kotkamills partner to increase packaging circularity

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N•E•W•S Since 2018, Kotkamills has used its state-of-the-art technology to produce barrier boards for hot cup and food packaging end uses, in addition to folding boxboard grades, providing the markets with a real sustainable alternative. The new waterbased dispersion barriers make the paperboard compostable, repulpable and easy to recycle; the fibres used are from sustainable PEFC™ and FSC® certified sources. Siegwerk’s newest sustainable inks and coating intensify the superior printing properties of Kotkamills’ paperboard, resulting in excellent printing performance and high-quality surface protection.

Together the two partners offer the packaging markets a viable alternative to replacing traditional plastic coatings in fibre-based packaging, improving recyclability and circularity and resulting in an increased value of wastepaper, improved

fibre recovery, and a noticeable reduction of waste. The partners’ solutions are designed to help converters and brand owners to deliver more sustainable packaging alternatives and thereby create value for a Circular Economy going forward.

The combination of Siegwerk’s profound ink expertise and packaging application know-how and Kotkamills’ innovative paperboard products enable the partners to develop cuttingedge solutions for packaging printers and producers, and thus together build a sustainable and circular future. The two companies are committed to continued close collaboration to identify further potential projects in which they can bring other innovative solutions to life and to pursue opportunities with customers in order to shape the future of sustainable printed packaging. 

Nine Dragons Orders Key Pulp Technology from Valmet The deliveries will be done in phases and the start-ups are scheduled for 2022 and 2023.

March 10, 2021 Valmet has received several pulp technology orders from Nine Dragons to its pulp mills in China. The deliveries include fiberlines and core components for recovery boilers and lime kilns.

The value of the order will not be disclosed. However, a project of this size and scope is typically valued at around EUR 100 million. The order was included in Valmet’s orders received of the fourth quarter 2020.

According to the press release, Nine Dragons is developing its production portfolio and building pulp mills to support new and existing paper machines with high quality raw material. It chose Valmet based on its good previous experiences and the capability to meet company’s requirements.

Valmet’s delivery includes six fiberlines, two recovery boilers and two lime kilns. The fiberlines will provide Nine Dragons with flexibility to produce pulp grades of different types.

The new fiberlines provide possibilities to optimize pulp properties with lower power and wood consumption. This allows Nine Dragons to achieve excellent resource efficiency.

The deliveries include Valmet Continuous Cooking G3, Valmet Screening, Valmet Refiner and Valmet Washing technologies.

The two high power recovery boilers have a capacity of 2,300 tonnes dry solids (tDS) per day each. The boilers are designed

Valmet Continuous Cooking technology and key technology for two high power recovery boilers (Illustrative image)

for high energy and power generation efficiency, low emissions and high availability. The boilers also include noncondensable gas (NCG) incineration. In addition, the delivery includes advanced automation features such as Valmet Recovery Boiler Optimizer and Valmet Recovery Analyzer.

The two lime kilns have a capacity of 420 tonnes per day burned lime each. The lime kiln systems are equipped with Valmet Lime Mud Disc Filters, Valmet Flash Dryers, Valmet Rotary Coolers and Valmet Burners. The lime kilns are designed for long lifetime having highest efficiency on the market to minimize fuel consumption. The delivery also includes site services and Valmet Lime Kiln Cameras. 

Hasbro is Phasing-Out Plastic Packaging The global toy company plans to eliminate all plastic packaging for new products by the end of 2022 and is introducing new products that will be sustainable.

April 2, 2021 Hasbro, the global play and entertainment-company and the creator of iconic toys and games such as –Nerf, My Little Pony, Transformers, Play-Doh, Monopoly, Baby Alive, and Power Rangers, is phasing out plastic from its packaging.

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Ben Kuchler, Director of Product and Package Sustainability, Hasbro, said that in 2018, Hasbro became the first toy company to offer a recycling program for US customers. And through a partnership with TerraCycle, Hasbro recycles the “retired” toys

N•E•W•S back into things like playground equipment, park benches, and flowerpots.

According to Jacquie Patterson, Hasbro started its sustainability journey over a decade ago by eliminating tissue paper in shipping cartons, and the polybags used to contain instruction sheets. In 2010, the wire ties that hold toys in place in the packaging were substituted with paper ties. In 2013, PVC in the packaging was replaced with PET, which by 2016 included 40% recycled content. In 2018 Hasbro began switching to bioPET. The company has also long been working to reduce packaging material and waste in e-commerce packaging and designing packaging for the e-commerce channel.  The first fully sustainable board game.

Mondi and Tesco Partner to Close the Loop for Shopping Bags Tesco has partnered with Mondi to use its EcoVantage paper that combines fresh and recycled fibres for sustainable and food compliant shopping bags.

March 12, 2021 Leading global packaging and paper group Mondi and Tesco Central Europe have launched a new partnership, in which Mondi will purchase the retailer’s warehouse corrugated waste to create a recycled paper for the retailers’ shopping bags. Tesco is working towards a netzero emission goal, in line with its sustainability targets to remove, reduce, reuse, and recycle wherever possible and Mondi is able to contribute to this vision with its customercentric approach, EcoSolutions.

Mondi uses the retailer’s corrugated waste to produce the EcoVantage grade, in which recycled and fresh fibres are combined to achieve a recyclable and high performing shopping bag. The EcoVantage paper is produced at Mondi’s mill in the Czech Republic.

Paulus Goess, Sales Director Speciality Kraft Paper, Mondi comments, “We have been working on this project with Tesco for over two years, with the aim of reusing their warehouse waste to create a quality product that is strong in terms of peformance, based on renewable resources, uses recycled materials and can in turn be fully recycled and ultimately contribute to a circular economy.”

Mondi’s EcoVantage paper combines the strength, printability and appearance of a fresh fibre top layer with the sustainability advantages of a recycled fibre bottom layer.

Nóra Hevesi, Head of Communication at Tesco in Hungary adds: “Our target is to make packaging 100% recyclable by 2025 and to reduce packaging wherever possible. We’ve

A paper shopping bag made by Mondi out of Tesco’s own warehouse corrugated material

already made great progress by removing 454 tonnes of hard-to-recycle material from our packaging so far, and it is exciting that we are able to close the loop by recycling our warehouse paper waste and use the recycled fibres in our shopper bags.” 

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Revamped EU Forest Strategy Will Recognize Importance of Forest-Based Industries and Bioeconomy March 16, 2021 Cepi, in partnership with leading EU media Politico, hosted a high level online discussion on the role of the bioeconomy to achieve the EU Green Deal goals.

Jori Ringman, Cepi Director General, opened the event highlighting the role of the paper industry in the bioeconomy, and how combining bioeconomy and circular economy offers an optimal solution to mitigating climate change. Referring to Cepi latest study Innovative bio-based products for a sustainable future, he said: “We in the paper industry have 139 biorefineries across Europe, they are the innovation labs of the future bioeconomy. We’re creating new green jobs. We help Europe to recover. This is the bioeconomy in action.”

Ringman strongly invited EU policymakers to help forestbased industries keep fossils in the ground and recognize - via the right policy incentives - the direct positive climate effects of renewable low-carbon goods such as forest-based products.

Finally, he called upon EU Commissioner Sinkevičius to make sure that the EU and Member States adopt the same approach to screen the sustainability credentials for all bioeconomy products: “Whatever purpose a tree is harvested for - the same criteria should always apply. We call for the same sustainability approach for all uses of biomass – be it energy, clothes, food and pharma or any other uses.”

In the one-to-one interview moderated by Politico senior policy editor, Jan Cienski, EU Commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius commented on the upcoming forest strategy confirming that it will take into account both the importance of having growing, resilient and diverse forests but also the role of forest-based industries which brings social and economic benefits to rural areas. He also emphasized the importance of the bioeconomy monitoring system launched last year and managed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to be able to assess the bioeconomy developments at national level, then he announced a report on bioeconomy best practices to be published by the European Commission soon.

Finally, replying to Jori Ringman’s call about sustainability criteria for all bioeconomy products, he stated that research and innovation will be the solution to develop markets for bio-based products rather than EU regulation, mentioning sustainable algae production and bio-based plastics, in particular.

Forest-Based Industries and Bioeconomy

During the panel discussion moderated by Louise Guillot, Sustainability reporter at Politico, Deputy Director General for DG Environment Joanna Drake emphasized the role of citizens and consumers to empower the bioeconomy. She also confirmed that the forest strategy will be published before the summer and will support the shift to a more circular economy.

Commenting on the Sustainable Products Initiative planned for later in 2021, she noted that 16 environmental impacts will be taken into account to assess the environmental benefits of choosing a product over another one, according to the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) approach.

UPM CEO Jussi Pesonen called for a revamped EU forest strategy that takes into account the different forest realities across Europe without becoming a “tyranny of averages” and acts as an enabler for the bioeconomy. He also hammered on the need to move beyond fossils now. Finally, he reminded the panel of the job creation that the bioeconomy represents especially for SMEs, not only in Finland but all over Europe, and the commitment of his company, UPM, to preserve biodiversity, while already planting over 50 million trees a year.

Member of the European Parliament Franc Bogovič (EPP, Slovenia), insisted on the positive impact of the bioeconomy, bringing new materials from agriculture for instance while FERN Campaign coordinator Hannah Mowat mentioned the need for a clearer vision on what kind of forests we want for the future and how we wish to use them in order to avoid decreasing carbon sinks and forest biodiversity. 

European Paper Recycling Demonstrates High Level of Resilience in Light of Severe Global Disruptions CEPI emphasizes that there is a healthy demand for paper for recycling in Europe and worldwide.

March 26, 2021 CEPI, the European association representing the paper industry, has been closely monitoring market developments in reaction to the material waste import ban by the Chinese authorities including paper for recycling, the redirection of

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global flows of paper for recycling and structural changes in paper consumption and collection during the Covid-19 crisis.

While secondary raw materials markets are volatile by nature,

N•E•W•S CEPI emphasizes that there is a healthy demand for paper for recycling in Europe and worldwide. Even in the light of severe global disruptions, the value of paper for recycling for the circular paper industry enables its collection to remain sustainable with only short-term imbalances in the supply and demand.

To sustain this resilience against major external disruptions, the message of the European paper industry remains unchanged and independent of the short-term fluctuations of raw materials markets: separate paper collection at source ensures good quality paper for recycling, which will be met with demand by the European paper industry, who has been committing to increasing paper recycling rates over the last two decades.

CEPI welcomes the fact that some countries, where separate collection of paper and board is not yet fully implemented, are now following suit by adopting separate paper and board collection at source, at household level.

CEPI is also accompanying structural developments, such as changed consumption patterns regarding publication papers and related impacts on replenishing the recycling loops with fresh fibres. At the same time, more and more consumer products are packed with sustainable fibre-based solutions, which are a valuable contribution to the paper recycling loop.

European Paper Recycling

CEPI has initiated the 4evergreen Alliance to ensure that all fibre-based packaging is designed for circularity, is separately collected, sorted and effectively recycled in the paper industry. 

Pasaban Focuses on Upgrades of Paper and Cardboard Sheeters and Winders Pasaban Upgrades is an ideal solution to get the best out of paper and cardboard converting equipment.

March 4, 2021 Upgrading sheeters and winders is essential to increase the life of old machines and improve their performance.

The benefits of this type of maintenance include increasing the availability and the performance of the machine and improving the quality of the finished product. In turn, it will increase productivity, mitigate obsolescence and enable the automation of some of the machine’s processes.

It is essential for companies that have acquired Pasaban machines or machines from other brands such as Jagenberg or Bielomatik to continue to get the most out of these great machines.

Pasaban expertise in the world of converting machines enables it to provide the best improvement proposals or technological adaptations — usually by adding new controls, HMIs and simplifying the use and maintenance of old equipment. In this way, Pasaban can refurbish, modernize or upgrade the sheeters and winders to the current needs of the customer.

The company’s commitment is to exhaustively analyze all possible options to improve the performance of client’s converting machines.

Pasaban Upgrades is part of Pasaban Service

Pasaban Upgrades is part of Pasaban Service, which offers a series of services aimed at manufacturers, converters and packagers or printers. These include Remote support, Maintenance service, online spare parts store and machine relocations. Finally, and in order to continue offering the best possible service to the customers, the company has also compiled an up-to-date Upgrades catalogue available at your disposal.  www.papermart.in / February-March, 2021 | 85

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F&B Sector to Account for Over 1/4th of Machine Glazed Kraft Paper Sales Through 2031 The increasing demand for flexible packaging among various end-use industries has been aiding the expansion of the machine glazed kraft paper market.

March 18, 2021 Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights into the machine glazed kraft paper market in its report, which includes global industry analysis, size, share, growth, trends, and forecast for 2020–2030. According to the report, the market is expected to grow by 1.6x during the forecast period.

By 2021, its overall valuation is projected to surpass USD 9.13 billion.

The rising demand from the food and beverages sector in response to increasing focus on sustainable packaging will continue aiding growth. While drop in sales is likely following COVID-19 outbreak, recovery is expected 2022 onwards. FMI also forecasts the food & beverages sector to account for over 27% of sales in the market through the forecast period.

Key Takeaways of Global Machine Glazed Kraft Paper Market Study •

After registering negative y-o-y growth in 2021, sales in machine glazed kraft paper market is expected to recover 2022 onwards

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Rising focus on sustainable will enable the U.S. account for over 80% sales in North America in 2021

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The U.K. market is expected to register a little above 1% y-o-y growth in 2021, following a period of declining sales amid pandemic

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Demand from Germany and France is expected to increase following a period of negative sales in 2020-21

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China is expected to dominate East Asia market, yet Japan is likely to register growth at a higher rate

According a lead analyst in FMI — the ability of machine glazed kraft paper to provide exclusive mechanical strength, flexibility, and printability makes it an ideal choice for packaging of industrial and non-industrial goods. Shifting inclination towards strong yet sustainable packaging solutions will create sales opportunities.

Rising preference of sustainable packaging has led to an increase in demand for packaging solutions that can also be recycled. Machine glazed kraft paper manufacturers are inclining towards sustainable packaging and are promoting environment-friendly packaging. Manufacturers are using paper materials as a sustainable packaging alternative to conventional plastic and metallized packaging solutions used in food, healthcare, personal care & cosmetics, building & construction, and household applications.

Bags & pouches, wraps, labels & release liners, sacks, envelopes, coating & lamination, cups & bowls, trays, and others (gift wrap and others.) are produced from viable packaging materials

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Representational image: Machine glazed kraft paper

such as machine glazed kraft paper. They are shaping way for the efficient environment-friendly packaging solutions across the world.

Initiatives by manufacturers operating in the global machine glazed kraft paper market will further encourage consumers to adopt sustainable packaging products. Increasing inclination for such environment-friendly machine glazed kraft paper solution and stringent government regulations regarding green packaging formats across various countries are ultimately fueling the machine glazed kraft paper market growth.

Moreover, the shift in the adoption of flexible packaging instead of rigid packaging across the globe is responsible for driving the machine glazed kraft paper market growth. There is an increasing penetration of machine glazed kraft paper for packaging of food & beverages, personal care & cosmetics products, textile and other industrial products in the East Asian region.

The manufacturers of machine glazed kraft paper are continuously focusing on innovation. Rising investment in research and development resulted in the advent of packaging formats that feature odor neutrality and high taint and come with an option of wet-strength for high barrier protection against the effects of oxygen and moisture. Furthermore, machine glazed kraft papers offer a compostable and sustainable functional choice with excellent aesthetic and surface properties, which is enabling growth in the market. 

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ANDRITZ Launches TwinFlo Prime Refiner The TwinFlo Prime builds on the success of more than 2,000 LC refining plants from ANDRITZ operating all over the world.

March 24, 2021 ANDRITZ has launched the latest innovation in low-consistency refining – the TwinFlo Prime refiner, combining concentrated performance in a very compact design.

The newly developed LC refiner combines the well-proven basic principles of the current ANDRITZ TwinFlo refiner with the higher energy input possible, reduced maintenance needs, and increased refiner plate lifetime.

The ANDRITZ TwinFlo Prime features the following innovations: •

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Fixed connection between rotor and shaft. Both components move together in axial direction. There are no impediments to axial movement in the process area because this movement is transferred to the coupling via the bearing unit.

Hydrodynamic, water-lubricated plain bearing. This bearing technology makes the extremely compact design of the new LC refiner possible and enables the rotor and shaft to float freely in axial direction. This leads to a 30% reduction in refiner length and a gain of up to 25% in energy input – with the resulting higher performance – compared to the current TwinFlo refiner.

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Reduced wear on refiner plates. Optimum pulp flow to each refining zone eliminates uneven wear on refiner plates and provides longer plate lifetime as well as reduced maintenance costs.

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Advanced operating conditions. The new LC refiner is

TwinFlo Prime Refiner

environmentally friendly, operating without oil, and features a special damping device to ensure excellent refining results as well as safe operation.

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Versatile in application. The TwinFlo Prime is suited to all LC refining applications regardless of the raw materials and process set-up used.

Markus Pichler, Vice President of the Mechanical Pulping, Paper, Fiber and Recycling Division at ANDRITZ: “The challenges and demands of our customers have always been at the forefront of our research and development work. That’s why we are especially proud to present our new LC refiner, which offers extensive solutions to meet these demands. I am convinced that the new TwinFlo Prime is the right way to achieve our customers’ high performance goals.” 

Green Bay Packaging Successfully Starts Complete Paper Production Line Supplied by Voith Voith is the first single company to supply a complete paper production line for a U.S. project.

March 25, 2021 Green Bay Packaging has started operation on its new PM4 production line in US starting March 11, 2021. The facility located near the headquarters of the family-owned company in Green Bay, Wisconsin is a groundbreaking project in several respects. The testliner machine is the first new paper mill built in Wisconsin in over 30 years, creating numerous new jobs in the Lake Michigan region. Moreover, it is the first time in the history of the U.S. that a single company was awarded the contract to supply a complete production line for the paper industry: The scope of supply of Project WolfPack includes a BlueLine stock preparation line including the wet end process, the

Green Bay Packaging

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N•E•W•S XcelLine paper machine, a VariFlex Performance winder and reject handling system. The supplied effluent treatment plant for wastewater treatment rounds off the scope of supply. The overall package includes a multi-year roll and clothing servicing agreement for all sections of the paper machine. Voith also supplied the MCS, DCS and QCS automation solutions.

PM4 has a wire width of 331″ (8,400 mm) and a design speed of 3,937 fpm (1,200 m/min). Green Bay Packaging will use the facility to produce testliner at basis weights between 18 and 56 lb/1000ft2 (88 and 273 g/m2). “Thanks to the new facility, we can more than double our production capacity at the Green Bay site,” says Matt Szymanski, Vice President of Mill Operations at Green Bay Packaging.

Only recovered paper is used as feedstock. Voith equipped the BlueLine stock preparation line with innovative technology

that minimizes fiber loss. In addition, the highly purified fiber suspension is important for minimizing web breaks during paper production and thus improving the efficiency of the system. Through its BlueLine stock preparation line and XcelLine paper machine, Voith has created the basis for PM4 to achieve resource-conserving paper production. “Environmental protection is one of our core values,” explains Szymanski. As well as the many components that allow sustainable production on the new facility, an effluent treatment plant also helps reduce water consumption and protects the environment.

Green Bay Packaging and Voith are longstanding partners.

Voith has already demonstrated its comprehensive capabilities and technological expertise in numerous upgrade projects, i.e. the Morrilton PM1 in Arkansas. This excellent experience was one of the deciding factors in contracting Voith to build the new production line. 

Progroup Orders World’s First AI Based Machine Vision System From Valmet The order was included in Valmet’s orders received of the fourth quarter 2020.

March 30, 2021 Valmet will deliver the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) based Valmet IQ Web Inspection System (WIS) to Progroup’s paper machine PM2 in Eisenhüttendstadt, Germany. The PM2 has been a world speed record-setter since its start-up

by Valmet in 2010. The new machine vision system targets to increase the containerboard machine speed even further.

At the core of the solution is the Valmet Industrial Internet (VII) providing the ability to combine data from multiple platforms in the mill and take web inspection analytics to a totally new level. Included in the delivery is a winder control package to take the fullest advantage of the new web inspection capabilities.

Progroup’s PM2’s last 24-hour world record of 1,751 m/min was set in 2019. During the record run, the 10.85-meter-wide PM2 produced corrugating medium at a basis weight of 80 g/m² with an overall efficiency of 94 percent, which was the seventh PM2 world record overall.

The Valmet IQ Web Inspection System (WIS) utilizes 8K cameras that provide new AI assisted information to help reduce the

Machine Vision System

origins of web defects. The extensive Valmet IQ Web Monitoring System (WMS) with 53 cameras will enable fast and easy root cause analysis of web breaks. Full integration with the Valmet DNA Automation System coupled with Valmet Industrial Internet (VII) applications enables full use of available data to quickly guide users to specific quality or runnability problems and enable pre-emptive changes in machine operations to optimize machine efficiency and product quality. 

Toscotec-Supplied Turnkey Tissue Line Achieves Top Speed at Paloma The new line completely replaced the previous PM6; calling for a customized design of the process and the layout that respected the constraints of the available space and at the same time guaranteed the highest production efficiency.

March 31, 2021 The AHEAD 2.2L tissue machine supplied by Toscotec to the Slovenian tissue producer Paloma has achieved its top speed and performance at Sladki Vrh mill. Paloma d.d., part of the Slovak Hygienic Paper (SHP) Group, purchased its new line

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from Toscotec on a turnkey basis and has confirmed that the machine has fulfilled all the conditions for take over acceptance.

N•E•W•S The AHEAD 2.2L tissue machine has a 5,500 mm sheet trim width, 2,000 m/min operating speed and a daily production of 220 tons. Designed to guarantee the lowest possible energy consumption, it features Toscotec’s shoe press TT NextPress, TT SYD, gas-fired TT Hood with multiple stages of energy recovery.

The turnkey supply included the stock preparation equipment and accessories, Toscotec’s patented TT SAF Short Approach Flow, the complete electrification system, the dust and mist removal systems, and a shaft puller integrated with the pope reel. The new line is completed by Toscotec’s newly designed OPTIMA 2600 slitter rewinder, equipped with four unwind stands, an automatic NIP control system and integrated shaft puller.

The service package included the full range of operations from dismantling to erection, supervision, training, commissioning and start-up.

Stevan Lomic, Technical Director of the SHP Group, says: “We achieved the target of equipping Paloma with advanced technology to produce at full capacity. We are manufacturing premium quality tissue, and are very happy with product quality. Toscotec has shown extreme flexibility in these challenging times and has completed the project with great professionalism.

Stefano Raffaelli, Project Manager at Toscotec, says: “Paloma’s project started off as a particularly interesting and challenging one, where we tailored our solutions to the existing plant

AHEAD 2.2L tissue machine supplied by Toscotec to Paloma

and managed the necessary changes during the course of the project focusing on our targets. The Covid-19 outbreak posed an even bigger challenge, but we tapped into our great flexibility and ability to take fast decisions when faced with unexpected events in order to respect the timeline. With great cooperation from Paloma’s team we accomplished our common goal.” 

Södra’s FiberSafe: The Most Sustainable Pulp Södra has revealed that the use of paper bale straps (FiberSafe®) rather than metal wire is a key step in its journey to make the world’s most sustainable pulp.

April 5, 2021 FiberSafe® paper straps offer customers the chance to eliminate the risk of accidents from dewiring pulp bales and to get rid of dewiring completely: With a paper strap, the entire bale simply enters the pulper. “In addition to the obvious health and safety benefits of a paper strap, this is a bonus for those customers who have extremely high requirements on cleanliness, especially regarding metal and plastics,” explains Maria Staxhammar, Sales Director. “A paper strap means they avoid even microscopic metal residues in their process. There is also the vital sustainability aspect of avoiding the use of metal, added to the fact that there is no scrap metal to handle.”

Image source: Södra

At present, paper-strapped pulp is available for deliveries made by truck and/or rail but we’re working actively for it to also be suitable for loading onto vessels.

every step of the process in a bid to take sustainability even further.

FiberSafe® is just one of the initiatives in our journey in which we take on the challenge of making the world´s most sustainable pulp. From the seedlings in our nurseries to the way we package our finished bales, we’ve been examining

If we were to maximize the most sustainable aspects of every part of the pulp production process, from paper straps to fossil-free nurseries and transport, would the result be the world’s most sustainable pulp?

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N•E•W•S FiberSafe® features in Episode 4 of our five-part video series we are calling The Journey. This stage of The Journey also looks at our certification labels: Södra pulps are approved for the EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan and Blue Label, as well as having ISEGA approval for use in paper and board products for food contact according to BfR and FDA. Products are certified to recognized accreditation systems and can be ECF or TCF

bleached, according to customer requirements.

A sustainable future requires everyday heroes – and new ways of thinking. It can be as simple as actively choosing products from sustainably-managed forests, but we also need to maximize our part and then communicate our sustainability to a wider audience beyond our immediate target market. 

ABB’s Digital Sheet Break Analysis Helps Maximize Operational Performance in Paper Mills Digital sheet break solution provides a root cause analysis within one minute and acts as early warning system in a way not possible with current manual solutions.

April 14, 2021 ABB has released Sheet Break Performance, an ABB Ability™ Performance Service that automatically curates, calculates and contextualizes key data points into an intuitive user interface to reduce the time to identify the root cause of sheet breaks for swift corrective action, while also determining optimal operational parameters to help prevent unplanned downtime.

The digital service quickly pinpoints the underlying issues and recurring trends that prohibit optimum performance in paper mills and specifically addresses pain points such as frequent sheet breaks, long recovery times and increases in paper rejects.

The diagnosis and root cause identification of each sheet break event is traditionally performed manually by operators who often need to access the information from different sources, such as process control systems, drives and quality management systems. This requires the breakdown of data from multiple systems and interactions between process variables, which is time consuming.

ABB’s digital offering, which is built on a powerful combination of a proprietary analytics engine, advanced algorithms and online monitoring, provides a root cause analysis within one minute after the break.

With the ability to monitor the real time variations in the operating parameters as well as the interactions between the

ABB Ability™ Performance Service

various sections of the paper machine, operators are alerted to abnormalities and detrimental changes in the system that could lead to sheet breaks. This serves as an early warning system allowing the operators to take corrective actions and prevent unplanned downtime.

This switch from manual to digital analysis can prove to be a useful stepping stone in a mill’s transformation and can also help to make a mill more sustainable by lowering energy usage, raw material and water footprint while improving fiber recovery. Plus, it reduces safety concerns with operators less frequently having to enter the dryer to extract broken paper.

Delivered via the ABB Ability™ Collaborative Operations service delivery model, it is fully integrated with ABB Ability™ Analytics framework, with on-premise or cloud deployment options. 

Canada’s Top Toilet Paper Maker Eyes Using Bamboo for Future Products The Mississauga, Ontario-based company will most likely buy the raw material from Asia.

April 21, 2021 Kruger Products, Canada’s biggest toilet paper manufacturer, aims to make some of its tissue from bamboo as an

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environmentally sustainable option for consumers. The company is researching ways to turn bamboo into quality

N•E•W•S tissue with the goal of adding the renewable resource to its EnviroCare line, likely by 2023, “The biggest issue with bamboo is you just can’t get the quality that North American consumers want,” Bianco said.

“We will try to improve the quality of it, and we would put it under our environmental brand as a choice for consumers who want that.” Bamboo is considered a renewable natural resource because it’s a perennial that grows quickly. It currently accounts for just 1 per cent of North American toilet paper, Chief Executive Officer Dino Bianco said. 

Bamboo tree

ANDRITZ to Supply New HERB Recovery Boiler to BillerudKorsnäs Start-up is scheduled for the end of 2023. The new boiler will replace the existing recovery boiler that has been in operation in Frövi since 1969.

April 22, 2021 International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from BillerudKorsnäs to supply a HERB recovery boiler for its mill in Frövi, Sweden.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply includes a HERB recovery boiler designed for the current pulp production level, but also to support a future black liquor combustion capacity of 1,670 tds/d and with future steam parameters of 100 bar and 505°C to maximize power generation.

ANDRITZ will also supply a high-density concentrator solution to increase the black liquor concentration. This will improve operation and increase power generation by the HERB recovery boiler at Frövi mill even further. 

BillerudKorsnäs’ mill in Frövi, Sweden

Smurfit Kappa to Invest USD 42 Million in its German Paper Mill Site It is the latest phase of an investment programme, which commenced in 2011, and this last phase will see production output increase by 70 kt to 450 kt per annum.

April 28, 2021 Smurfit Kappa has announced a significant investment of USD 42 Million in its Hoya paper mill and board manufacturing plant in northwest Germany.

The company will replace the complete press section of the PM2 paper machine with new state-of-the-art technology, increasing the overall efficiency of the manufacturing process.

The PM2 is a 7.5 meters wide paper machine, producing both testliner and fluting packaging paper. Production speed will increase to 1250 m/min and upon completion, this world class machine will further strengthen the industrial efficiency of Smurfit Kappa Group’s containerboard system. It is expected to be operational from the first quarter of 2023.

The investment means that CO2 emissions will be reduced by 5,500 tons per annum.  Smurfit Kappa

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N•E•W•S

Jabil Announces Global Investment in Paper Packaging Solutions This expansion of the JPS footprint is a continuation of the process begun in January 2021, when Jabil acquired Ecologic Brands.

March 17, 2021 Jabil Inc. has announced expansion plans for its newly acquired paper bottle technology with a USD 25 million investment in subsidiary Ecologic’s Manteca, California, and the buildout of a new paper bottle plant in its Sustainability Center of Excellence in Tortosa, Spain. This expansion will create the first paper-based scaled technology in the market, as Jabil delivers Ecologic’s innovative pulp molding capabilities to new geographies and enables the production of hundreds of millions of new paper packages.

Jabil is making this investment in response to significant consumer packaged goods (CPG) market demand. As per research by Euromonitor, consumers reported that they are three times more likely to prefer paper-based packaging over alternatives that leverage metal or plastic.

Jabil’s global investment includes a footprint expansion, as well as the delivery of new equipment and automation, unlocking the tremendous potential for CPG brands. This investment accelerates the maturation of paper packaging in commercial settings, from a niche application to a global brand scale.

Image: Jabil

The enhancement of the two facilities in the Jabil Packaging Solutions (JPS) division significantly enriches Jabil’s sustainable packaging platform and offerings for CPG customers. This expansion of the JPS footprint is a continuation of the process begun in January 2021, when Jabil acquired Ecologic Brands, a leading provider of sustainable packaging specializing in paper bottle and paper-based packaging solutions. 

ANDRITZ Successfully Starts Two Tissue Lines Delivered to Suzhou Taison Paper Mill in China The two PrimeLineST W8 tissue production lines are equipped with PrimeDry Steel Yankee and a PrimeDry Hood ST which enables to save energy.

March 17, 2021 International technology Group ANDRITZ has successfully started up two PrimeLineST tissue production lines delivered to Suzhou Taison Paper Co. Ltd., China. The two CrescentFormer tissue machines (TM13, TM15) of the type PrimeLineST W8 have a design speed of 1,900 m/min, a paper width of 5.6 m, and a total design capacity of up to 120,000 tons of tissue per year.

The machines process pre-dried bleached bamboo pulp, NBKP and LBKP market pulp to produce high-quality facial tissue, toilet paper, paper towels, handkerchiefs, and napkins.

Both tissue machines are equipped with an 18 ft. PrimeDry Steel Yankee and a PrimeDry Hood ST with steam heating to enable highly efficient drying while saving energy.

The steel Yankees were manufactured at the ANDRITZ Steel Yankee Business Center in Foshan, China. They are metallized with PrimeCoat Stratos 2.0, the latest generation of ANDRITZ coating, to provide greater hardness and extended Yankee lifetime.

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Image: ANDRITZ

N•E•W•S The scope of supply also includes the stock preparation system, comprising two separate lines processing short fiber pulp and a mixture of bamboo and long fiber pulp as raw materials, the approach system, and the saveall DiscFilters for fiber recovery. Market pulp bales are dissolved in ANDRITZ FibreSolve FSV pulpers, which enable efficient slushing without damaging the fibers. Six ANDRITZ TwinFlo double disc refiners achieve superior fiber properties with regard to fiber length and fibrillation. ModuScreen HBE screens protect the tissue machine and ensure highest runability. Both tissue production lines are equipped with the ANDRITZ PrimeControl automation system for an optimized production process.

Owing to the excellent cooperation between Suzhou Taison Paper and ANDRITZ China, the project management and onsite services took just 15 days from commissioning to start-up for TM13 and almost the same time for TM15.

This order once again confirms ANDRITZ’s strong market position as one of the leading suppliers of machines and systems to the Chinese tissue industry and ANDRITZ’s expertise specifically in wide tissue machines and resourcesaving components like steel Yankees and steam-heated hoods. 

FORM IV

Statement about ownership and other particulars about PAPER MART 1. Place of publication

: New Delhi

2. Periodicity of its publication

: Bi-monthly

3. Printer's Name Nationality Address

: Parveen Kumar Jain : Indian : F-14/22, Model Town-II, New Delhi-110009

4. Publisher's Name Nationality

: Parveen Kumar Jain : Indian

Address

: F-14/22, Model Town-II, New Delhi-110009

5. Editor's Name Nationality Address

: Parveen Kumar Jain : Indian : F-14/22, Model Town-II, New Delhi-110009 6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding More than one per cent of the total capital Address

: Parveen Kumar Jain : F-14/22, Model Town-II, New Delhi-110009.

I, Parveen Kumar Jain hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: 01 March, 2021

Signature of Publisher

DS Smith Invests USD 139 Million in Two New Packaging Facilities in Poland and Italy The British multinational packaging company is expanding its focus on recyclable and paper-based packaging and providing solutions to replace single-use plastic.

March 20, 2021 DS Smith has announced a USD 139 million (£100 million) combined investment in two new packaging facilities in Italy and Poland in response to increased customer demand. The investment follows significant growth over the past three years and supports the ambitious plans for further organic growth of the British packaging company. The sustainable paperbased packaging market expected to grow significantly as a result of increased adoption of e-commerce and continued expansion in traditional food and drink markets, and the new sites will provide the much-needed capacity.

The Company affirms that they are well-positioned to respond to these trends with 85% of the Group’s overall offering focused on consumer goods. Through its focus on recyclable, paperbased packaging, it can also respond to market requirements for solutions to replace single-use plastic.

The acquisition of the new Greenfield sites and planned facilities in Belchatov in Poland and Castelfranco Emilia in Italy will provide a welcome boost to the local economy. The state-of-the-art facilities will incorporate new manufacturing technology, innovation and sustainable performance and are expected to come online within the next two to three years. 

Image source: DS Smith

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N•E•W•S

Toscotec Finalizes a Drying Section Rebuild at Cartiera San Giorgio, Italy The leading manufacturer of plants and equipment for the production of tissue paper and paper board, Toscotec has now completed the full upgrade of the drying section of PM1 after rebuilding the post-dryer section.

March 25, 2021 Cartiera San Giorgio has successfully started up its PM1 after the complete rebuilt of its dryer section by Toscotec. PM1 has a trim width of 2,500 mm, and produces wet creped tissue in the basis weight range from 30 to 50 gsm, using virgin cellulose and recycled paper.

Following the installation of a TT SYD Steel Yankee Dryer that replaced PM1’s existing cast-iron Yankee in 2012, Toscotec has now completed the full upgrade of the drying section of this paper machine by rebuilding the post-dryer section.

The rebuild supply included eight TT SteelDryers designed for an operating steam pressure of 10 barg, and the tail threading system installed between the TT SYD and the post-dryer section. The project also includes the engineering design, on site erection, commissioning and start-up assistance. 

Image: Toscotec

Pixelle Acquires Two Specialty Papers Businesses Pixelle has acquired Rollsource and the carbonless rolls and security papers business from Appvion Operations, to further bolster up its portfolio.

April 8, 2021 Pixelle Specialty Solutions has completed two strategic investments that will further strengthen its portfolio and enhance service to new and existing customers. On March 31st, Pixelle acquired the specialty paper business Rollsource from Veritiv Corporation. On April 5th, Pixelle acquired the carbonless rolls and security papers business from Appvion Operations Inc. The acquisition of Rollsource includes the book of business primarily serving the forms printer market, and includes a converting facility in Pittsburg, KS. Pixelle will retain key Rollsource employees in order to ensure continuity in operations, sales and customer service.

The acquisition of Appvion’s carbonless rolls and security papers business will enable Pixelle to serve new customers with Pixelle’s portfolio of ExcelOne® and Trans/Rite® carbonless papers and a broad line of Defensa® security products. No production assets are included in the transaction. Pixelle will manufacture carbonless roll products for former Appvion customers at its Chillicothe, Ohio specialty paper mill, building on decades of experience producing carbonless products.

Pixelle has built an industry-leading four-mill specialty paper

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Pixelle Acquires Two Specialty Papers Businesses

platform with mills in Chillicothe, OH, Jay, ME, Spring Grove, PA and Stevens Point, WI. Collectively the mills operate 11 paper machines and produce more than one million tons of paper annually. 

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PAPER MART

A Bi-monthly Magazine for PULP, PAPER & CONVERTING INDUSTRIES in INDIA

Event Calendar 27-29, August 2021

Pack Plus

New Delhi, India www.packplus.in

21-23, September 2021

Tissue World

Dusseldorf, Germany www.tissueworld.com 13-15, October 2021

MIAC

Lucca, Italy www.miac.info/en 23-25, October 2021

India Corr Expo

Greter Noida, India www.indiacorrexpo.com 24-26, November 2021

* Due to COVID-19 event status could change. Please check with the organizers before visiting.

Tissue & Paper Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand www.tissueworld.com/bangkok

9-12, January 2022

Paperex

New Delhi, India www.paperex-expo.com

Feb-Mar, 2021

Vol.: 21 / No.: 06

Editor & Publisher Parveen Kumar Jain – pkj@tulip3pmedia.in Associate Editor Geetika Jain – gjain@papermart.in Editorial Team Laique Khan – desk2@tulip3pmedia.in Soumya Ojha – desk3@tulip3pmedia.in Graphic Designer Ravi Thakur – ravithakur@tulip3pmedia.in Tajinder Singh – design2@tulip3pmedia.in Advertising & Marketing Puneet Dua – mktg@papermart.in Priya Thapar – mktg2@tulip3pmedia.in Support Team Kushagra Mehrotra Sandeep Kumar Rahul Kumar admin@tulip3pmedia.in Chief Executive Officer Priyank Jain pj@tulip3pmedia.in Editorial & Publisher's Office : Paper Mart, Tulip 3P Media Pvt. Ltd. 218, Sanjay Nagar, Gulabi Bagh, New Delhi-110007, INDIA

Correspondence Address: Tulip 3P Media Pvt. Ltd. 207-B, Second Floor, NDM-2, Plot No. D-1, 2 & 3, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitam Pura, New Delhi-110034, INDIA, Tel.:+91 11 45678 421 / 22 / 23 Mob.: +91 99999 350 11 / 22 / 44, E-mail : info@papermart.in / info@tulip3pmedia.in International Sales : RNP Nicolas Pelletier 16, rue Bannier 45000 Orleans, France Tel.: +33 682 25 12 06, Fax: +33 238 422910 Chinese Representative: China Pulp & Paper Industry Publishing House No. 101, Gongyenan Road, Jinan Shandong, China Tel.: +86 531 88522949 Owned, Published & Printed By : Parveen Kumar Jain, Published at 218, Sanjay Nagar, Gulabi Bagh, Delhi-110007, INDIA. Printed at: Pankaj Paper Mart, 218, Sanjay Nagar, Gulabi Bagh, Delhi-110007, INDIA.

16-18, March 2022

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23-25, November 2022

CAUTION: No part of this magazine including advertisements designs, prepared by us or through us should be copied, reproduced or transmitted by any one without prior written permission of the publisher.

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Paperex South

Chennai, India www.southindia.paperex.in

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