The first year

of Valmet 6

Reincarnation of a
paper mill 32

Heat recovery stops

energy from escaping 52

VA L ME T S C US T OME R M AG A ZINE | 1/ 2015

star
Sustainable

Sappi Ngodwana makes

dissolving pulp for soft,
fine fabrics 8

Editorial
Passion for
continuous renewal
I recently read a biography of one of the worlds leading
football players. Despite his challenging childhood and
difficulties during his career, he has been able to achieve his
dreams. To me, his story was proof of the importance of
passion and a willingness to continuously improve and renew.
I have previously worked in both the energy and forest
industries, and I have seen a passion for renewal in both
of them. Mitigating climate change means finding ways to
reduce CO2 emissions in energy production, and technology
providers such as Valmet are helping to develop new solutions.
In the forest industry, the increasing consumption of
paperboard packaging and tissue and cooking papers and the
parallel decline in printing and writing paper have demanded
both structural renewal as well as systematic product
development to meet increasing demands for sustainability
and consumer trends.
At Valmet, Renewal is one of our four values. The Valmet
team works hard to continuously renew our technology and
service offering to move our customers production processes
and end product quality forward. In this magazine, we
highlight customer cases and discuss visions of the future. I
hope you find them useful in planning the next steps forward
in your own business!

In this issue 1/2015

14

The Valmet team works

hard to continuously
renew our technology and
service offering to move
our customers production
processes and end product
quality forward.

Going
forward with
cutting-edge
technology
Siam Kraft started
up a highly successful
containerboard
investment in Thailand

18

Worlds largest
at Mlarenergi
Recovered fuel-fired boiler
gives fuel flexibility

Bringing the
tissue mill to life
A future tissue mill is
operating in symbiosis with
the society

ANU SALONSAARI-POSTI
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

FORWARD 1/2015

44

2 EDITORIAL
4

IN BRIEF
News from Valmet

CEO VOICE
The first year of Valmet

A SUSTAINABLE STAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

High-quality dissolving pulp at Sappi
Ngodwana

20 STAYING ON THE TOP OF THE GAME

Mets Fibre trusts in long-term development
agreement
22 VALMET IROLL AT IRVING PAPER

Boosting jumbo set throughput
25 LOCAL SERVICE CAPABILITIES EXPANDING
IN CHILE

Arauco is one of the satisfied customers
26 ENERGY FROM 100% BIOMASS

FuelDiet corrosion control in use at Kuopion
Energia
28 PRESSPOLAR KEEPS THE ROLLS
TURNING

New press roll cover enables ultra-low rolling
resistances
32 REINCARNATION OF A PAPER MILL

The third life of Blue Paper
36 REMARKABLE CUT IN CO2 EMISSIONS

New biomass power plant in Zwickau
38 PILOT TRIALS GIVE RELIABLE BASIS FOR
INVESTMENTS

Sappi Gratkorn mill utilized Valmets piloting
possibilities
41 IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCED
EMISSIONS

OptiBin chip bin operating at Nordic Paper
42 LEE & MAN PM 15 STARTED UP

Good results reached with the rebuild
48 DAILY MAINTENANCE THE VALMET WAY

Active maintenance ensures top-notch
condition of equipment
50 SPRINTMASTER PRESS FELTS

Next-generation felt for demanding
conditions
52 HEAT RECOVERY STOPS ENERGY FROM
ESCAPING

Flue gas condensing saves energy
54 ECOSTAR & BIOSTAR FILTER BAGS

Improved power plant filtration
56 ASH TREATMENT PAYS OFF IN CLEANER
RECOVERY BOILERS

Treatment of combustion ash gives benefits
58 RESEARCHING FOR BIO ECONOMY

Herbert Sixta predicts promising future for
bio products
62 AROUND THE WORLD
64 ABOUT VALMET

FORWARD 1/2015

In brief
Valmet
acquires
Process
Automation
Systems
from Metso
Valmet and Metso Corporation have signed an
agreement on the sale of
Metsos Process Automation
Systems business to Valmet.
It is estimated that the acquisition will be completed
by April 1, 2015. The completion of the transaction is
subject to approval by the
competition authorities.
As a result of the acquisition, Valmet will become
a stronger and unique
technology and services
company in its field, with
a full automation offering.
The acquisition strengthens
Valmets competitiveness
by combining paper, pulp
and power plant technology
offering, services, process
know-how and automation
into one customer value-adding entity. Approximately 80 percent of Process
Automation Systems sales
comes from Valmets
current customer industries
and the rest from other
process industry clients.
By combining paper,
pulp and energy technology,
process know-how, services
and automation, we can
serve our customers even
better than before and move
our customers performance
forward, says Pasi Laine,
President and CEO of Valmet Corporation.

FORWARD 1/2015

Advantage DCT
tissue line started
up in Russia
A Valmet-supplied tissue line recently
started up at Syktyvkar Tissue Groups
new site in Semibratovo, Yaroslavl region, Russia. The new Advantage DCT
100HS machine adds 30,000 tonnes
of tissue per year to the companys
current production of bathroom tissue,
napkin and towel grades.
Valmet has previously delivered an
Advantage DCT 100 production line
to Syktyvkars mill in the republic of
Komi, which started up in 2008, as well
as a major rebuild of their PM 1 at the
same mill in 2011.

A new services center

to be built in Indonesia

METS BOARD SELECTED VALMETS

FOLDING BOXBOARD LINE

Valmet has decided to build a new services center in Indonesia, which is one of the key markets in Asia-Pacific for
Valmets products and services. The new service center will
be located in the Jakarta area on the island of Java, and it will
be fully operational at the beginning of 2017.
We see good opportunities for services growth in the
Asia-Pacific area. After the investment, well be able to provide
our Asia-Pacific pulp, paper and energy customers with a
much wider services offering. Our offering will expand to
include roll services, boiler services, fiber workshop services,
mill improvement solutions, paper machine clothing, and filter
fabrics, says Jukka Tiitinen, Business Line President, Services.
The center will serve the pulp, paper and energy customers throughout the Asia-Pacific area. Today, Valmet operates
Asia-Pacific service centers in Thailand, South Korea and
Australia.

Mets Board Corporation has selected Valmet as the supplier for its
new folding boxboard production line at Husum mill, Sweden. The new
machine will produce high-quality folding boxboard with an annual
capacity of 400,000 tonnes. The start-up of the machine is scheduled for
the beginning of 2016.
We selected Valmet as the technology provider for this strategic
project because of their advanced and competitive solutions for highquality folding boxboard production and our long history of working
with Valmet, says Mika Joukio, CEO of Mets Board.
Valmets delivery includes a wet end of the latest OptiConcept M
design with headboxes, forming section and press section, as well as a
rebuild of the off-machine coater, winder and roll wrapping line.

Equipment for fluff

conversion project for
Domtar
Valmet has been selected by Domtar to supply
the equipment and technical services to convert a paper machine from uncoated freesheet
to fluff pulp at the mill located in Ashdown, Arkansas, USA. The rebuilt machine is scheduled
to begin operation in the third quarter of 2016.
Valmet has been a trusted vendor-partner
of ours, one that understands our business and
delivers top-quality equipment and services
that help our company succeed, says Jack
Bray, Domtars Vice President Manufacturing,
Region 2. Were glad to work with a supplier
that shares our commitment to safety and sustainability, as well as performance, in creating
world-class fiber products.
The scope of the Valmet delivery includes
a new wet end, upgrades to existing cylinder
dryer section, a new fully automated reel and
a new OptiWin Pulp winder. Also included is
a bypass run to a new cutter-layboy with an
automated bale handling line.

Key technology
to Mets Fibres
bioproduct mill
project
Valmet and Mets Fibre have signed a letter
of intent according to which Valmet will
deliver key technology to Mets Fibres
planned nekoski bioproduct mill in
Finland. The letter of intent covers recovery
boiler, pulp drying line, gasification plant,
and lime kiln deliveries. The delivery also
includes a mill wide Metso DNA automation system. The contract is subject to Mets
Fibres investment decision.
This technology delivery for the Mets
Fibre nekoski project is a good sign of
Valmets competiveness and technological
innovativeness. We are delighted to be able
to continue our good and long cooperation
with Mets Group and Mets Fibre, says
Pasi Laine, President and CEO of Valmet.
If materialized, the approximately EUR
1.1 billion bioproduct mill planned by Mets
Fibre would be the largest ever investment in
the forest industry in Finland. The mill would
have an annual pulp production capacity of 1.3
million tonnes.

Key board
machine
solutions for
Zhejiang Long
Chen in China
Lee & Man starts up
Valmets second OptiConcept
M boardmaking line
Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd. started up their new
Valmet-supplied containerboard production line, PM 20,
at their Chongqing site in Sichuan Province, China. The
new production line produces high-quality board grades
from recycled raw material with excellent strength properties. PM 20 is the worlds second start-up of Valmets
OptiConcept M -type production line. The line combines
high productivity with low operating costs.
Valmets delivery included a complete OptiConcept M
boardmaking line from headbox to reel with related air
systems.

Zhejiang Long Chen Paper has

ordered a new headbox, press
section and sizer for its new PM7
containerboard machine to be
located in the companys Dushan
mill in Jiaxing City in China. The
start-up of the machine is scheduled for 2015.
The delivery will include new
OptiFlo Fourdrinier headbox for
improved product quality and
increased productivity, center-roll
based OptiPress press section
with modern shoe press technology for lighter basis weights as
well as new OptiSizer Film sizing
section utilizing film application.
The 7,250-mm-wide (wire)
PM 7 will produce containerboard grades at maximum speed
of 900 m/min.

Bertel Karlstedt
to head
Valmets Pulp
and Energy
business line
Bertel Karlstedt(age 52) began
working as the President of Valmets Pulp and Energy business
line on February 1, 2015.He
joins Valmet from Nordkalk Corporation, where he was President
and CEO since January 2006.
During his career he has
gained vast experience in line
management and sales roles.
Furthermore, he has a strong
background in R&D, both in Finland and internationally, having
previously worked for Valmet
and Metso (1988-2005).
I am re-joining Valmet with
great pleasure, and proud of the
new responsibility I have been
entrusted with. The Pulp and
Energy business line is a strong
organization with a high level of
expertise, and it is operating in
an interesting, future-oriented
customer process area. I look
forward to working in close
cooperation with our customers.
Bertel Karlstedt holds a Master of Science degree in Thermodynamics.

FORWARD 1/2015

Valmets first operating year is now complete. The year was marked by strong
development of the company into a new, future-oriented technology and service
company, building on traditions. The development work culminated at the beginning
of this year in the decision to buy Metsos Process Automation Systems business
and incorporate it into Valmet.

CEOs voice

his is a fine start, says

Pasi Laine, President
and CEO, when asked
about his feelings at
the beginning of the companys second year
of operations. We have a strong brand
and great customer relationships, and our
products are competitive, produced by
our skilled and motivated personnel. The
acquisition of Process Automation Systems
complements our product range, enabling
us to offer full-scope deliveries to our
customers. This provides us with a good
basis to continue developing the company so
that we will be even better able to move our
customers performance forward.

PASI LAINE, PRESIDENT AND CEO:

A successful first year

As the highlights of the first operating year,

Laine points to the important new orders
that nicely filled the order books and the
successful project start-ups. Without hesitation, he also includes in the list the decision
made at the beginning of this year to buy the
Process Automation Systems business from
Metso. The acquisition is expected to be
realized at the beginning of April this year,
provided that the competition authorities
approve the transaction.
Process Automation Systems has excellent business with fine products and customer relationships. Its market position is based
on its own advanced technology and will
bring additional stability to our operations,
Laine says.
This acquisition will make Valmet
an even stronger technology and service
company that also includes process automation in its range of products and services.
Combining process technology, services and
expertise in automation into one unit brings
clear benefits to our customers. For Valmet,
this is a natural step that demonstrates our
commitment. With a comprehensive range
of automation products and services, we can
serve our customers in the pulp, paper and
energy industries even better.
With the transaction, Valmets personnel
will increase by 1,600 automation specialists
in 80 locations around the world. They will

Our first operating year was a success in

many respects, Laine says. I am particularly happy about the way in which our
customers accepted us as a new company.
During the year, we received orders worth
over three billion euros in total, which is
a great indication of our customers confidence, as well as of the competitiveness of
our products. We received orders from all
market areas and all our customer industries, including the pulp, paper and energy
branches, bringing sought-after work to the
whole company.
Sustainable development has been
prominent in the new companys agenda.
Acceptance in the Dow Jones index together
with 300 other companies representing
sustainable development demonstrates that
Valmet has done a lot of good work in this
area. Another milestone was the entry in the
Nordic Climate Disclosure Leadership index. These accomplishments form the basis
for future sustainability development work.
The first year of operation was also
marked by several internal development
initiatives. Quality, occupational safety, the
competitiveness of products, and various personnel processes are good examples of areas
where we have made fine progress, Laine
says, emphasizing that these issues are also
highly visible in the work with customers.

FORWARD 1/2015

A FINE START FOR

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
OF THE COMPANY
TEXT Elisa Lomperi

Additional value with

Process Automation
Systems

also strengthen Valmets presence close to

the customers.

Cost efficiency fulfills the

customer promise

Valmets customer promise is to move the

customers performance forward. In what
way has the new company been able to
fulfill this promise and provide additional
value for its customers? Currently, one of
the most important things for customers is
cost-efficient operations that aim to produce
sustainable products using as little water,
energy and raw materials as possible. In
this area, I think we have been able to offer
excellent partnership to our customers,
Laine says.
Within the services business, we have
developed several new product and service
solutions that ensure high utilization rates of
our customers mills. Maintenance agreements free customers time and personnel
for their core functions, while Valmet ensures that the equipment runs flawlessly.
The OptiConcept M paper and board
making line and the Advantage NTT tissue
line are examples of products that make
paper, board and tissue production more
efficient with regard to both energy and raw
material use. We already have several references for both operating around the world.
Great solutions that increase cost efficiency can also be found within the energy and
pulp industries. Multifuel boilers have had a
good reception, particularly in Europe. The

same applies to flue gas purification systems

which, among other things, help reach the
EUs emissions targets. Our fine success in
pulp projects has further strengthened our
market position, Laine says.
He further adds to the list the new
biotechnology-based solutions that Valmet has been actively developing. These
include lignin separation technologies, the
gasification of biomass and waste, pyrolysis
and prehydrolysis, which bring whole new
possibilities for the utilization of biomass
in the pulp, paper and energy industries.
Developing these new, innovative technologies is increasingly important in a world of
decreasing resources.

Thank you for your

confidence!

Valmets first operating year has shown that

we are on the right track, and our customers
have accepted us well. In the future, it will be
vitally important that we continue to renew
both ourselves and our product and service
selection by listening to our customers and
offering them exactly what they need and
expect of us.
I offer my warm thanks to all our
customers for their confidence and great cooperation during our first year of operation.
We will continue our work towards being
able to serve our customers even better, Pasi
Laine concludes.

FORWARD 1/2015

CUSTOMERS VOICE
Moving forward together

Paper and pulp producer Sappi has been producing high-quality

dissolving wood pulp at its Ngodwana mill in South Africa since
2013. Valmets unique dissolving fiber line concept resulted in a
flexible and sustainable solution. Kerstin Eriksson
TEXT

A SUSTAINABLE STAR
IN SOUTH AFRICA

FORWARD 1/2015

FORWARD 1/2015

he Ngodwana mill is
located approximately 50
km west of Nelspruit in
Mpumalanga province.
Due to the limited
water supply in the
vicinity of the mill, the
environmental regulations
have been very strict.
Regular controls are done
in terms of air emissions, water use, effluent discharge and
solid waste management, as well as energy recovery. The
new line is designed to minimize the use of fresh water
and performs in the top 5% of integrated pulp and paper
mills worldwide in this respect.

CUSTOMERS VOICE
Challenges and innovative solutions

Innovative process and execution solutions were needed,

and this project was both urgent and demanding. For
example, the product from Ngodwana had to be interchangeable with sulfite pulp from Sappis Saiccor mill, and
the fiber line had to be capable of producing elemental
chlorine-free and totally chlorine-free dissolving pulp, as
well as bleached hardwood kraft pulp.
Today we have a flexible process where we can run a
variety of sequences and qualities. If we need to, we can replace the first stage with acidic hydrolysis and the last with
a peroxide stage in the bleach plant, for example, making
the process totally chlorine-free, says Hunphrey Landman, Technical Services Manager of Sappi Ngodwana.
Another challenge was the shortage of skilled construc-

EUCALYPTUS
HARDWOODS
The timber
consumption of
Sappi Ngodwana
mill is comprised
primarily of
Eucalyptus
hardwoods. These
fast-growing
trees are grown
in relatively close
proximity to the
mill.

tion personnel due to a number of large ongoing power

station projects. This resulted in a multinational project
management and construction team. In addition, the
learning curve for operating staff was steep, as both batch
cooking and prehydrolyzed kraft based on the Valmet
Batch process were new technologies for the mill.

Quality parameters set in the

cooking plant

The existing wood room has been upgraded with new

conveyors and chippers to supply the new batch cooking
plant with raw material. In a dissolving line, the cooking
plant is vital, as it determines most of the quality parameters. In this case, a prehydrolysis stage was added to release
hemicellulose from the wood. The energy balance has to
be just right in order to minimize water consumption, and
maximizing the use of waste heat is also important.

Reduced emissions and low water

consumption

The washing is based on TwinRoll TRPE presses with two

washing stages before the oxygen delignification stage
and two after it. A press-based process is ideal for keeping
water consumption low.
We are very satisfied with the washing performance of
the presses. The pulp is bright and clean, with the viscosity
PHOTO Thomas Gull

TODAY WE HAVE A
FLEXIBLE PROCESS
WHERE WE CAN RUN A
VARIETY OF SEQUENCES
AND QUALITIES.

HUNPHREY
LANDMAN,
TECHNICAL
SERVICES
MANAGER:
We are very
satisfied with
the washing
performance
of the TwinRoll
presses.

10

FORWARD 1/2015

FORWARD 1/2015

11

CUSTOMERS VOICE

we are looking for. The presses require little maintenance

and do not give us any trouble. We are also happy about
the low water consumption, which was a prerequisite,
says Landman.
Washing in the bleach plant is also based on TwinRoll
presses of the TRPE type and one TRPZ press ahead of
the ZeTrac ozone stage. Bleaching with ozone instead of
chlorine lets us recycle more of the dissolved material and
reduces emissions from the bleaching plant.
The recovery system minimizes water consumption by
using evaporation condensate instead of fresh water. The
capacity of the recausticizing plant has increased to 5,500
m3 of strong white liquor a day, and the evaporation plant
can now handle 550 tonnes of evaporated water per hour.
The retrofit also included a condensate stripping system,
which has increased the quality of the condensate.
The capacity of Ngodwanas recovery boiler No. 2 has
increased from 1,850 to 2,200 tonnes of dry matter per
day and the two-stage ash leaching plant has cut sodium
discharges into effluent.

Did you know that

your clothes are made
from wood-based raw
materials?
Dissolving wood pulp can be used to produce a wide
range of consumer end products including textiles,
cellophane wrap, pharmaceuticals and household
products.
Viscose, rayon and modal are all made from
dissolving pulp and used in the manufacture of fashion
and decorating textiles, which have a soft, natural
feel and excellent breathing properties. Unlike many
synthetic raw materials, these fabrics are produced
from a natural and renewable resource.

The future looks bright

By choosing an efficient technology which allows flexibility, reduces the environmental impact to a minimum and
still produces high-quality pulp, the future looks bright for
the Ngodwana mill.
As well as improving our environmental footprint,
this project has improved the mills prospects. The GoCell
project will reduce odors from the mill and the improved

efficiency with the new equipment means that we will use

less coal per year, which will reduce our CO2 emissions by
120,000 tonnes. In addition, the overall emissions from the
mill will decrease, Landman concludes.

As well as improving our

environmental footprint,
this project has improved
the mills prospects.
12

FORWARD 1/2015

CONTACT PERSON
Barry Goodwin
Director
barry.goodwin@valmet.com
Tel. +27 31 539 8640

Dissolving pulp
Sappis speciality
In 2011, the project to expand and modernize the Ngodwana mill began, including the
introduction of 210,000 tpa of dissolving
wood pulp at the mill. Valmet received the
order to supply the main equipment for the
new cooking plant and fiber line and also
equipment for the upgrade of wood hand
ling, evaporation and recausticizing, as well
as a new ash leaching system.
Sappi is today the worlds largest manu
facturer of this specialized cellulose from
two mills in Southern Africa: Ngodwana
and Saiccor, and the Cloquet mill in North
America.
The main part of Sappis dissolving wood
pulp is sold as raw material for the manufacture of viscose staple fiber for clothing and
textiles.

FORWARD 1/2015

13

CUSTOMERS VOICE

o exploit the growth potential for containerboards in Thailand,

the paper manufacturer Siam Kraft Industry, a subsidiary of
SCG Paper, has made investments in new production capacity
in Thailand. They selected Valmet to supply a complete
OptiConceptM boardmaking line with extended project implementation.
PM 16 started up in October 2014, a full 11 days ahead of schedule, at the Ban
Pong mill in Ratchaburi, Thailand.
Roongrote Rangsiyopash, President of SCG Paper, says that, As the world
economy is picking up along with the demand for packaging in ASEAN, SCG
Paper is looking for new business opportunities to serve these expanded needs
in the fast-growing packaging business, especially in the food and beverage and
consumer product sectors.

Siam Kraft

going
forward
with
cutting-edge
technology
14

FORWARD 1/2015

Siam Kraft PM 16
is a highly successful
containerboard
investment in Thailand.
TEXT Marika Mattila

PM 16 Low operating costs combined with

high efficiency

New board machines always have to be competitive in terms of operating costs

and product quality. Production lines must operate reliably and run with very
high efficiency. These were the main drivers for Siam Krafts investment as well.
The Thai market is pretty advanced compared to other markets in South
East Asia. So we needed to invest
in a more efficient machine, with
sufficiently high production speed,
the opportunity to take advantage
of economies of scale, and the
ability to produce high-quality
Paper and board markets in
board. These days, saving energy
South East Asia are interestis on everybodys mind, and that
ingly diverse, as consumers in
was one of the drivers behind our
different countries have differinvestment as well, says Sompob
ent habits when it comes to
Witworrasakul, Director of the
paper and board. They also have
Engineering Division at SCG
exceptional potential for paper
Paper.
and board capacity growth.

DIVERSE
MARKETS

HIGH PRODUCTIVITY,
LOW ENERGY
CONSUMPTION
Siam Kraft PM 16 in Thailand
is the third OptiConcept
M -type containerboard
production line already
started up. PM 16 combines
high productivity with low
energy usage per produced
tonne of paper.

World-class energy
efficiency

One of the most important process solutions for decreasing energy

consumption is PM 16s vacuum
system. We also see lots of potential
in VacuMaster an innovative suction box replacing the suction roll
in the forming section as well as
in the sizer section, which can utilize the new spray sizing technology. Another aspect is economies

In Thailand, annual growth of

almost 4% a year is forecast for
containerboards during 2014
2019 (RISI 2014), whereas the
number for Asia as a whole is
2.5%. In emerging markets like
Thailand, the demand for corrugated materials comes mainly
from industrial production and
export packaging, not to mention the current trend towards
preferring fiber-based packaging to alternative materials.

FORWARD 1/2015

15

CUSTOMERS VOICE

of scale. If we can produce 320,000 tonnes of high-quality,

100% recycled fluting grades, we can decrease the energy
consumption per unit, Sompob Witworrasakul explains.
EnergyOperator provides real-time energy consumption monitoring, which shows that the production line
is performing as expected in energy efficiency. One
important driver for this project was to achieve an efficient
level of energy consumption, which lets us optimize our
operating costs while remaining competitive, Sompob
Witworrasakul continues.

READY TO ROLL
The official inauguration of the
line at the Ban Pong mill took
place on January 23, 2015, when
over 400 guests celebrated
the new production line. From
the left Manasak Kirdpoka,
Production Engineer, Weerasak
Thitiwatthisakul, Production
Engineer, Sumate Somjariya,
Production Department 2
Manager, Peerapol Mongkolsilp,
Ban Pong Mill Director, Somboon
Saowalaksirisopa, Paper Machine 16
Manager, Kittipong Arakputtanan,
Production Engineer and Chukiat
Lekwongpiboon, Paper Machine 16
Senior supervisor from SCG Paper.

Lightweighting means raw material

savings and reduced packaging costs

Producing containerboard with low grammages and while

simultaneously maintaining high strength properties is a
challenge for boardmakers. Siam Krafts PM 16 tackles this
challenge. PM 16 produces high-quality, 100% recycled
fluting grades in a basis weight range of 90150 g/m2.
One important feature of PM16 is its ability to produce
board with a low grammage. Valmet is able to provide
solutions for lower grammages that can keep the quality at
a satisfactory level. We appreciate that a lot, says Peerapol
Mongkolsilp, Mill Director of SCG Papers Ban Pong Mill
Complex.

PEERAPOL
MONGKOLSILP
Mill Director
of SCG Papers
Ban Pong Mill
Complex.

Lightweighting is about reducing packaging costs,

which also greatly affects the entire packaging value chain.
The use of OCC as a raw material and other resources
can be optimized. This impacts not only us, but also our
customers: they are able to use fewer resources as well,
says Sompob Witworrasakul.

SOMPOB
WITWOR
RASAKUL
Director of the
Engineering
Division, SCG
Paper

Smooth project implementation and

professional after-sales services
In addition to the OptiConcept M boardmaking line, Valmet
provided extended project implementation covering complete mill engineering, installation and supervision services
related to commissioning, testing and start-up. Training
services were also included in the delivery. This meant that
our people were able to focus on project management, while
one main supplier took responsibility for the wider scope
of supply, says Peerapol Mongkolsilp. Valmet also provides
after-sales services, for example related to maintenance operations. PM 16 is operating with 100% Valmet clothing from
forming fabrics to shoe press belt and dryer fabrics. Valmet
service center in Laem Chabang is only 200 kilometers from
Siam Krafts Ban Pong site, meaning Valmets experts can be
on site at very short notice.

FORWARD 1/2015

Siam Kraft Industry Co., Ltd. a

subsidiary of SCG Paper was the first
packaging paper manufacturer in Thailand,
and is one of the leading manufacturers
in ASEAN, with production bases in
Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Its
combined capacity is 2.3 million tonnes
a year. The companys Ban Pong mill
complex produces kraft paper, linerboard,
corrugating medium and sack paper. Siam
Kraft Industry is continuously expanding
its production capacity to keep up with
the growth in industrial demand, both
domestically and internationally.
PM 16 showcases cutting-edge paper
packaging technology. It combines stateof-the-art technology with SCG Papers
expertise, which means our company can
now manufacture products that meet
the needs of our customers in every
way, says Wichan Jitpukdee, Managing
Director of Siam Kraft Industry.

Siam Kraft PM 16 in Thailand

showcases cutting-edge
technologies for containerboard
making. Wichan Jitpukdee (second
from left), Managing Director
of Siam Kraft Industry Co., Ltd.,
with Arto Koski, Jukka Luoto and
Pornchai Panyakaew from Valmet
in front of the brand-new PM 16
OptiConcept M production line.

CONTACT PERSON
Seppo Kaukiainen
Senior Project Manager
seppo.kaukiainen@
valmet.com
Tel. +358 40 589 7964

ROONGROTE RANGSIYOPASH
President of SCG Paper

Sizing with spray

application increasing the amount of
starch used in the sizing process to improve
paper strength and
surface smoothness.

16

About Siam Kraft Industry

VacuMaster this
high-vacuum suction
box with a curved
cover replaces suction
roll in the forming
section. Maximizing
dryness and minimizing drive power offers
vast energy-saving
potential.

Fabric insertion units

taking the fabric
changing process to a
new level fast, safe
operation without
cantilevering. Also
building size and
manufacturing costs
can be minimized.

EnergyOperator
A tool connected to
the machine control
system designed to
improve energy efficiency and profitability. Shows the current
state of energy usage
online. Considerable
energy efficiency
improvement was
achieved right from
the start-up.

FORWARD 1/2015

17

CUSTOMERS VOICE

MORE FUEL FLEXIBILITY

with worlds largest recovered
fuel-fired boiler

The new boiler is the largest in its class in the world.

It has a fuel input of 167MW, and it primarily runs on
refuse-derived fuel (RDF) recovered from a mixture of
household and industrial waste. Biofuel is used during
start-ups and disturbances.
The plant can handle 480,000 tonnes of RDF per year,
equivalent to around 50 truckloads per day. For feeding
the fuel, Valmet delivered four Feeding Master lines.
The flexibility provided by having a separate biofuel
feeding system has already proved to be a good investment, as it will help us further reduce our use of fuel oil.
The possibility to run on biofuels gives us great flexibility
in the fuel mix for the future. Unit 6 will be our main unit
for decades, and to have the flexibility to use different
kinds of fuels has been one of our main targets, Jansson
points out.

Possible corrosion problems

eliminated

Using RDF as a fuel presents challenges, as its quality

can vary widely. This means that the amount of energy
recovered from it varies, too, remarks Tapani Numme
lin, Project Manager in the Pulp and Energy business
line at Valmet. Another challenge caused by this fuel is
corrosion. To avoid any corrosion problems, we paid a lot
of attention to the materials used in the boiler and chose
special solutions for the final stages of superheating.
A picture from the
inside of the boiler
plant showing the
complex piping.

A new co-incineration plant with

the worlds largest recovered fuelfired boiler is providing Mlarenergi
in Vsters, Sweden, with
more fuel flexibility. It is also an
investment in better sustainability.
TEXT

Marjaana
Lehtinen

18

FORWARD 1/2015

ack in 2008, Mlarenergi, a provider of

electricity, district heating and cooling
owned by the city of Vsters, found itself
with an aging CHP plant and increasing
maintenance costs. The company had other long-term
targets as well, including keeping district heating prices
low, having secure access to fuel, and reducing CO2
emissions.

The company had three alternatives: modernize the

existing units and add a new fuel mix, build a new waste
fuel-fired unit, or build a new biofuel-fired unit. Feasibility
studies showed that a large waste fuel-fired circulating
fluidized bed (CFB) unit was most suitable to fulfill their
many needs. The company chose Valmets technology.
Valmet has several similar reference plants in operation today. They all have high reliability and function well.
Valmets technology is a well-balanced mix between proven solutions and modern technology, says Mlarenergis
Project Manager, Simon Jansson.
The new co-incineration plant was commissioned in
the summer of 2014. It has the capacity to produce about
50MW of electricity and 100MW of district heat.

Practically no space on site

The building project was challenging, too. There was

almost no space on site, because the new boiler was built
between an existing power plant, huge oil tanks and the
harbor of Vsters. Nummelin continues: As there were
no pre-assembly or storage possibilities around the building, good scheduling was a must. We had to make a justin-time schedule for major deliveries and lift all equipment
directly from trucks to their final assembly sites.

We are proud of our

new Unit 6 and the
successful way the project
was executed.
High-pressure elements made in Finland and Southern
Europe arrived by ship directly at the harbor right next
to the site. Everything went according to plan; in fact,
things went even better. For example, the pressure test of
the boiler was carried out one week ahead of the original
schedule.

Annual CO2 emissions reduced by

300,000 tonnes

CONTACT PERSON
Tapani Nummelin
Project Manager
tapani.nummelin@
valmet.com
Tel. +358 10 676 3080

The new boiler plant has turned Mlarenergi into a greener supplier of district heat and electricity, as it replaces old
oil-fired capacity. The company will now able to reduce
fossil-based CO2 emissions by about 300,000 tonnes a
year.
We are proud of our new Unit 6 and the successful
way the project was executed together with our suppliers. The residents of Vsters will benefit from heat and
electricity produced locally with high efficiency and in an
environmentally friendly way, Jansson continues. Cooperation with Valmet has been good throughout the project.
Our relationship has been characterized by a professional
attitude, high technical knowledge, good flexibility, and
the ability to find efficient solutions to the challenges that
arose during the project.

Flexibility in fuel mix

Valmets turnkey delivery included a CFB boiler plant with

auxiliary equipment, boiler building, electrification and
process automation, accounting for about 30 percent of the
approximately EUR300million modernization project.

CONSTRUCTION SITE
The new boiler plant under
construction.

TECHNOLOGY IN BALANCE
Valmets technology is a well-balanced
mix between proven solutions and
modern technology, says Simon
Jansson, Project Manager
at Mlarenergi.

WORKING IN SMALL SPACE

The assembly site in Vsters was extremely challenging,
with very little space for equipment deliveries.

FORWARD 1/2015

19

top
Staying on the

CUSTOMERS VOICE

Mets Fibre has a

long-term process
development
agreement with
Valmet.
TEXT Heli Anttila
PHOTO Pekka Posti

of the game

to have combustion of biosludge

he long-term service agreement with Valmet and Metso
and concentrated non-condensable
Automation* ensures that we have experts at hand who
gases in the recovery boiler. The co-opknow our process well, and also have the best and most
eration agreement will keep us on the
up-to-date information about current developments in
front line of developments.
technology. That means we can secure the continuity of development work and stay at the top of the business, says Pekka
Posti, Operation Manager of the power plant and recovery line at
Mets Fibre in Kemi, Finland.
The Kemi pulp mill was the first Mets Fibre mill to adopt
The main thing is to continuously question the
a long-term development agreement at its recovery boiler
status
quo and consider what we could do better.
and evaporation plant. The agreement started with
We
expect
Valmet to continually bring us suggesMetso Automation over ten years ago, and Valmet was
tions
and
ideas
for developing our process, Pekka
brought into the agreement at the beginning of 2008.
Posti explains. It requires time to get this kind of
The Kemi pulp mills agreement is a tripartite one
co-operation to work well. It does not happen just by
between Mets Fibre, Metso Automation and Valpushing
a button. For us, there was a two-year learning
met, and allows Mets Fibre to unite the knowcurve
before
both sides found the right working rhythm.
how of both Metso Automation and Valmet.
Now the agreement is an active development tool for us. It
Now most of Mets Fibres pulp mills have
helps us adopt new practices and develop our processes. Its
similar development agreements.
important
that we have equipment specialists on the mill side
We have been setting the pace of dewho
can
bring
us their know-how, since our own staff do not
velopment at many stages of modern
have the time or skills for this kind of work.
pulp production. The recovery boiler
was originally built in 1990 and
the evaporation plant in 2003.
Both have stayed modern with
Pekka Posti shares the operational model of the performance
continuous development and
agreement: In the current operational model, a basic payment guarsome larger investments,
antees an agreed level of expert presence at the mill, and that gives all
says Pekka Posti. We
parties security. We have the reassurance that there will be experts at
were the first to have
our mill, and Valmet can keep those people their payroll. It is important
a super-concentrator
that those people dont change, because of the learning curve. On top of
for black liquor in the
the basic payment we have indicators to measure the success of the agreed
evaporation plant,
objectives. Bonus triggers are connected to those indicators, giving everyone
and also the
the maximum benefit. Availability and energy efficiency are the top two priorifirst company
ties, so they are naturally also the main bonus triggers.
in the world
We expect Valmet to give us improvement proposals every spring to get the

The agreement is an active

development tool for us

Continuity is the key to co-operation

20

FORWARD 1/2015

plans made early enough to get them into our investment

budget for the following year. We go through our development needs with professionals from Valmet, and thats
the heart of our long-term service agreement with them:
Doing things together, finding solutions together.

A good example: Renewal of

sootblowing process

One very successful process improvement project was

the renewal and optimization of the sootblowing process
in the recovery boiler. We split the sootblowing steam line
into two separate systems. Now we can use steam bled
from the turbine in the sootblowing boiler bank and economizers, and we use high-pressure steam only in the most
demanding area, the superheaters. At the same time, we
also included automatic valves to adjust the sootblowing
pressure. This improved both our energy efficiency and
availability. We can now produce more electricity and
increase availability with extra sootblowing sequences
with the two steam lines in use. The payback time of this
solution was very short.
Some other examples of the successful results of the
development agreement are the new air preheaters, new
optimization controls at the evaporation plant allowing
us to increase the dry content of the black liquor, and
temperature control of boiler feedwater. All of these have
improved our energy efficiency. We have met our targets
for better availability of the recovery boiler and emission
reductions, Pekka Posti concludes.
*Valmet will acquire Process Automation Systems business from Metso. It is estimated that the acquisition will
be completed by April 1, 2015, subject to approval by the
competition authorities.

Mets Fibres Kemi pulp mill produces 590,000 t/a

of elemental chlorine-free softwood and hardwood
pulp, and specializes in producing pulps ideal for linerboard, tissue and specialty paper manufacturing.
It is more than self-sufficient, producing 146% of
the energy it needs. The mill produced 3,257 GWh
of heat and 576 GWh of electricity in 2013.

CONTACT PERSON
Tuula Ruokonen
Director, Power
Performance and
Components
tuula.ruokonen@
valmet.com
Tel. +358 50 453 27 31

FORWARD 1/2015

21

CUSTOMERS VOICE

Irving Papers jumbo set throughput

boosted
with

iRoll

More even tension

profiles cut winder
wrinkling, and reduce
breaks and cull. Jumbo
roll set count raised
from two to four.
TEXT Mark Williamson

rving Papers mill in Saint

John, New Brunswick, Canada
has managed to conclusively
improve its customer roll
throughput and the hardness
uniformity on the winder of its PM1
SCA+ production line with the
help of a new polyurethane-covered
Valmet reel drum with integrated
iRoll nip load and reel hardness
profile measurement and control.
The mill now produces considerably
larger jumbo reels with good profiles,
even sheet tension and improved
winder productivity.
Mark Chatterton, the Operations
Manager at the mill, summarizes the
successful project: We are making
more good-quality wound rolls; the
efficiency of the winder has been
increased. The iRoll has been a
success story, a real plus for us. PM1
produces mainly SCA+ grades with
basis weights from 42 to 67g/m2.

Good roll structure is

challenging

Dryer cylinder
surface before
and after
coating.

22

FORWARD 1/2015

Many SCA producers would agree

that its challenging to make a
well-structured jumbo SCA reel
with good hardness profiles once a
certain reel size threshold is reached;
the effects of air entrapment become
significant after so many wraps in a
parent reel. Dense SCA+ sheets, with
their very low porosity, do not effectively allow the air trapped between
the winding layers to escape evenly,
which has a cumulative effect on
sheet tension, causing wrinkling and
winder breaks.
Dr. Heikki Kettunen of Valmet
explains the practical papermaking

reasoning: Profile errors affect the

accumulation of air under the topmost layer of paper. In many cases,
you can run with a stable air bubble
before the nip. However, if the top
layers of paper are not stabilized, an
air bubble impacting the tight part of
the roll easily creates foldovers and
wrinkles.
With those wrinkling effects,
winder production often falls
behind and the familiar sight of full
reel spools in the aisles signals low
productivity. The solution is often
unwanted but necessary: limit the
number of sets in the jumbo which
then increases the losses from bottom
and surface broke.
That was the situation at the
Irving mill. Chatterton reports that
they were limited to making two sets
of 50-inch diameter rolls, particularly on the heavier basis weights.
Anything bigger and the rolls being
wound would suffer from hard and
soft spots and wrinkles that would
lead to winder breaks. Winder production would fall behind. Also, with
frequent reel turnups, the slab losses
were higher than they should be.

Integrated twocomponent solution

The mill looked for a solution from

Valmet, who had rebuilt PM1 in
2006, to produce SCA+ with North
Americas first OptiLoad TwinLine
multi-nip online calenders. After visiting an SCA reference site in Europe,
Irving concluded that an integrated,
two-component solution was the
right one for them.
First, they decided on a compliant nip polymer-covered reel
drum with chevron grooving. The
extended nip would provide more
nip dwell time and therefore better
air removal, which would be assisted
by the grooving. The extended nip
would also provide a tighter wind.
Material for the cover was ReelSeal P

FORWARD 1/2015

23

CUSTOMERS VOICE
polyurethane, as it has excellent wear
resistance and strength that ensure a
long life time for the cover.
The second part of the solution
was the iRoll pressure-sensitive
sensor strip, embedded below the
roll cover in a spiral pattern. Unlike
traditional paper quality scanners,
following its initial setup, iRoll has
not needed frequent maintenance.
The nip load and related reel hardness profiles are measured continuously and transmitted wirelessly to
a central processing unit, which updates the profiles every half a second.
These profiles are used to control the
profiling of both OptiLoad calender
stacks to meet the targeted hardness
profile. The calender profiling is done
by using Sym-CD zone-controlled
rolls in the top and bottom position
of each calender stack.

Immediate results: One

extra set right after
start-up

The new reel drum was installed over

three days in early June, 2013. The
results after start-up were immediate,
according to Chatterton: We were running three sets instead of two immediately after start-up. He also mentions
the good support Valmet provided after
start-up as the companys engineers
continued to help the mill optimize the
new reeling recipes. He reports that
the operators are comfortable with the
operation of the measurements and
controls, saying it is easy to catch on.
As is typical of this paper grade, the
operator-entered target hardness profiles are not completely flat; they have

a gently sloping bowed shape which

is lower at the edges. The softer edges
allow air to escape from the parent roll
and avoid winder tears associated with
edges that are too hard. The calender
nip loading profile may affect gloss
profiles, but they are reported to be well
within quality tolerances. The iRoll also
has a valuable diagnostic purpose for
both reel and calender. The calender
nip loading profiles required for even
reel hardness may indicate roll wear
problems in the calenders or in upstream rolls. Chatterton says, Measuring calender zone profile trends offers
us early indications of uneven roll wear
problems.
The new responsive measurement
system has allowed the mill to develop
a new, effective control strategy to resume production with good parent roll
hardness profiles immediately following a long break. The control flatlines
with all zones at an equal nip pressure
until the iRoll profile is seen soon after
the sheet is on the reel. The profile
measurement is valid just a few minutes
after the sheet resumes. Whether the
location of hard and soft spots has
changed is immediately visible, and the
control works on them right away.

From two to four sets

The mill was able to produce three

good sets up from two right after
start-up, but the results have improved since then. Chatterton sums it
up: We eliminated wrinkles from air
entrapment, giving us reduced breaks
and winder cull. We now have a more
even tension profile and finished
roll profiles. We have run up to five

We now have a more even

tension profile and finished
roll profiles.
24

FORWARD 1/2015

Well-stocked spare
part warehouse
saves the customers
from keeping spares
in stock themselves
which frees up their
tied-up capital.

Left to right:
Justin Charron
PM1 (Technical
Assistant), Bill
Davis (Operator),
Greg Ryan (PM1
Superintendent),
Mark Chatterton
(Operations
Manager).
PM 1 is
equipped with a
Valmet OptiReel
Plus with iRoll.

sets, but we cannot easily handle the

larger reels. We now run four sets of
50-inch rolls on every grade.
Missed turnups are also down 70%,
although iRoll is not the only reason.
The iRoll feedback has aided in tuning
and optimizing the OptiReel Plus
operation. Thanks to the larger jumbo
roll sets and decreased web breaks
on the winder, the mill can also now
perform maintenance tasks on the
winder without needing to wait for a
shutdown. All told, this adds up to a
handsome ROI for Irving Paper.

Time-averaged figures comparing the year

before start-up to the year to date since
start-up quantify the results so far:
The number of turnups are down 23%
Slab losses, including the winder, are down
20%
The number of sets per reel are up 16%
Reel diameter is up 16%

Local service capabilities

expanding in Chile

Valmet is extending its capabilities in Chile to become a complete service

supplier providing service close to the customer with local resources.
Valmet recently opened a new service point in Concepcin. TEXT Kristofer Sjblom

hings have evolved quickly. In just

a couple of years, Valmets service
projects and service agreements in
Chile have multiplied, and the staff
has grown from a handful of people to 22.
An important customer is Celulosa Arauco
y Constitucin, with whom Valmet has had a
four-year shutdown service agreement.
One of the mills covered in the service agreement is Araucos Nueva Aldea Pulp Mill.
At Araucos mills there are large islands of
processes and equipment supplied by Valmet,
which makes it a good choice to have Valmet as a
service partner as well. Valmets employees have
solid knowledge of our processes and equipment,
so it makes total sense to have a partnership
with Valmet, says Hans Amstein R., Reliability
Manager of Nueva Aldea Pulp Mill.

Local service with local resources

What is happening in Chile is part of Valmets

global strategy. Competence is being moved
closer to the customer, communication is taking
place in the customers language and the Valmet
staff is part of the local community. Hans Amstein R. likes the concept:
This is what weve been waiting for. Chile
is geographically isolated from the rest of the
world, and it can take a long time to get a service
team on the site. Having a local service organization and a local warehouse with consumables
and spare parts is a big improvement.

An ideally located service point

Valmets new service point is located in

Concepcin, a city in the center of the long
and narrow country of Chile. From there, the
majority of Valmets customers are never more
than a three-hour drive away, facilitating close
collaborations and quick deliveries.
Valmet has an office as well as a wellstocked warehouse in Concepcin. One of the
benefits for the customers is that they dont
have to keep things in stock themselves, which
frees up their tied-up capital. The next natural
step in Valmets evolution will be to expand its
repair capacity in Chile.

The objective: to maximize

production efficiency

Valmets service agreements extend across its

main areas: paper, pulp and energy. Each customer receives a customized solution in order to
optimize maintenance and maximize production efficiency.
The agreements with Arauco cover areas including Valmets Smelt-X and Liquor-to-Liquor
service concepts.
Valmet has also performed maintenance
CONTACT PERSON
Carl Mikael Stl
of TwinRoll presses
Technical and Operation
and Pulp-to-Pulp
Manager
activities around
carl.mikael.stal@
valmet.com
annual shutdowns.
Tel. +56 9982 66 255
One of the aims
is to correct faults

directly when they appear but Valmet also

works proactively in order to improve processes
and equipment in the long run. A significant
portion of maintenance work takes place when
the machinery is shut down. Hans Amstein R.
explains:
Valmet employees service exit reports are
reviewed together and preventive actions are the
input for future maintenance shutdowns. We
are having regular development meetings, to
prioritize and focus our work on the most value
adding activities for the mill.

A large pulp and paper family

Valmets objective is to create a close relationship

with its customers. Hans Amstein R. of Arauco
shares his opinion:
Arauco and Valmet have been cooperating
for about 40 years. We know each other, and
work together as a large pulp and
paper family. It took time to get
a larger local service organization up and running in Chile.
Now the potential is tremendous. We need each other.
Hans Amstein R. is
satisfied with Valmet's
expanded service
capabilities in Chile.

FORWARD 1/2015

CUSTOMERS VOICE

Energy from

100%
The new FuelDiet KCl
corrosion control solution
enables the use of
full biomass potential
at Kuopion Energias
Haapaniemi 3 power
plant. TEXT Heli Anttila

biomass

K
Production Director Peter Seppl
explains the easy use of FuelDiet in
front of the equipment: Everything
goes automatically, and Valmet takes
care of everything. We just monitor the
sulfur/chlorine ratio and take action if
needed.

Operator Jukka Roivainen says:

FuelDiet is very easy to use. We dont
have to pay it any special attention.

uopion Energia is a
power plant company
in Kuopio, eastern
Finland, producing heat
and energy from biomass and peat.
The company chose Valmets new
FuelDiet KCl corrosion control
solution for their Haapaniemi 3
power plant. This allows them to
use even 100% bio-based fuels in
the biomass firing boiler, with no
increase in superheater corrosion.
Kuopion Energia produces district
heat for Kuopios residents. In winter,
reliable production is the top priority.

FuelDiet allows us
to use more bio-based
fuels

Production Director Peter Seppl

from Kuopion Energia tells us why
they need FuelDiet: The ratio of
sulfur to chlorine in the combustion
gases are critical when it comes to
superheater corrosion. The lower
the ratio, the more likely the hot
combustion gases are to cause rapid
corrosion. On the other hand, more
bio-based fuels in the fuel mix means
that the amount of sulfur is lower,
and the ratio will go down. FuelDiet
offers us real-time measurement of
the sulfur/chlorine ratio and a way to
control it.

FuelDiet KCl corrosion control solution

reduces fuel costs and extends
superheater lifetime
The idea behind FuelDiet is to change the boiler atmosphere to a less corrosive
chemical mix. When mixed waste or bio-based fuels are burned, the combustion
gases contain a lot of alkali chloride, resulting in a very high corrosion rate in the
boiler. In biomass- and recovered fuel-fired boilers, corrosion is one of the major
risks for unpredictable failures and immediate shutdown needs. This causes
additional maintenance needs and shortens the superheater lifetime.
The FuelDiet solution provides tools to control the risk of alkali chloride-induced superheater corrosion. It is also a new way to save on fuel costs by allowing the use of cheaper but more demanding fuels without risking the condition of
the superheater or compromising availability. FuelDiet increases transparency in
daily fuel and combustion management at the power plant and gives a real-time
estimate of the remaining lifetime of the superheaters.

26

FORWARD 1/2015

For Kuopion Energia, the

FuelDiet solution consists of a software platform for data analysis and
decision-making, sensors to gather
information about the process atmosphere, and measurements to help
control the harmful phenomena.

Real-time information
on sulfur/chlorine ratio
prevents corrosion

The volume of heat produced at the

Haapaniemi power plants changes throughout the year, from the
summer minimum of 30 MW to the
winter peak of 250 MW. In summer,
the entire production comes from the
Haapaniemi 3 power boiler. Due to
wood-based fuel delivery agreements
and the low price of wood compared
to peat, they want production in
summer to use only bio-based fuels,
and also to increase the proportion of
biofuel in their yearly production.
Before the FuelDiet solution, we
had to burn at least 30% peat in the
fuel mix to be sure of avoiding corrosion. Now we can use 100% biomass
and get real-time measurement of the
sulfur/chlorine ratio, so we can react
immediately if the ratio goes too low.
We also get notified if the composition of the fuel changes for some reason. That gives us information about
the quality of the fuel from different
suppliers, says Peter Seppl. With
the possibility to use cheaper biofuels,
the payback time for FuelDiet is
around one year. The FuelDiet corrosion control system is very useful for
us, Seppl concludes.

CONTACT PERSON
Jaani Silvennoinen
Manager, Plant and Process
Solutions
jaani.silvennoinen@valmet.com
Tel. +358 40 709 2019

FORWARD 1/2015

27

CUSTOMERS VOICE

PressPolar keeps

the rolls
turning
The new press roll cover enables
ultra-low rolling resistances in a
board machine.
TEXT Juha Ruotsi

28

FORWARD 1/2015

uring a bicycle race, the rider can

clearly feel the rolling resistance of
the bikes wheels. Likewise, the riders
power output directly affects their
finishing time. The same phenomenon can be witnessed when press
rolls rotate against each other in a
board machine. As the rolls rotate, a
particular amount of power is needed
to overcome the forces resisting the
roll rotation.

Minimized rolling
resistance and drive
energy

Since press section drives typically take

3040% of a board machines total
drive power, improving the energy
efficiency of the press section drive
is an important factor in production
cost management. The hysteresis of
the roll cover material is a key factor.
With low-hysteresis materials, the cover

material requires less power to rotate

rolls under the nip load, as less power
is transformed into heat. Meanwhile,
high-hysteresis materials heat up when
mechanical energy transforms into heat
energy, meaning that the drives use
more energy.

PressPolar the
energy-saving roll
cover

One of Valmets recent successful roll

cover R&D projects came up with
PressPolar a new polyurethane
cover for highly loaded press rolls.
Special attention was paid in developing the material to the hysteresis
and heat generation properties of this
unique cover. The material structure

FORWARD 1/2015

29

CUSTOMERS VOICE
MILL SITE
The BillerudKorsns
mill in Gruvn,
in the heart of
Swedens paperproducing region,
has clearly detailed
targets for shortand long-term
sustainability.
One of the targets
focuses on
energy-efficient
production.

was tuned at the molecular scale to have exceptionally low

internal friction, resulting in a low rolling resistance and
low internal heat build.
In addition to ultra-low rolling resistance, PressPolar is
highly durable and wear-resistant. Improvements in dewatering mean that PressPolar extends roll cover life and
maintenance intervals, lowering drive energy consumption and operation costs.
When comparing cover purchase price and regrinding needs, the rolling resistance of a roll cover and its
influence on drive energy play a
significant role, especially in the
highly loaded press rolls used
CONTACT PERSON
in board machines. PressPolar
John Fridebring
has higher recovering costs, but
Product Sales
Manager
the reductions in drive energy
john.fridebring@
valmet.com
typically mean that this expense is
Tel. +46 706 17 78 70
recovered already after 11.5 years
of operation.

An investment
quickly paid back
in saved drive
energy costs.

Cost comparison

Purchase price and 2 years of service

Roll regrinding cost
Roll change cost
(for grinding)

Roll regrinding cost

Drive energy
cost difference
Cover price
Cover price

Traditional rubber

PressPolar

Comparison of costs involved in roll cover purchase and operation: traditional rubber vs.
PressPolar (special polyurethane with low rolling resistance).

30

FORWARD 1/2015

EVERYTHING IN
ORDER
Oskari Sdergrd
is checking
the drilling on
a PressPolar
covered roll.

Decreased
drive power at
BillerudKorsns
Gruvn mill in
Sweden

the mills primary requirement for

uncompromised durability. This also
eliminated the need for roll cooling
water circulation, decreasing maintenance, water and pumping costs.
Last, but certainly not least, the
lower rolling resistance of PressPolar covers would save drive energy.
Since Valmet was able to guarantee
drive energy savings, Gruvn decided to place an order.

During the first half of 2013, a pair

of press rolls in Gruvn PM 6, which
produces containerboard grades,
started to require recovering as
the old rubber covers were wearing out. Valmets team proposed
recovering the rolls with PressPolar polyurethane covers to meet

Short payback as
promised

project, as well as improving their

overall understanding of drive energy consumption.
After using PressPolar covers in
PM 6 for about six months, press
roll drive energy consumption had
decreased as promised and the
running performance showed the
predicted results. The payback time
on the investment turned out to be
even shorter than promised. It was
obvious that investing in advanced
roll covers pays for itself in reduced
drive energy costs.

One positive aspect during the

project was that the PM 6 staff
were encouraged to follow energy
consumption in detail. This kept
them informed about the recovery

FORWARD 1/2015

31

It

CUSTOMERS VOICE

is a well-known fact that the paper

industry and paper markets are evolving
rapidly as the digital world changes
everything around us. At the turn of the
millennium, the papermaking line at the
Stracel mill in Strasbourg, France was
facing its first revival, as the machine
changed from being a newsprint machine
to an LWC machine. The demands of
the market simply required it. Another
change of direction took place at the beginning of 2013, when the Stracel mill
ceased production of coated magazine paper. The mill did not have to wait
very long to be reborn, as the French joint venture Blue Paper SAS restarted
the machine in December 2013. The short down time of only one year was
possible, because the joint venture partners had started to plan, engineer and
prepare the conversion already two years earlier. In its third life the Blue Paper
line produces liner and fluting from recycled waste paper.
Blue Paper is a joint venture between Klingele Papierwerke and VPK
Packaging Group, both privately owned companies with a strong experience in
paper manufacturing. Klingele and VPK have been partners in the European
packaging alliance Blue Box Partners for many years. Together they have a
yearly consumption of more than one million tonnes of paper for corrugated
board. This captive market made it possible to realize this ambitious project. It
was certainly a positive investment for the future.

Valmet a partner in the rebirth

When a papermaking line is rebuilt into a boardmaking line, the rebuild task
is very seldom a simple and straightforward project. Every single section of the
papermaking line needed to be evaluated for its suitability for boardmaking. In
the case of Blue Paper, almost no section of the machine remained untouched.

REINCARNATION
OF A PAPER MILL

The third life of a

papermaking line at Blue
Paper after grade conversion.
TEXT Pauliina Purola

32

FORWARD 1/2015

FORWARD 1/2015

33

CUSTOMERS VOICE

In grade conversion projects, the changes are not

made around just one item; almost every section
requires some modifications.
Valmet assessed the entire papermaking line in cooperation with Blue Paper. This particular papermaking line
was already familiar to Valmet, since both the installation
of the original machine and the grade conversion 13 years
earlier had been performed by Valmet. As a result of the
assessment, a number of improvements and changes were
planned to reach the goal. Some prototype designs were
even included to reach the desired results.

Pilot tests before the big decision

In a rebuild this big, customers always want to be on the

A COMPLETE
MAKEOVER
No machine
section remained
untouched.

GRADE
CHANGE
REBUILD
The rebuilt Blue
Paper line is
today producing
fluting and
testliner.

safe side as far as risks are concerned. Because the designed forming section was first of its kind, the prototype
was tested at the Paper Technology Center in Jyvskyl,
Finland. With the promising results of the pilot tests, Blue
Paper was willing to risk the rebuild with Valmet.
Valmet Technology Centers provide a comprehensive
range of testing and piloting services to manufacturers
of board and paper worldwide. The pilot plants have the
entire process covered, from stock preparation to winding
and everything in between, providing customers with excellent service and reliable results to support them in their
investment decisions.

Major changes for headbox and

forming section

The headbox was rebuilt with a new dilution profiling

system to enhance profile and quality, and a turbulence
generator for better formation. Because optimal process
profiles and end product quality require that the headbox
is in good mechanical condition, the entire headbox was
overhauled.

34

FORWARD 1/2015

The dewatering capability of the forming section was

not sufficient for the requirements of the new grade. A
number of issues had to be considered before the design
was completed. Since the paper machine was designed
25 years ago, assessing the condition of the machine was
a necessity. As the original design was intended for high
speeds, the assessment proved that the basic structures,
frames and overall condition of the entire forming section
were in good shape.
Wrap angle optimization for the forming roll was also a
key issue in order to increase dewatering at the beginning
of the forming section. A large wrap angle guarantees a
high dewatering capacity at high production speeds, even
with less easily filtered stock. In order to achieve a wrap
angle large enough for packaging papers, major parts of
the forming section had to be modified or replaced. The
addition of new suction boxes and a multifoil shoe also
helped to increase dewatering.
The basis weight variations are today very low in the
rebuilt forming section the paper formation and basis
weight profile in the cross direction are exceptional. All
significant paper quality properties can be easily managed.
Together with the headbox, forming enables good board
machine runnability at high production speeds.
The press section also needed to be rebuilt to achieve a
higher nip load. A new shoe was installed for the SymBelt
roll of the second press in order to reach this target.

No machine section remained

untouched

The use of recycled fibers brings new challenges to the

converted boardmaking line compared to LWC. Stickies
and other unwanted substances can easily cause harm to
the boardmaking process. Traversing high-pressure water
cleaners were installed to clean the fabric during machine
operation.
The sizer was converted from a coating sizer into a
starch-applying sizer. The transformation required higher
nip loads, which meant new sizer frames and nip rolls
were needed, but the existing applicator beams were in
such good shape that it was possible to reuse them.
The old multinip calender was removed and replaced with
drying cylinders. Moisture profiling equipment was added to
further improve the profiles and the reel was equipped with a
WaterJet turn-up device to increase turn-up efficiency.

Safe working

Safety at work has become ever more important in the papermaking industry. In the case of a new machine, safety is easily
taken into account, but rebuilds are a bit different. When
existing and new equipment are combined, it may be more
difficult to get an overall picture of safety aspects. In other
words: In a rebuild, safety is to be enhanced, not weakened.
As a part of the project, Valmet performed a safety
audit for the recycled fiber (OCC) and the whole paper
machine line, from short circulation to pope, to support
the customer in improving safety level. The target of the
study was to identify safety risks and to propose actions to
improve safety without decreasing the level of operations.
The audit report gave directions on how to remove the
safety hazards identified.

Not just anyone would have made it

Grade conversion projects and installations are not simple
tasks. Rebuild projects in general are quite challenging,

because the tolerances are small and quite often you have to
improvise a solution simply because the drawings did not
match the reality. In grade conversion projects, the changes
are not made around just one item in the machine; almost
every section requires some modifications. The changes in
the layout drawing may seem to be quite simple, but the
reality often couldnt be further from simple.
Valmet is one of the companies who can cope with these
types of projects. Planning the project is a highly sophisticated process: Every single step, from the initial designs
to installation and start-up and beyond, is always scheduled. But even with a detailed plan, there will be surprises
that need to be taken care of at the site. Whenever an old
machine is rebuilt into something new, something totally
unexpected will almost certainly happen. Having long experience is an asset no obstacle is then too difficult to handle.

MILL SITE
The Blue Paper
mill is situated
in Strasbourg,
France.

Lower speeds, higher capacity

In the near future, a number of European papermaking

lines will be facing the same need to make a grade conversion. Hopefully, they will be able to achieve the same
results as the high-flying Blue Paper line. With a trimmed
width of 8.5 metres, this paper machine in Strasbourg previously produced LWC paper at a speed of 1,600 m/min.
After the start-up, the paper machine produces fluting
paper and testliner ranging from 70 to 130 g/m2 at a speed
of some 1,200 m/min.
At this point, the paper machine has reached everyones
expectations. As it is typically for a rebuild, the start-up was
more difficult than the start-up of a new greenfield mill. It
took some time until the new and the old parts worked
together well and everything was optimized to produce
top quality paper. Now production numbers are rising, and
target speeds have been reached. At a 72-hour guarantee test
run, the machine reached the targeted production in less
than 68 hours. The reincarnated Blue Paper SAS mill is now
thriving. What could say more about this case?

CONTACT PERSON
Rauno Hnninen
Senior Project
Manager
rauno.hanninen@
valmet.com
Tel. +358 40702 2227

FORWARD 1/2015

35

CUSTOMERS VOICE

Valmets biomass power plants are based on tried-and-tested,

standardized components.

INTERESTING
DESIGN
The guest
attending the
plant tour during
the inauguration
found many
details in the
plant design
interesting.

NEW BIOMASS POWER PLANT IN ZWICKAU, GERMANY

51,000 tonne reduction in

CO2 emissions
Starting shows strength,
completing requires power
with this motto Zwickau
Sd GmbH & Co. KG officially
inaugurated its biomass power
plant in September 2014.
TEXT Jutta Rubach PHOTO Zwickauer Energieversorgung GmbH

36

FORWARD 1/2015

he Zwickau power plant, located in the city of

Zwickau, Germany, supplies district heating
energy to approximately 12,000 households in
the area. The plant was taken over in early 2014
and has now been officially inaugurated and in line with the
contract. In his inauguration speech, Thorsten Labrenz,
Investment Director for Biomass at CEE Holding GmbH
& Co. KGaA (Hamburg), an investor and co-partner of
the combined heat and power plant, gave Valmet a big
compliment: The schedule was observed, and the project
came in on budget. In power plant construction, these are
two totally decisive parameters that you cannot otherwise
recapture over a life span of 20 years.

Valmet was the general contractor responsible for the

very quickly. We offer our customers an extensive life cycle
production and design. Thorsten Labrenz explains the
and repair service upon request.
The big strength of Valmet is the prefabrication prinreasons why Valmet was awarded the deal: We wanted a
ciple: All the power station components are prefabricated
general contractor that can build a complete power station
and assembled into finished modules at the relevant
and that is also large enough to guarantee creditworthiness.
locations. This enables the building of the combined heat
There was a strategic reason for CEE to participate in
and power plant in an incomparably short period, which
a biomass power plant. They wanted to complement their
in turn leads to much lower costs.
existing portfolio of sustainable power sources namely
variable wind and solar energy with base load-enabled
energy production types like biomass. Wood has the
Strong references
advantage that it can be stored. With biomass, therefore,
Valmet has eight reference power plants in Germany
the exact quantity of power and heat that is required at
alone. The existing biomass power plant in Leipzig is an
any specific time can be generated,
example of a product designed for
irrespective of weather conditions
industrial customers. The essential
and depending on demand. For a
thing is the clever exploitation of
The Zwickau power plant was
project to be financially sucsteam, and therefore heat, which is
inaugurated in September
cessful, several factors must be
delivered to Porsche in Leipzig as en2014.
coordinated simultaneously and
ergy for heating their painting lines.
on a long-term basis.
The power plant will supThese eight biomass power plants
ply district heating energy to
are almost identical in structure.
Zwickaus new feature is the electrical
Economy and
approximately 12,000 of the
grate firing drive, which simplifies
total
of
24,000
households
ecology through
the operation of the plant compared
in Zwickau connected to the
local power
to the existing hydraulic grate firing
network.
solutions
drive. The electrical drive in this
There are many advantages conform was introduced onto the market
nected to local power solutions,
two years ago and evidently requires
i.e. energy that is produced in the
less-frequent maintenance; it has already become a standvicinity of the end user. A decentralized power supply
ard product of Valmet.
with the maximum possible number of local renewable
raw materials makes the production of electricity and heat
Remarkable cut in CO2 emissions
in a single power station more economical. Moreover, this
The energy produced by the power plant will be fed into
process offers considerable ecological advantages: the enthe district heating network supplying heating energy to
ergy existing in the combustible material can be utilized in
approximately 12,000 of the total of 24,000 households
the best possible manner, which in turn reduces emissions
in Zwickau connected to the network. HKW Zwickau
of air pollutants in relation to the extracted energy.
Sd delivers 75 million kilowatt hours of heat and 35
Another important advantage is the almost year-round,
weather-independent, 24/7 production of renewable energy. million kilowatt hours of power from renewable energy
sources by consuming 65,000 tonnes of wood waste from
landscape maintenance and forests each year. The amount
Modularizing enables short
corresponds to an area of approximately 52 football fields
construction period
covered with one-meter high stacks of wood.
Valmet-made biomass power plants can use the patented
The ecological advantage to the company is illustrated by
BioGrate as well as a stationary fluidized bed as comDr. Pia Findei, the mayor of Zwickbustion technology. Both were designed for the efficient
au: It is a lot more than just a power
combustion of moist wood fuels with a high combustion
plant. We produce 51,000 tonnes less
CONTACT PERSON
efficiency and low NOX and CO2 emissions.
Olli Taimisto
of CO2 annually by using biomass.
Project Development
Olli Taimisto, Director, Project Development, from
Director, Heat & Power
Valmet explains: Our plants are built to a large extent on
olli.taimisto@valmet.com
Tel. +358 500 206 249
a modular form, and are based on tried-and-tested, standardized components that can be delivered and installed

FORWARD 1/2015

37

CUSTOMERS VOICE

Valmets Technology Centers offer a comprehensive selection

of testing and piloting services worldwide. Many customers
have taken advantage of Valmets pilot services and have found
tools to eliminate risks related to their investments through
these services.

er be taken lightly. To ensure peace of

mind and investment security, investing in solutions that are known and
tested is vital. Valmet offers extensive
testing opportunities spanning the

entire production process to help the

customers cover all the bases with
thorough testing prior to making an
investment commitment.
The biggest advantage of the pilot

trials was that we were able to compare two solutions with totally different technical concepts. This meant
we could evaluate them and make the
right decision. This is something you
cant just discuss in a meeting room.

TEXT Marika Mattila

PILOT
TRIALS

A reliable basis
for successful

anfred Tiefengruber,
Paper Production
Manager at Sappis
Gratkorn mill in
Austria, participated in pilot runs for
their PM11 rebuild at Valmets board
and paper Technology Center during
spring 2014.
Carrying out pilot trials means
you get a real piece of paper in your
hand, giving you much more confi-

When we eventually
compared both rebuild
concepts, the outcome
was very clear.
38

FORWARD 1/2015

dence that youre making the right

decisions regarding the technical
concept and what kind of quality you
can expect from the rebuild. Rebuilds
are always unique, especially in our
case with our very wide basis weight
range, says Tiefengruber.
One target of the PM11 rebuild was to achieve a lower tensile
strength ratio. We also wanted to
maintain good runnability by eliminating free draws. We started talking

business
decisions
with Valmet about different technical
solutions for the press section to
eliminate those free draws. We had
two choices, and the pilot process
gave us the advantage of being able to
test two alternative concepts on two
pilot machines. When we eventually
compared both concepts, the outcome was very clear, Tiefengruber
comments. Its about customer and
supplier sharing the risks.

Flexible concept
variations allow
comparisons

Whether paper and board makers are

looking to change up their production or improve the efficiency of their
existing process, it is a major capital
investment decision that should nevMANFRED TIEFENGRUBER
Paper Production Manager,
Sappi Gratkorn mill

FORWARD 1/2015

39

CUSTOMERS VOICE
It was relatively easy to modify the
concepts on the pilot machine the
modifications only took a couple of
hours, states Tiefengruber.
Valmets facilities for paper and
board piloting allow paper and board
makers to run tests on a set-up which
mirrors what they have at their own
facilities, or alternatively the type of
configuration they are looking to
set up. Valmet even encourages the
customers to bring in their own base
materials, from pulp to coatings, to
ensure a realistic testing result that will
illustrate the true suitability to their
specific process and needs.

Excellence based on
experience

Understanding the paper and board

makers processes and business means
Valmet can offer solutions that work
and bring added value. Valmets pilot
plants are run by people with years of
experience, which translates into expertise and know-how. We have over
40 years experience of pilot operations
at our facilities so far. The plants are
dedicated to providing results that
act as a reliable basis for successful
business decisions.
According to Tiefengruber, Valmet
has educated and well-engaged people
working at its pilot machine, a lot of
experience of the processes, and stateof-the-art equipment everything I
need for pilot trials.

Reliable reporting

Of course we all know that testing is

worthless without the best reporting in
the industry. Valmet provides reporting that the customers can confidently
use as a basis for investment decisions.
The results offered are accurate and
the documentation is clear, well-structured and reliable. The documentation
is provided quickly and efficiently
to allow the
customers to
CONTACT PERSON
move forward
Pertti K. Heikkil
Senior Manager, Paper
in planning and
Technology Center
pertti.k.heikkila@valmet.
executing their
com
process imTel. +358 40 578 3632
provements.

40

FORWARD 1/2015

FIRST
OPTIBIN
The first OptiBin
Valmet has
delivered is
operating at
Nordic Paper,
Bckhammars
mill.

VALMETS BOARD AND PAPER

TECHNOLOGY CENTERS
Board and Paper
Technology,
Jyvskyl, Finland

The pilot facilities in Jyvskyl

are home to two complete pilot
paper machines which cover all
testing possibilities for all board
and paper grades.

Finishing
Technology,
Jrvenp, Finland

The pilot facilities in Jrvenp

are equipped with a versatile pilot
coater, three pilot calenders, two
pilot winders, a pilot reel and a
runnability pilot machine, all incorporating the latest technologies.

GOOD
START-UP
Jonas Lindqvist
(left) and
Valmets David
Elfman are
satisfied with
the successful
start-up of
OptiBin.

Improved productivity and

reduced emissions
Valmets newly developed chip bin OptiBin was started
up at the Nordic Paper Bckhammar pulp and paper mill,
nearby Kristinehamn, Sweden. Ulf Eriksson
TEXT

Air Systems
Technology, Raisio,
Finland

The pilot facilities in Raisio provide the opportunity for piloting

related to runnability, web cleaning and drying.

Fiber Technology,
Inkeroinen, Finland

The fiber technology pilot plant

in Inkeroinen provides complete
pilot processes for mechanical
pulping, recycled fiber, stock
preparation and pulp drying.

Laboratory and
Analysis Services

Valmets pilot plant facilities

house up-to-date laboratories
that feature all paper testing
instruments and equipment. They
provide an ideal environment for
thorough analyzing of the paper
produced on the pilot machines.

his OptiBin chip bin

installation is the first
of its kind Valmet has
delivered. Its task in pulp
making is to serve as a buffer before
the digester and to ensure that the
malodorous gases are not let into
the atmosphere when air is removed
from the chips. OptiBin is the result
of years of development aimed at a
cost-effective solution with as few
moving parts as possible.
In spite of a very tight schedule,
the installation and assembly of the
new chip bin exceeded expectations
at Nordic Paper everything had
to be completed during the regular
eight-day mill shutdown.

Start-up curve
according to plans

The start-up was very successful.

We started production according to
our schedule. Whats more, even the
start-up curve, with a gradual increase
in output, followed our plans. A week
after the shutdown, we reached full

production, says Jonas Lindqvist,

Deputy Director of Production and
Project Manager at Nordic Paper.
Thanks to the new chip bin,
Nordic Paper has seen an increase in
production of about 30 adt/day so far.
In addition, the chip bin has led to
substantial fiber savings. As a bonus
for those living near the mill, malodorous emissions to the environment
have been minimized.
To sum it all up, Im happy to say
that the collaboration between Nordic
Paper and Valmet has been very successful, says Jonas Lindqvist.
For us at Valmet, Bckhammar was
the perfect partner for our newly developed OptiBin. Partly because the mill
is close to our development center in
Karlstad and also
because weve
always had a very
CONTACT PERSON
good relationship
Kjell Ljungkvist
General Manager
with BckhamTel: +46 54 142301,
mar, says David
kjell.ljungkvist@
valmet.com
Elfman, Sales
Manager at
Valmet.

Results: Productivity
up, emissions down
The OptiBin chip bin has now been running
at the Bckhammar mill for several months.
The results of the installation after trouble
free operation are notable. Kappa number
has increased by a number of points while
rejects have been substantially reduced,
which means higher fiber yield. Whats
more, the total production has increased by
approximately 30 adt/day.
The previous bin was the cause of nearly
half of the weak-gas emissions from the mill
while emissions from the new OptiBin are
zero.
After a recent two-day stop, the OptiBin,
filled with white liquor and chips, was started up again without any tendency of the
chips getting stuck. All we had to do was
press on the start button, precisely as we
did when we started the OptiBin the first
time, says Bengt-Erik Larsson, technician
at the fiberline.

FORWARD 1/2015

41

CUSTOMERS VOICE

Lee & Man PM 15 after a

dryer section rebuild:
BETTER RUNNABILITY AND
FASTER TAIL THREADING

By converting double-felted cylinders in the fourth and

fifth dryer groups to single-felted cylinders, Lee & Man
was able to improve the runnability and shorten the
threading time of its PM15. Hu Huijun
TEXT

ee & Man Paper Manufacturing

nearly 3% better efficiency than previously. Sheet
Ltd ranks among the leading paper
breaks in the pre-dryer section fell by 60%, and
BENEFITS OF
companies in China. Its Dongguan
unplanned shutdown time by 30%.
SINGLE-FELT LAYER
Hongmei mill is the home of PM 15,
The machine had only ten web breaks when
CONVERSION
a Valmet-supplied board machine started up
producing 7090g/m2 fluting at a machine speed
in 2011. Originally, the group had intended
of 1,000 m/min, he continues. Our targets
Sheet breaks decreased by
60%
to build the machine in Vietnam for the
for the rebuild better runnability and short

Unplanned
shutdown
time
production of kraftliner in a basis weight range
tail threading times have been completely
shortened by 30%
of 120250 g/m2. However, in 2010, there was a
achieved! We are happy to have made the right
change in plans, and the group eventually built
decision.
PM 15 in Hongmei, China, to produce low
basis weight grades of 100140 g/m2.
SymRun upgrade brings
Due to the challenging packaging
significant energy savings
LEE & MAN PM 15
paper market, Lee & Man wanted to start
Lee & Man is the paper and board market
AT A GLANCE
producing paper of below 100 g/m2. Unleader in China, and we therefore have a strong
fortunately, trials resulted in poor machine
Wire width: 7,250 mm
responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions, points
runnability and a high number of breaks
Design speed: 1,150 m/min
out Chen Liming, Senior Manager of the Project
Basis weight range: 50110 g/m2
during production. A rebuild of the dryer
Department at Lee & Man.
Start-up: 2011
section seemed to offer a solution, and the
During the technical clarification phase, Lee
mill chose Valmet for the job.
& Man and Valmet reached a common underThe targets for the rebuild were to imstanding about reducing electricity consumption
prove production efficiency, produce lower
in the dryer section and related air systems.
basis weight fluting and liner under
We have been paying much attention to energy
100 g/m2, decrease the number of breaks, and cut unplanned shutdown time.
consumption ever since the project kick-off meeting. As a

Upgrades, modifications and new installations

Valmet converted the fourth and fifth dryer groups from double-felted to
single-felted cylinders. Valmet upgraded the cylinders to VacRoll vacuum rolls
by drilling and grooving them on site, resulting in better runnability. The roll
geometry was optimized and the mechanical drives modified, and the rebuild
also included new SymRun blow boxes and pocket ventilators.
To improve web stabilization and cleanliness in the first, second and third
dryer groups, Valmet upgraded the existing SymRun blow boxes and improved
tail threading with SingleForce Plus and doctoring by installing an innovative
LiteCompact doctor blade holder.
Valmets scope of supply also included installation and erection supervision,
commissioning, and start-up support.
GOOD PROJECT
Chen Liming, Senior Manager of the
Project Department, Lee & Man (left)
and Zhang Yanchuan, Director of Mill
Improvement, Valmet China, shake
hands following the successful project.

42

FORWARD 1/2015

EDMOND LEE, CEO OF LEE & MAN PAPER

We consider Valmet to be the top supplier of paper machinery
and technology. Its strengths include long experience of
rebuilds, extensive process know-how, and professional project
management.

LI GUOFU, PM 15 PRODUCTION MANAGER

Through a conversion from double-felted
to single-felted cylinders in the fourth and
fifth dryer groups, Lee & Man was able to
significantly shorten break time on PM 15.

All targets achieved

In April 2013, PM 15 was started up successfully after a ten-day shutdown.

According to Li Guofu, PM 15 Production Manager, the machine was able
to produce 7090g/m2 fluting in the very first month after the rebuild, with

result, the fan power of supply air after the SymRun blow
box upgrade has decreased by about 30%, while the vacuum level has improved. This has all been made possible
thanks to Valmets technology, Chen Liming explains.

Bright future ahead for PM 15

After the dryer section rebuild, the future looks bright for
PM 15.
We are very confident that Lee & Man Hongmei will
now be able to deliver fluting to the
market in a full basis weight range,
CONTACT PERSON
remarks Chen Liming. Moreover,
Hu Huijun
after the dryer group rebuild, there
Production and
Application Engineer
is less web shrinkage, resulting in a
hu.huijun@
wider web than before. We are now
valmet.com
Tel. +86 510 8522
studying whether this wider sheet
5939
will allow us to make more sellable
paper.
FORWARD 1/2015

43

INNOVATORS VOICE
Get inspired

Bringing the

tissue mill
to

life

44

FORWARD 1/2015

The future tissue mill can

operate in symbiosis with
society.
TEXT Ulf Jonsson and Bjrn Magnus

FORWARD 1/2015

45

To make tissue, fresh water, raw material, electricity and thermal energy are
needed. But you also have to take care of what comes out as waste, excess water,
sludge, or waste heat. The solutions described are examples of already commercialized technologies currently in use around the world. Depending on
location, market needs and resource supply, the tissue mill can apply the most
suitable techniques to achieve the highest sustainable level and maximize the
environmental footprint reduction.
Interaction with the community is a vital parameter in sustainability work.
Finding these points of interaction and symbiosis between the mill, society and
other companies requires a comprehensive view and will also result in more
sustainable solutions.

Saltwater as a freshwater resource. In this scenario, fresh water

is produced from salty seawater through reverse osmosis using mostly solar
power instead of fossil fuels. The desalination plant produces enough potable
water to supply both the mill and the city with fresh water. Utilizing seawater
means that industry does not burden freshwater sources, which can be used for
food production and personal health.

Wastewater improves the environment. The excess water from the

tissue mill is used to irrigate the local football field, green areas and olive cultivation.
Recycling wastewater reduces the load on the freshwater well and improves quality
of life, reduces air pollution, and increases business opportunities.
Sugar residues turned into toilet paper. As an alternative to traditional fibers,
nonwood fibers and residue from other businesses can be converted into raw
material for tissue paper. The mill can produce paper from
bagasse, the residue from the local sugar cane industry. This
fast-growing and renewable nonwood resource helps to capture CO2 from the atmosphere.

Waste from the community upgraded to usable

fibers. Besides virgin wood fibers, recycled waste paper is

Biogas from local sewage. The tissue mill cooperates

with the local sewage plant, using waste water in an anaerobic

46

FORWARD 1/2015

Gas from biomass. Forest residue like branches and

other forest waste is collected from the region to generate
biogas. Locally produced gas from renewable resources
reduces the amount of transportation, as well as emissions.

Economic responsibility means that we have established new business

opportunities and reduced the cost of raw materials and energy. We
have created prosperity and wealth in the region by utilizing local resources and increased tax revenues thanks to new jobs and businesses.

Even landfill can provide energy. Waste which

is not recycled, reused or recovered still has potential if
deposited as landfill. Landfills emit methane, a greenhouse
gas with an effect 20 times greater than CO2, which can
be used to extract biogas. The gas from biomass or landfill
can be used as fuel for airplanes and cars, or to generate
electricity, hot air and steam for the mill and society. It also
reduces the environmental load from methane emissions.

The society benefits from an increased standard of living, occupational

wellbeing, social inclusion and community involvement. The interaction
between the community and business increases transparency and
openness in society. With the new jobs, prosperity and wealth in the
region and peoples educational levels will increase.

Self-sufficient in steam, electricity and hot

air. The mills gas turbine produces enough electricity for the
tissue process, and also for the local community. The exhaust
gases are used to dry the tissue paper, but even after drying
there is still enough energy left to generate high-pressure
steam for the Yankee cylinder. Low-pressure steam, hot water
and cooling are other potential products. The mill operates a
co-generation plant integrated into the tissue machine, which
produces electricity, hot air and steam. Heat and cooling are
also produced from the low-grade excess energy.

The environmental load is substantially reduced compared to todays

industry standard. This is achieved mainly by reducing the need for
energy, using it more efficiently and introducing renewable and local
energy sources into the process. More responsible and local sourcing
contributes to the reduced environmental load. As a consequence of
the integrated resource flow between the community and business, the
total need for non-renewable resources is reduced. The joint involvement of communities and peoples in the sustainability work combined
with increased educational levels may also most certainly lead to more
sustainable behavior.

S OC

IE T Y

Waste heat to district heating or cooling.

Excess heat in the form of low-grade energy can still be valuable for homes and companies as district cooling or heating.
A nearby tomato producer is using free excess heat to warm
their greenhouses during winter. This makes them independent of seasonal changes and facilitates steady food production
and employment, regardless of the year around.
For most people, the main concern is their overall wellbeing and quality of life. Let us
bring the tissue mill to life by
CONTACT PERSONS
adopting a more comprehensive
Bjrn Magnus
look beyond our normal boundSales Director
aries, stretching out to other busibjorn.magnus@valmet.com
Tel. +46 54 17 79 83
nesses, involving the community
Ulf Jonsson
and benefiting from already
Manager, Mill Technology
ulf.jonsson@valmet.com
commercialized technology to
Tel. +46 76 829 16 95
become more sustainable.

the most common raw material for tissue making. Collected

office waste paper is upgraded to useable fibers and utilized in
the tissue-making process. Each tonne of recycled fiber saves
approximately 17 trees, as well as energy.

Sustainable development includes environmental, social and economic

aspects. Summarizing circular resource flow thinking into three pillars
of sustainability provides thought-provoking results.
In the overlap between society and economy we have good business
ethics, fair trade and workers rights. In society and the environment
we find environmental justice, public involvement and global resource
management. The overlap of the economy and environment concerns
energy efficiency, carbon credits and environmental subsidies and
incentives. All these areas are needed for sustainable development. In
the middle we are truly sustainable.

EC

Developing sustainable solutions

to help tissue producers hit their
environmental and financial targets
is a never-ending process.

Household waste turned to energy. After

recycling, the best alternative to handle waste is to recover
energy, as it has relatively good heating value. Our mill
utilizes fluidized bed boilers fed with household waste and
sludge from recycled fibers to produce electricity and steam.
It is also possible to produce high-pressure steam and lowgrade heat if desired. Approximately 75% of the waste fuel is
considered renewable. Excess heat from the process can be
shared with nearby industry as district cooling or heating.

NT

Valmets future tissue mill adopts a circular resource

flow, utilizing innovative technologies to gain symbiosis
between the mill and society. The heart of the process is
an Advantage DCT 200 tissue line interacting with other
processes in society in order to produce the right amount
of facial, bathroom and towel tissue.
The tissue mill is Valmets future vision of a tissue-making line incorporated in the city, almost as a downtown
shopping mall. By applying the best available technology,
best mill design and a circular resource flow, the environmental footprint of a mill can be significantly reduced.

Solutions already in place

Sustainability means ensuring

long-term prosperity

ME

The more sustainable tissue mill

Interaction with the community is a vital parameter in sustainability work. Finding these
points of interaction and symbiosis between the mill, society and other companies requires
a comprehensive view and will also result in more sustainable solutions.

digestion process to create biogas, which is further refined in

a co-generation plant producing electricity, hot air and steam.
The locally generated gas, from renewable resources, reduces
methane emissions from the sewage treatment plant. The
residues can be used as biofertilizers.

OM

almet, like many

other companies,
is developing the
technology to be
more efficient, to use
less energy, water
and raw material, as
well as to minimize
environmental impact
and waste. In recent
years, we have decreased the energy consumption of a
tissue line by 30% through utilizing the full potential of
Valmets energy efficient innovations. Today we can reduce
energy usage in every part of the line and we can also
recover, transform, and return it back to the process.
Tissue mills can use Valmet technology to generate hot
air, steam or electricity from other sources. New processes
enable fiber savings, and water consumption has been
minimized. Developing sustainable solutions to help tissue
producers hit their environmental and financial targets is a
never-ending process.
Technology alone is no longer sufficient, however. To
utilize the full potential, a more holistic approach is needed,
involving interaction with other stakeholders, finding areas
of symbiosis, and being open to innovative and efficient
solutions. The tissue mill of the future is based on a long-term
understanding of market needs and consumer behavior. The
location, overall physical design, employee competence and
efficient technology are also vital to achieving good results.

INNOVATORS VOICE

E N V IR

FORWARD 1/2015

47

INNOVATORS VOICE

Daily maintenance

the Valmet way

With Valmet running daily maintenance operations,
every action ensures the highest
possible equipment
efficiency.
TEXT Marjaana Lehtinen

roduction processes do not

stay in top-notch condition
without daily maintenance.
In the past, this may have
meant just repairing broken equipment or
checking lubrication. Today, maintenance
means much more, as its direct impact on
process performance is better understood.
Maintenance now involves identifying and
developing key maintenance processes
through work order management, shutdown
planning, materials and resource planning,
and competency development, as well as key
performance indicator (KPI) management
and follow-up.
An outsourcing agreement puts responsibility for all the customers daily maintenance activities in Valmets hands; all permanent on-site maintenance personnel are
on Valmets payroll. The service organization
focuses on improving daily work planning
and effective weekly scheduling practices,
meaning more work can be performed by
fewer individuals.
As production and maintenance are the
key functions in mill or plant operations,
close daily cooperation between the customer and Valmet is a must. It usually involves
morning meetings that go through events
in the previous shifts, and process area team
meetings to examine events and plans for
the days to come.

Benefiting the customers

business

As an original equipment supplier, Valmet has

access to broad expertise, resources, services,
and equipment know-how that is not otherwise
available to the customer. Valmets ability to look
after automation systems is particularly significant, points out Miikka Kettunen, Senior
Manager for Agreements in Asia Pacific Service
Operations, who led the Valmet service team
at Ororas Botany mill in Sydney, Australia until
the end of 2014.
Kettunen emphasizes the value that the
customer gets from having vendor-supplied
maintenance: they can concentrate in their
core businesses while Valmet keeps their
equipment in excellent condition.
There is a business relationship between
the mill and the maintenance supplier. In
vendor-supplied maintenance, many KPIs
are jointly monitored. To be able to achieve
the set goals, the maintenance supplier must

48

FORWARD 1/2015

MIIKKA KETTUNEN:
In vendor-supplied maintenance, many KPIs
are jointly monitored.

MARKUS WEINZIERL:
We have to continuously find new
optimization potential to support the
customers competitiveness.

continuously develop their operations. It is

not possible to slack off, which occasionally
happens with in-house maintenance, he says.

our customers.
Valmet goes that extra mile in daily
maintenance operations to enable the
customer to perform better. According to
Weinzierl, Valmets way of operating, working methods, implementation, and use of
maintenance systems are all unique: When
we agree with the service team how to carry
out daily maintenance, we also monitor that
everything goes as planned. Otherwise all
the effort taken and energy spent will be
wasted.

Creating world-class
maintenance

In moving the customers performance

forward, Valmet wants to create world-class
daily maintenance operations. However,
there are challenges:
The challenges include getting the best
possible resources and changing the culture
from the traditional way to thinking about
safety, reliability and KPIs in maintenance,
notes General Maintenance Manager Markus
Weinzierl, who heads Valmets service team
at UPMs Plattling mill in Germany. One
big challenge is to get the customers trust
and commitment at all management levels.
Additionally, as cost pressure is another big
challenge, we have to continuously find new
optimization potential to support the customers competitiveness in the market.
To provide the best possible maintenance
outsourcing services, Valmet hires the best
talent and supports them with all necessary
learning and development opportunities,
tools and maintenance systems. Weinzierl
continues: The service organization does
not produce investments or consumables;
we sell and deliver hands-on work in front of

Cutting the budget is no

solution

In these economically difficult times, cutting

the maintenance budget may seem like an easy
way to save money. It may work for some years,
but in the end it will have a negative impact on
the technical condition and lifetime of production equipment and create an indirect debt,
Weinzierl adds. In the long run, maintenance
has to find not only the potential in direct maintenance costs but also
in indirect costs, such as
quality costs in mainCONTACT PERSON
tenance. There may be,
Jukka Raninen
Director, Maintenance
for example, equipment
Outsourcing
jukka.raninen@
that is not working well
valmet.com
or consumes too much
Tel. 358 40 501 3634
energy.

FORWARD 1/2015

49

INNOVATORS VOICE

SprintMaster A next-generation

When the base has an open

structure, the Z direction
dewatering speed is low and the
felt carries water to the Uhle
boxes. This also means lower
hydraulic pressure due to lower
saturation and flow resistance.
Rewetting after the felt/sheet
separation point is higher, too.

press felt for demanding machine conditions

Valmets SprintMaster press felt provides
great savings potential with improvements
in runnability, dry content, start-up, lifetime,
and energy consumption. Marjaana Lehtinen
TEXT

esigned for high-speed printing

and packaging paper machines,
the SprintMaster press felt has
a structure that provides a good
start-up and high nip dewatering similar
to that of nonwoven or hybrid felts, but
without the need for any special chemical
start-up treatment. It also features strength
and stability as good as conventional woven
laminated felts.
Coming in a variety of base weights, the
felt can be used in all positions. The best
results have been achieved on high-speed
printing paper machines in PU positions
where the usage of nonwoven or hybrid
felts is often limited due to the risk of felt
plugging and/or edge-related problems or
low cross machine directional
(CMD) stability of the felt.
The felts have been
tested, proven and
chosen as standard prod-

SprintMasters
optimized base
fabric consists of
two woven bases with
a special sublayer on
the paper side.

50

FORWARD 1/2015

ucts on many demanding SC, newsprint

and fine paper machines. The first trials on
packaging machines have been successful,
too, says Leena Silakoski, Product Manager
for Press Felts at Valmet.

Optimized nip dewatering

By optimizing and maximizing nip dewatering, it is possible to reach high dryness

and a good felt cleaning effect in the nip. In
a conventional press section, the draw level
has been reduced through increased dewatering in the first nips. This allows higher
machine speeds with the same or better
paper properties, such as higher elongation
and low porosity.
The dewatering speed through the felt in
the Z direction in the nip is key to maximized dewatering in the nip.
Optimized dewatering in the first and
second nips provides a base for good
runnability. For example, maximum nip
dewatering downwards in the first nip gives
a low draw level because the bottom side of
the sheet is drier. Good dewatering in the
first nip and the optimum water content in
the felt reduce edge-related problems, too. The felt designs and nip
performance can be optimized
either by changing both felt
positions (PU and the first
press) to denser and/or lighter
felts, or by changing only one of
them. Even one felt change increases hydraulic pressure and improves
dewatering on both sides.

A unique base structure

SprintMaster has a unique structure, with

a base fabric consisting of two woven bases

with a special sublayer on the paper side.
This optimizes water removal and start-up,
maintains high felt strength and extends its
lifetime, Silakoski explains.
The absorbent sublayer densifies the felt
structure in the middle, enabling the felt to
immediately reach high saturation and stay
saturated throughout its lifetime. Hydraulic
pressure increases in the nip, resulting in a fast
start-up and excellent nip dewatering.
According to Silakoski, rewetting is minimal. High hydraulic pressure pushes water
through the felt quickly, and the special sublayer element blocks the water inside the felt so
that the surface of the felt does not get too wet.
The base structure does not burst like
nonwoven or hybrid felts sometimes do,
even under high wear. The woven base
structure and high CMD yarn density give
very good CMD stability.
The base structure of SprintMaster offers
an optional base for batt fiber needling. The
fibers are interlocked well with the special
laminated base as a result of good fiber
adhesion. Good fiber entanglement can
be seen in used felt analyses: In most cases,
SprintMaster felts suffer less wear than
conventional laminated or special hybrid designs, explains Juha Korvenniemi, Business
Development Manager for PMC at Valmet.
Of course, the reduced wear is partly due
to increased nip dewatering and reduced
vacuum levels on some of the machines.

Large savings potential

The benefits of the SprintMaster felts

include a very good start-up, high nip
dewatering, stability and durability. They
provide the mill with a large savings potential thanks to improvements in runnability,
dry content, start-up
and felt lifetime and
energy consumpCONTACT PERSON
Leena Silakoski
tion, Korvenniemi
Product Manager
concludes.
leena.silakoski@
valmet.com
Tel. +358 40 774 9855

With a denser base, the Z direction

dewatering speed increases due to
the higher hydraulic pressure and
100% saturated felt. The higher
dewatering speed through the
felt also improves press suction
roll performance and decreases
rewetting at the separation point.

THREE SPRINTMASTER
HIGH-SPEED MACHINES
Case 1 / Press section: conventional 3 nips + 4th
press/paper grade: SC/PU press felt: SprintMaster
Fast start-up, very good nip dewatering
Good water capacity in the first and second presses less water to
the third press
No edge issues, good runnability, about 10% lower draw
SprintMaster now used as the standard felt with a 100% market share

Case 2 / Press section: conventional 3 nips and a

4th press/paper grade: newsprint/PU press felt:
SprintMaster

The start-up and water removal properties of

SprintMaster compared with those of a conventional
laminated felt in a laboratory simulator. The nip
dewatering level at the later stages in the lifetimes
of both felts was almost the same, but SprintMaster
reached the final level much more quickly.

Fast start-up, very good nip dewatering

No edge issues, good runnability
SprintMaster now used a the standard felt with a 100% market share

Case 3 / Press section: conventional 3 nips/paper

grade: testliner/first press felt: SprintMaster
Very fast start-up, very good nip dewatering
20% higher nip dewatering in the first press
High energy-saving potential
Good runnability, fewer breaks
SprintMaster is the new standard felt with about a 75% market
share

Felt wear on five paper machines measured in a used

felt laboratory analysis.

FORWARD 1/2015

51

INNOVATORS VOICE
HEAT PRODUCTION
INCREASES
With flue gas heat recovery,
combined heat and power
plants can achieve increases
of up to 25% in their heat
production.

he possible applications for flue

gas condensing are numerous:
district heat production, paper
mills, deinking plants, sawmills,
plywood production, and any application
where warm water is needed. The results
observed at power plants and paper mills
have been excellent.
In this era of cost efficiency, no plant
or mill can afford to waste energy. Further
pressure comes from tightening emissions
regulations, points out Risto Hmli
nen, Director of Environmental Systems at
Valmet. One solution to boost both energy
efficiency and sustainability is to combine
wet flue gas cleaning and flue gas condensing into a single process.
Flue gas condensing technology can
significantly increase a power plants overall
performance. For example, it has been
proved that combined heat and power plants
can achieve increases of up to 25% in their
heat production when they take advantage
of flue gas heat recovery. The Nordic countries especially Sweden and Finland have
been pioneers in adapting this technology
to boost district heat production. Today,
almost all new plants in these countries are
equipped with flue gas condensing systems.

Paper mills benefit, too

Technically, heat recovery is applicable for

any flue gas that contains enough water
vapor. Condensing is typically feasible when
the moisture content of the flue gas is above
15%.
In addition to district heating applications, recovered heat is useful for paper,
saw and plywood mills, among others. All
these share a need for warm water in their
processes. Heat generated without paying
for extra fuel is welcome in these times of
growing cost efficiency pressure, Hmli
nen continues.

More energy from fuel

FUEL SAVINGS
With advanced flue gas condensing technology, our
customers can save fuel or increase district heating
capacity, says Teemu Toivo of Valmet.

52

FORWARD 1/2015

Practically any combustion process that runs

on moist fuel or produces flue gas that contains enough water vapor is suitable for flue
gas condensing. According to Teemu Toivo,
Sales and Technology Manager for Environmental Systems at Valmet, this technology is
often found at plants or mills that generate
energy by combusting wet fuels, such as peat
and biomass, but it is also suitable for drier

escaping
into air
Heat recovery stops energy from

Instead of releasing heat into the air with flue gases, it is possible
to harness it with Valmets flue gas condensing technology and
use it in a number of processes. Marjaana Lehtinen
TEXT

fuels, such as municipal solid waste or even

natural gas.
The key to higher energy efficiency lies
in utilizing the moist fuel as efficiently as
possible. There is a lot of energy in flue gas
from moist fuel due to the water content
(3060%) of the fuel and the steam in the
boiler. This energy escapes into the environment when the water is not condensed back
into a liquid.
With advanced flue gas condensing
technology, energy can be recovered and
used, for example, to increase district heat
capacity, save fuel or increase the overall
balance while heating up the turbine condensate, adds Toivo.

Towards zero emissions

Efficient flue gas condensing has environmental benefits, too. Integrated with wet flue
gas cleaning, it not only improves energy
efficiency, but also minimizes emissions
caused by the combustion process. The
emissions regulations are continuously
tightening.
With modern, high-tech air pollution
control solutions, energy producers and
paper mills can aim for zero emissions,
Hmlinen stresses. The results gained
with new flue gas condensing technology show that even the tiniest remaining
particles and acid gases produced in the
combustion processes can be removed. A

flue gas condensing plant typically reduces,

for example, acid gases, ammonia and dust
by up to 95%.

Tube condenser or
condensing scrubber?

Valmet is one of the pioneers of efficient flue

gas heat recovery, with experience extending
back to the 1970s. Today, we employ over
100 professionals focusing purely on environmental systems and solutions to promote
sustainability in energy generation, Toivo
remarks. Our strengths lie also in our broad
know-how and ability to provide turnkey
deliveries.
The company offers two technologies for
flue gas heat recovery a tube condenser
and a condensing scrubber. Deciding which
of these alternatives best meets the needs
of the customer always depends on the
primary goal. If it is to clean flue gases, the
solution is probably a condensing scrubber.
If the main aim is to gain more heat through
heat recovery, a tube condenser typically
gives better results.
Toivo continues: To boost heat
CONTACT PERSON
recovery further, it is
Risto Hmlinen
Director,
possible to add either
Environmental
a combustion air
Systems
risto.hamalainen@
humidifier or a heat
valmet.com
Tel. +358 40 505 2001
pump to either of the
solutions. Valmet also

offers condensate treatment solutions which

make it possible to use the condensate for
boiler feedwater or district heat make-up,
or simply treat the condensate to meet the
environmental permit limits.
The tailor-made solutions are suitable for
boilers in a wide range of sizes, with various
types of boiler technology and running on
all kinds of fuels.

Experience and
expertise in flue
gas cleaning and
condensing
Valmet has been delivering flue
gas condensing plants based on
its own cutting-edge technology
since 1972. Today, the company has
matchless experience and broad
expertise in challenging process environments and corrosion management. The wide product portfolio
includes solutions for both wet and
dry flue gas cleaning, heat recovery,
flue gas desulfurization and NOX
reduction.

FORWARD 1/2015

53

INNOVATORS VOICE

EcoStar & BioStar

FILTER
BAGS
improve power plant filtration
S

Valmets EcoStar and BioStar filter bags

provide superior performance and durability
in demanding baghouse conditions. The high
dimensional stability of EcoStar and BioStar
filter bags also offers power customers
easier and faster assembly and
disassembly of bags and
support cages.

ince incineration plants are

usually located in urban areas,
it is very important to control
dust emissions properly. As
Rui Coelho, Senior Sales Manager for
Filtration at Valmet puts it: It is not only
a question of fulfilling the requirements
set by legislation, but also about our
neighbors and their health.
EcoStar and BioStar bags have been
developed for Valmets baghouses

TEXT Marjaana Lehtinen

BioStar

54

FORWARD 1/2015

EcoStar

through company-wide cooperation

and are best-suited for medium- and
high-temperature applications. These advanced filter bags allow power producers
to fulfill their environmental responsibilities and still run their processes efficiently without any restrictions on production
capacity.

tension, so the seams need to be completely straight.

The bags dimensional stability is very
good, and the perfect fit of the bag collar
ensures that there are no leaks and no
dust buildup at the top of the cleaning
chamber.

Its all about the

manufacturing

The finishing process calendering, heat

setting and seaming greatly affects
the bags surface properties. A special
chemical treatment consisting of PTFE
impregnation with a high solid content
improves the properties further. Chemical treatment boosts dust cake formation,
while also making dust cake release easier. In fact, the dust cake release of EcoStar
and BioStar is exceptional, allowing the
highest air flow at a low and stable pressure drop. The low pressure drop, in turn,
results in energy savings.
By extending the cleaning cycles by
cleaning the bags, say, every seven minutes instead of every five minutes the
bags will last longer than standard needle
felts. Depending on the conditions, extended lifetimes can be expected.

Every supplier uses the same polymer

fibers for their filter bags. The difference
between Valmets EcoStar and BioStar
bags and those made by others lies in
the way our bags are made and finished,
Coelho explains.
The key element behind these bags
outstanding results is their structure.
The felt is made of a selection of different
temperature-resistant polymers attached
to a scrim support fabric using needling
technology. Different raw materials can
be used alone or combined. The polymer
used for each particular filtration process
is chosen based on several parameters
such as temperature, gas composition,
oxygen content, and humidity to ensure trouble-free operation.
The right scrim prevents elongation,
and good needling prevents blocking, he
continues. In this kind of bag, it is also
important that there is no difference in

and finishing the bag

Good results gained

The EcoStar bag has already proven its

capabilities at various paper mills. Heres
the view of one European customer:
EcoStars are by far the best bags we
have ever assembled. They fitted perfectly, and all had exactly the same dimensions. After a few weeks of operations,
there were no leaks and, thus, no dust in
the cleaning chamber.

These EcoStar bags have also proved to

be good in the long run; they dont shrink,
which means its also easier to take the cage
out of the bag.
Keen cooperation between Valmet
specialists and customers ensures that bag
development will continue to respond to
the latest requirements for dust filtration in
the future.

Long experience and

in-house production
The new EcoStar and BioStar bags are produced at Valmets factory in Ovar, Portugal,
which has been making bags for a variety of
demanding industrial applications for forty
years. The factory produces some 650,000
bags every year, which are sold around the
world.
We know the process inside out, to the
smallest detail, and our quality control is very
tight, Coelho points out.
The Ovar facility also has a laboratory
where a Valmet team tests strength and elongation, free shrinkage, and dust penetration,
among others. There is also a pilot filter for
felt development.
In Ovar, the location of Valmets competence center for dry filtration applications,
Jorge Machado, Nuno Teixeira and Philippe
Duarte comprise our specialized team of
technical sales managers, always on hand to
support our customers.

CONTACT PERSON
Rui Coelho
Senior Sales Manager,
Filtration
rui.coelho@valmet.com
Tel. +351 96 7449076

FORWARD 1/2015

55

Ash treatment pays

off in cleaner recovery
boiler conditions

Valmet AshLeach

ESP ash

Ash leaching

Two-stage ash leaching or adding sulfuric acid both increase performance to match that of
crystallization. In a crystallization plant, performance is controlled by the design of the crystallizer and the performance of the liquid/solid separation.

When ash is purified by crystallization, it is

dissolved completely in water. To recover
the useful chemicals, the water is boiled off.

56

FORWARD 1/2015

Heater

Valmet AshLeach Duo

elements, or to maximize the recovery of

useful chemicals. When more water is added,
more ash dissolves and more impurities are
removed. However, this also dissolves useful
chemicals, which increases losses. When less
water is added, fewer impurities are removed,
but more of the useful chemicals are recovered. Table 1 illustrates the two scenarios.

An ash leaching plant can be run to either

maximize the removal of non-process

Liquids

Centrifuge

Liquids

Solids

Leaching
tank

When only a minimum amount of water is added, the chloride and potassium content in the
treated ash is reduced to almost half, while most of the cooking chemicals remain. When
the maximum amount of water is added, more cooking chemicals are lost, but more of the
non-process elements are also removed from the ash.
Single-stage ash leaching, operating strategy
and theoretical performance
Minimum water

Maximum water

Chlorides

% removed

44

78

Potassium

% removed

44

78

Sodium

% recovered

88

55

Table 2: Theoretical performance of leaching and crystallization

Ash leaching

Two-stage ash leaching

with acid

Crystalli
zation

with acid

Chlorides

% removed

44

68

63

88

Potassium

% removed

44

68

62

66

92

Sodium

% recovered

88

88

86

87

88

96

Maximum water added to ash leaching

Chlorides

% removed

78

91

82

98

96

Potassium

% removed

78

91

82

98

92

Sodium

% recovered

55

58

71

60

88

Solids

ESP ash back to

recovery cycle

Solids

Liquids
Dissolving
tank

ESP ash back to

recovery cycle

Mother
liquor
tank

CONTACT PERSON
Martin Wimby
Director, Recovery Technology
martin.wimby@valmet.com
Tel. + 46 706 45 23 40

Ash crystallization technology has a higher

theoretical performance, which may result in
increased savings. However, this technology requires more equipment and is therefore more
expensive to install, operate and maintain. The
crystallization plant also requires steam, which
makes it more expensive to run. This cost can
be lowered by returning the crystallization
steam to the black liquor evaporation plant,
but integrating crystallization with evaporation
can be difficult because there is usually a big
distance between the ESP, where the ash is produced, and the evaporation plant. Equipment
that connects the two locations may be needed.
Ash leaching technology has a lower theoretical performance, but it requires less equipment and can normally be built very close to
the ESP. An ash leaching plant can provide
good performance in a compact installation. It
does not require steam and is easy to operate.

Carbonates

Minimum water added to ash leaching

Centrifuge

Water

Centrifuge

Bleed

Leaching
tank

Which technology is better?

Table 1: Two strategies for ash leaching

ESP ash

Bleed

Steam

ickener

Condensate

for ash treatment by two-stage leaching

Water

Ash leaching can be

operated in several ways

ESP ash back to

recovery cycle

Solids

Steam

ESP ash

When the water content decreases, the useful chemicals solidify and are then separated
and returned to the mill. The remaining
solution is purged to wastewater treatment.

Ash crystallization

Centrifuge

Leaching
tank

oday, several different processes

can purify recovery boiler ash,
and each has its own advantages.
The ideal solution for one mill
might not be right for another,
but all ash treatment systems can bring
big benefits. According to one customer,
installing an ash treatment system was one
of the best investments in a very long time.
Treatment of ash from the electrostatic
precipitator (ESP) in the recovery boiler
relies on a simple chemical mechanism: salts
dissolve well or poorly in water depending on
the physical properties of the salt. Recovery
boiler ESP ash is mainly a mixture of different
salts. When mixed with water, the non-process elements generally dissolve more easily
than the chemicals that are used in the pulping process. The solids can be separated from
the solution and returned to the mill, while
the unwanted chemicals are led to wastewater
treatment. This is the working mechanism in
both ash leaching and ash crystallization, the
two main technologies on the market today.
The ash leaching process begins with mixing
the ash with water. Non-process elements dissolve in the water, while the useful chemicals
mostly remain as solid particles. The solids are
then separated and returned to the chemical
recovery cycle, while the solution is purged to
wastewater treatment.

Liquids

Crystallizer

TEXT

for ash treatment by crystallization

Bleed

Water

Ash produced by combustion in the recovery boiler contains high levels of non-process elements such as potassium and
chloride. The chlorides increase the risk of
corrosion in many parts of the mill. The potassium makes the ash sticky, causing it to
adhere to boiler surfaces, and plugging the
boiler. These issues can be avoided thanks
to proper ash treatment systems.

Treatment of combustion ash in the recovery

boiler is a must for pulpmakers who want
to prevent corrosion and ensure cleaner
conditions in the recovery boiler. Andreas Liedberg

Valmet Ash Crystallizer

for ash treatment by single-stage leaching

Ash from modern recovery boilers contains

high levels of carbonates. In theory, this is
not an issue for the crystallization process,
but the ash leaching process loses performance. One solution is to add sulfuric acid
but this, however, does not work for all
mills. For high carbonate ash, Valmets new

two-stage ash leaching process AshLeach

Duo is often a good choice. This process
offers many of the benefits of an ash leaching
plant, combined with theoretical performance comparable to crystallization.

Potassium levels are critical

Potassium can lower the efficiency: If the
level of potassium is too high, neither
leaching nor crystallization will remove the
potassium from the ash. In this case, the
only solution is to purge ash until the potassium level has fallen again. Then, the ash
treatment plant can be run as normal.

Valmet solutions

Valmet can provide both leaching and crystallization technologies. In the field of leaching,
Valmet has a solid track record with installations
in mills all over the world. Ash treatment plants
using AshLeach Duo have recently been installed at a few mills, and Valmet is also currently building the worlds largest ash crystallization
plant. This plant is designed to treat 920 tonnes
of ash every day, and is expected to start in 2016.

Whats the best solution?

Plainly put, the best solution combines high

performance and low costs. When it comes
to ash treatment, this sounds like something

that is easy to decide. In reality, though, a

thorough analysis is needed to make the right
choice. The first variable is the carbonate
content in the ash, which determines how
easily the ash can be leached. The need for
treatment is another factor to bring into the
analysis. Should the ash be treated all the time
or only as needed? The price of steam also may
fluctuate, which affects the operating costs of a
crystallization plant. Lastly, the cost of cooking
chemicals sets a value on the recovery. Lost
chemicals have to be replaced with make-up.
Plant uptime, availability, and ease of operation
are also important. Sometimes its just better to
opt for a plant that is easier to operate.
The choice of technology, therefore, depends on several variables. Ash crystallization
technology has the best performance, but the
investment and operating costs are higher
than for a leaching plant, and it requires
more space. In mills with low-carbonate ash,
crystallization technology is unlikely to be as
profitable as a simple, single-stage ash leaching plant. Besides, AshLeach Duo, Valmets
new two-stage ash leaching plant, or dosing
sulfuric acid brings performance of leaching
close to that of crystallization. A thorough
financial analysis is always needed.

FORWARD 1/2015

57

EXPERTS VOICE
Food for thought

TEXT Vesa Puoskari PHOTOS Tomi Parkkonen

bio
Researching for

economy

Professor Herbert Sixta from Aalto

University predicts a promising future
for forest-based bioproducts.

rofessor Sixta emphasizes

that replacing our current
oil-based economy with
renewables is an essential
step in the fight against global
warming. However, the gradual
change towards the bioeconomy will
take decades.
We cannot continue along this
track any further, but replacing oilbased production completely will be

58

FORWARD 1/2015

a difficult task as it has brought our

societies a lot of wealth. Its also a
very efficient and highly optimized
industry, as basically all crude oil is
converted into end products.
So, we also need pressure from
society and legislation to increase the
use of renewable materials in different industrial processes, he adds.
Sixta believes there are two methods for improving the exploitation of
bio raw materials.

FORWARD 1/2015

59

EXPERTS VOICE

The intrastructure of forest industry suits perfectly for biorefining

because it has an access and knowledge of sourcing wood raw materials
and is capable of converting them to value added products.

HERBERT
SIXTA:
The industry has
well understood
the necessity of
investing in bioeconomy R&D.

One option is to utilize renewables all way down to the final product. The other manner is to convert
renewables into intermediate platform chemicals that can be refined
further at existing plants. We will
only discover later which one is the
most successful approach, he adds. It
is highly likely that both options will
play a role in the future.
Fortunately, there is a lot of room

for development, even in current processes. For example, only 4050% of

pulp production is currently converted into end products.
We are far away from complete
usage of our raw materials. Of course,
the rest is currently used as an energy
source, but we want to exploit it more
efficiently and convert the remaining
share to high-added-value products
as well.

We need also a pressure from societies

and legislation to increase the use
of renewable materials in different
industrial processes.
60

FORWARD 1/2015

Developing the
biorefinery concept

Herbert Sixtas background is in

physical chemistry. Before starting
his work at Aalto University in 2007,
he worked for a private company
in Austria producing regenerated
cellulose fibers.
At the university, our research
work focuses on improving kraft pulp
mills and developing the properties
of pulp. We also propose modifications to existing pulp mills to isolate
other value-added products like
hemicellulose and lignin from wood
raw material to further develop the
biorefinery concept.
According to Sixta, the forest
industry infrastructure is ideal for
biorefining as it has access to and
knowledge of sourcing wood raw materials, and is capable of converting
them into value-added products.
Personally, I think that investing
in high-added-value biomaterials

is the right way forward for the

forest-based industry, because in
the future it will be a business on a
scale as large as the pulp and paper
currently is.
However, the drawback is that the
industry does not have enough experience of creating alternative products
from wood.
That process has to happen in
collaboration with the chemical
industry, which is also very keen to
replace crude oil and naphtha with
renewables. They are not so interested in sourcing raw materials they
just want to have a certain quality of
composition and then do the refining
themselves, Sixta believes.
This could be also a danger for
the pulp industry, because the major
added value is created in downstream
processes rather than in the first
production steps. The pulp industry understands this very well and
is working hard to find individual
solutions for better exploiting wood
raw material.
He points out that different companies have different targets: some
invest more in biofuel production,
while others go for biomaterials.
Both aspects are very important and
successful when they are done step by
step and with a high research input,
he notes.
In the long term, biofuels will
become an important business
dominated by big energy companies,
so it might be a bit hard for the forest
industry to successfully compete in
this field. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for biomaterials
in areas like automotive, daily life and
well-being products.

International
cooperation

Professor Sixta hails the long tradition of mutual collaboration between

industries and universities in Finland.

I think that industry understands
well the need to invest in R&D. The
big players are also encouraging scientists like us to focus on fundamental research work, because applied
research doesnt offer opportunities to
get into new business areas. We need
to have both.
This is an ongoing process and an
important aspect of the mutual collaboration between the research work
and the pulp industry in general, he
adds.
He also gives the international
research community credit for carrying out further bioeconomy R&D. I
believe that the pioneers in this field

come from the US, because the funding situation is more coherent there.
In Europe, we are gathered in
small units, and that makes developing breakthrough technologies more
difficult here. However, the Nordic
countries and the Netherlands in particular are pioneers in the biorefinery
field, for example.
Emerging countries, especially
China, India, Brazil and Chile, are
also actively developing biomaterials.
Researchers from different locations
are very well connected with each
other. Global business also means a
global research network, he concludes.

Textiles from wood

Herbert Sixta suggests that producing textile fibers could be one option for
the pulp industry in the future. It is a large-scale industry with a volume of 90
million tonnes a year that approaches the volumes of paper production.
Currently, researchers from Aalto University are working within the Finnish
Bioeconomy Cluster to further develop the Ioncell-F process, an Aalto and
Helsinki University invention.
He describes the schedule of the development process: Over at least the
next three years, we will be concentrating on the basic concepts of the process.
In the very best case we could have an operational pilot plant in
2018. If the product quality and other variables correspond to
the requirements, we could be able to begin commercializing the product in 2020 or 2022.
Textiles made using wood pulp as a raw material
with the Ioncell-F process combine the best properties of cotton and viscose textiles. The Aalto fiber
process allows also the use of recycled textiles or
even pretreated waste paper as a raw material
for the production of high-quality textile fibers.
Fibers made with Ioncell-F have markedly
better water management than cotton. Therefore, these fibers could be used in textiles for
hygiene or sportswear products where the textile
needs to absorb a lot of moisture. Since they are
also relatively strong fibers compared to viscose
and cotton, they could be used as reinforcing fibers in
composites and technical textiles.

FORWARD 1/2015

61

Around the world

Fortums power
plant in Joensuu
will get a new fluegas cleaning and
condensation plant
Fortum has ordered a flue-gas
cleaning and condensation
plant to its combined heat
and power plant in Joensuu,
Finland. The new flue gas
scrubber will increase the
plants energy efficiency and
district heating production
capacity and decrease the
emissions.

What is happening in the global pulp, paper and energy industries? Around
the world demonstrates some of the events and projects where Valmet has
worked together with its customers to move their performance forward.

Improving performance at Hallsta

Paper Mill

Nokianvirran Energia orders a

boiler plant to Nokia

Stronger services
presence in China

A recent result of the performance agreement

depicted in issue 1/2015 of Forward is the new
speed record that the Holmen Hallsta PM 11 in
Sweden ran in December 2014. In a 24-hour run
the machine reached its own record of 1,861 m/
min with Valmet fabrics in the top wire and all
press section positions.

Valmet and Nokianvirran Energia have signed a letter of intent for a delivery of a biomass-fired boiler
plant to a new steam heating station in Nokia,
Finland. The investment enables the currently used
natural gas to be replaced with more cost-efficient
biofuels, such as forest residue and wood chips.

Valmet has made investments

in its two service centers in
WaiGaoQiao and Guangzhou
in China. The service centers
are now able to offer pulp
and paper customers a wider
range of services, including
manufacturing of pulp and
paper process consumables
and new press roll covers for
board and papermaking.

Domtar to upgrade
its evaporation
plant
Domtar Pulp & Paper will
upgrade the evaporation
plant at the Ashdown Mill in
Arkansas, USA with leading
EVAPS-technology. The
supply includes two Tube
Evaporators and a number of
smaller pressure vessels that
will be integrated into the
evaporation train.

Flue-gas cleaning
and condensation
plant to Tampere

Originated as Tamfelt
Clothing Days in 2000, this
well-established seminar
gathers papermakers from all
over the world to Tampere,
Finland, on June 2-4, 2015,
to share experiences with
colleagues and hear about
the newest trends in papermaking.

New office facilities

opened in Concepcin
At the end of last year, Valmet
opened new office facilities
in Concepcin, Chile. The new
facilities improve Valmets
local support to customers
and demonstrate the companys commitment to moving
their customers performance
forward.

62

FORWARD 1/2015

New winding
technology for
Stora Enso
Stora Enso has ordered a
new winder and auxiliaries
for its BM 5 board machine
in the companys Tainionkoski unit in Imatra, Finland.
The target of the project
is to increase the winding
capacity and upgrade the
winding technology for
improved safety and more
efficient maintenance.

Two containerboard machines

have started up at Anhui
Shanying Paper Industry in
Maanshan in Anhui Province,
China. Both machines, paper
machine 5 (PM 5) and paper
machine 6 (PM 6) started up
with good results. The new
PM 6 machine set its 24 hour
average machine speed record
of 1,398 m/min already 12
days after the start-up.

Valmet scholarships
to university
students in China
Valmet has provided
scholarships to top industry
universities since 2009. Last
year the company paid visits
to four universities in South,
East, North and West China.
39 students won a Valmet
scholarship in 2014.

Stock Preparation
workshop to new
location in China

Tampereen Energiantuotanto
Oy has ordered a flue-gas
cleaning and condensation
plant for its Naistenlahti
power plant in Finland. The
investment will increase the
plants energy efficiency and
production capacity, as well
as decrease the emissions.

Valmet Clothing
Days in June

Two boardmaking
lines started up at
Anhui, China

Valmets Stock Preparation

workshop relocated from
WaiGaoQiao to Jiading,
Shanghai. The new workshop
is equipped with the state
of the art facilities and represents the most advanced
technology in the world. It will
serve not only China but the
global market.

Fourth tissue line

order from ICT
ICT has ordered a complete
tissue production line to
its Kostrzyn mill in Poland.
The Advantage DCT 200HS
tissue line will start-up at
the end of 2015. Valmet has
previously delivered three
tissue lines to ICT companies in Italy and France.

Mondi Stti to carry

out a press section
rebuild
Mondis Stti mill in Czech
Republic will carry out a press
section rebuild on their PM
5 sack kraft machine. The
rebuild targets increased
production efficiency and
improved runnability while
ensuring safe working environment.

High demand for

Defibrator systems
in China
Valmet has during 2014 increased its fiberboard line Defibrator system market share
in China. With a total value
of EUR 12 million Valmet is
now the leading supplier of
Defibrator systems in the
country.

FORWARD 1/2015

63

Valmet Corporation is a leading global developer and supplier of services

and technologies for the pulp, paper and energy industries. Our 10,500
professionals around the world work close to our customers and are
committed to moving our customers performance forward every day.

About Valmet
Global network

Valmet delivered its first paper machine

to China in the 1930s. Today we have a
strong presence in China ranging from
production sites to service centers and sales
offices. China is a good service market and
still offers new project opportunities in
board and tissue production investments.
In Asia Pacific, our focus is on pulp mills,
tissue and board production lines, and power boilers. There is also a growing service
market with growth potential for Valmet.

Key figures
EUR million

2014

2013

Orders received

3,071

2,182

Order backlog, Dec. 31

1,998

1,398

Net sales

2,473

2,613

Earnings before interest, taxes and amortization

(EBITA) and non-recurring items

106

54

% of net sales

4.3%

2.1%

Research and development expenses

42

60

% of net sales

1.7%

2.3 %

Personnel, Dec. 31

10,484

11,765

Valmet figures in 2014

Net sales by business line

Net sales by area

Personnel by area

Technology Centers

Valmet in brief 2014

Serving over 2,000
customer mills and plants

Valmet develops and provides services and

technologies to the pulp, paper and energy industries and to certain other process
industries.
Valmet serves over 2,000 mills and plants
globally. Our offering is based on customers
needs to promote reliability, cost efficiency
and quality in their operations. The offering
is designed to meet the increasing energy,
water and raw material efficiency needs.

Innovative technologies
and services

Valmets offering is based on leading technology and a continuous drive to develop new,
innovative solutions for improving our customers performance in terms of both competitiveness and sustainability. The services range

64

FORWARD 1/2015

from spare and wear parts to full maintenance

and outsourcing. Valmet also provides plant
improvements, upgrades, technical modifications and expert services to improve plant
efficiency and operational effectiveness.
Valmet has reached a leading position in
its key market segments. We have delivered thousands of technology solutions to
our customers. For pulp production our
offering includes entire pulping lines, from
woodhandling to pulp drying, including
recovery and evaporation systems. For paper
producers we offer paper, board and tissue
production lines and equipment.
In heat and power generation our focus
is on biomass, waste and multifuel to energy
based solutions. Our key competence is in
fluidized bed boilers, biomass and waste gasification and environmental protection systems. The biotechnology solutions include
prehydrolysis systems, pyrolysis technology
and lignin separation technology.

Growth opportunities in all

areas

Our global presence is adjusted to meet local

industry needs and market situation. North
America has a long tradition in our industry
and has a large installed base of pulp, paper
and energy plants and mills to be served. In
addition to ample service needs there are
continuously new or rebuild investments in
machinery.
The strong growth of the chemical
pulping industry has created an excellent
platform for Valmet operations in South
America. Our operations focus on pulp,
tissue, bioenergy and other biotechnologies.
There is also good potential for growth in
service operations for Valmet.
Europe is the traditional home market for
Valmet. The EMEA area has a large installed
base to be served. The outsourcing trend
offers us growth opportunities in the service
market. There are also new investments
made in pulp, tissue and bioenergy, though
these depend on the market and regulatory
environment.

Services 40% (39% in 2013)

Pulp and Energy 39% (35%)
Paper 21% (26%)

Forward

North America 18% (16%)

South America 13% (16%)
EMEA 43% (42%)
China 11% (15%)
Asia-Pacific 15% (11%)

VA L M E T S C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E

FORWARD
Valmets customer magazine

MANAGING EDITOR
Elisa Lomperi

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDITOR

AAC Global

PUBLISHED BY
Valmet Corporation
PO Box 11
FI-02151 Espoo, Finland
Tel. +358 10672 0000

ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Annica Borstell, Marianne
Kasjan, Taisa Noetzold, Marika
Mattila, Kaisamaija Marttila,
Eero Halmari, Pauliina Purola,
Katarina Ahsberg , Anne
Paloheimo-Seppanen, Riitta
Pntynen, Gunnar Vesterlund,
Kerstin Eriksson, Andreas
Liedberg, Satu Lamminen, Eric
Tetreault, Juha M Virtanen,
John Della-Bosca, Gaurav
Ghosh, Jingwei Liu, Sara Li

LAYOUT AND ART WORK

Neutron Design

ADDRESS CHANGES
www.valmet.com/infocenter/
downloads/customer
magazine
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Anu Salonsaari-Posti

North America 11% (10%)

South America 4% (4%)
EMEA 61% (64%)
China 18% (18%)
Asia-Pacific 6% (5%)

PRINTING
Libris Oy
Copyright
Valmet Corporation
All rights reserved

Printed on MultiArk Silk

115/250 g/m2
Supplement printed on
Lumiforte 115 g/m2
Printed on March 16, 2015

Reproduction permitted
quoting Forward as source.
All product names used
herein are trademarks of their
respective owners.
ADDRESSES
Valmet Corporation, customer
data
ISSN
0356-2751 (Printed)
1458-8013 (Electronic version)

FORWARD 1/2015

65

Move your pulp business

forward with LignoBoost

LignoBoost is a complete system for extracting lignin from kraft

black liquor, making it possible to increase the capacity of chemical
recovery boilers and increase pulp production. The extracted lignin can
be used as a sustainable source of energy or as a sustainable raw material
for many innovative products, such as lightweight carbon fiber or thermoplastic
structures for the automotive, marine, electronics or construction industries.
Find new business opportunities with LignoBoost.
valmet.com/lignoboost