SWEDEN – Andritz, an international technology group, will be undertaking the reconstruction of a paper machine at Holmen Paper’s Braviken mill in Sweden in order to enhance production flexibility.
This order follows Holmen Paper’s recent successful entry into the packaging market with an innovative lightweight corrugated board product.
Ola Schultz-Eklund, Senior Vice President Technology at Holmen Group, said, “The pilot trials convinced us that ANDRITZ’s solution perfectly meets our high requirements. It will provide us with the flexibility we require to enhance production.”
The rebuilding of PM52 will enable Holmen Paper to increase the production of fluting for corrugated boxes.
ANDRITZ will implement a sophisticated technology concept allowing to easily switch production between the different paper grades.
Gerald Steiner, Vice President of Paper and Board at ANDRITZ, said, “The requirements for containerboard and book paper production are very different.
“Containerboard requires extremely high dewatering capacity and specific strength properties, while book paper needs excellent formation and homogeneous filler retention.”
ANDRITZ will also provide comprehensive services for the rebuild including engineering and installation.
The scope of supply includes innovative key components for several sections of the paper machine to meet Holmen’s stringent quality requirements.
The heart of the rebuild is the conversion of the existing former by using the patented ANDRITZ shoe blade forming technology for the lowest MD/CD ratios. ANDRITZ will also supply a clothing package, an extension of the distributed control system and a dilution control automation package.
This order once again confirms ANDRITZ’s strong position and expertise in challenging rebuild projects for innovative paper production.
Toshka greenfield plant upgrade
Meanwhile, the company has also secured a contract to supply a complete fiber preparation line for a greenfield plant in the Toshka area in the south of Egypt.
The pioneering and eco-friendly plant will produce high-density and medium-density fiberboard (HDF/MDF) from date palm fronds, a material normally considered farm waste.
Andritz will execute this order in cooperation with the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) specialist WESER Industrie- und Anlagentechnik GmbH and DIEFFENBACHER GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau.
On behalf of Egypt’s National Service Projects Organization (NSPO), the German company WESER is acting as the general contractor for this turnkey project.
The Andritz line, with a capacity of up to 14 bdmt/h, will process date palm fronds from a nearby 40,000-acre date farm.
It includes a system to wash and condition the chips from the palm frond stems, and a pressurized refining system with a well-proven refiner to process the washed and conditioned chips into high-quality fibers at very low energy consumption.
The fibers will be used to produce high-quality fiberboards, primarily for the flooring and furniture industries. The plant is scheduled to begin production in the autumn of 2025.
