Nordisk Papper & Massa 1
BY SIMON MATTHIS NEWS IN ENGLISH IBEMA ANNOUNCES
A FEASIBILITY STUDY for a new BCTMP plant in Paraná photo: iBEMa BRAZILIAN CARTONBOARD manufacturer Ibema announces that the construction of a BCTMP plant in the municipality of Turvo, Paraná, is under feasibility study. At an advanced stage of analysis, the project includes a long-term supply contract with Suzano, which owns 49% of the company. ’We estimate that, if implemented, this initiative will add up to 160 thousand tons per year to our mechanical pulp production capacity’, says Nilton Saraiva, Ibema’s CEO. The new BCTMP mill will meet the current demand for mechanical pulp from both companies, in addition to serving as a support for future expansion of paperboard production. ’The BCTMP project will significantly improve the return on capacity expansion projects that are currently being studied by both companies,’ said Fabio Almeida, Suzano’s executive director of paper and packaging. u VALMET INVESTS IN PRESS FELT PRODUCTION IN FINLAND VALMET FURTHER develops its press felt production facilities in Tampere, Finland by investing in new press felt machinery and equipment. The investment includes a new pre-needling line and a new needling line. The amount of the investment is around EUR 18 million. “We target to operate the most modern, efficient and sustainable press felt production unit in the industry. We serve our customers in the board and paper as well as pulp and tissue industries with press felts that respond to the highest quality and performance demands,” says Tero Kokko, Vice President, Fabrics Business Unit, Services at Valmet. “For us, the sustainability of the production photo: valMEt is very important. Already since the 90’s we have been recycling our production waste: for example, we reuse our batt fiber waste for new batt layers. Most of the other press felt production side streams are recycled to polyamide granules, among others. Furthermore, we are constantly investigating and testing in our laboratory new, more sustainable yarns and other raw materials to be used in production,” says Tero Kokko. Valmet has been producing press felts in Tampere, Finland since 1882. u NORDISK PAPPER & MASSA 4 2022 61