Paper Mart Emagazine April-May Issue 2021 by Tulip 3P Media Private Limited

CONTENTS April-May, 2021, Paper Mart

CONTROL OVER RAW MATERIAL:

Pulp and Paper Industry

10 Century Pulp and Paper: Diversifying into Consumer Brands with Aim to Create Awareness on Hygiene

“BIRLACare is not only a brand but our commitment to consumers to provide them with affordable and naturefriendly hygiene & wellness solutions.”

40 Strengthening Valmet’s Presence and Expanding Horizons in Asia Pacific

“India is one of our key markets and we’re constantly developing our local capabilities here to better serve the customers in India, Asia-Pacific and globally. Further, the Indian market also plays an important role in our global manufacturing, procurement and in the overall supply chain.”

Star Paper Mill: Focused on Quality & Sustainable Tissue Production “We may invest in another paper mill, but it may not be tissue paper. It may be any other grade of paper which would be in demand in future.”

Ekman Recycling: The Frontrunners in Paper Recycling “We have time honored associations selling to all major customers in India. India is and will remain a major market for Ekman both on the pulp as well as the recovered paper side... We believe that the prospects of Ekman in India are very encouraging.”

Zume Inc.: Pioneer in Molded Fiber Technology “Zume has recently announced the strategic expansion and global distribution of its molded fiber manufacturing technology… These new partnerships bring Zume’s fully compostable packaging solutions to even more international markets and arrive just weeks after the distribution deals across North America, India and Europe that the company announced earlier this year.”

56 PIPL: Collaboration with Zume Grounded on Mutual Vision to Bring Breakthrough Developments in Molded Fiber Industry

“The Greenfield factory by the name PIPL (Prathisthan Industries Pvt. Ltd.) which is being constructed is located in the Paithan MIDC, Dist. Aurangabad (Maharashtra)… With the support of Zume’s manufacturing technology, PIPL will pave the way for the future of the plant fiber-based products.”

60 Meghmani Dyes & Intermediates: Fulfilling the Chemical Requirements of the Paper Industry

“In order to meet the domestic demand, MDIL started OBA manufacturing in the year 2002, when the majority of domestic requirements were fulfilled by imports… The entry of MDIL had substituted the imports in India to a large extent and has enabled the domestic industry to be self-reliant with regard to the OBA segment.”

NEWS

Valmet Inaugurates New Facility for Filter Fabric Production in Pune

NEPA Mill to Start Paper Aksa Paper Mills to Start Machine Trial Run in July 300 TPD Kraft Paper 2021 Plant in Gujarat

Satia Industries and Zume Valmet and Neles to Merge Creating Leading Company Announces New ManuWith a Unique Offering for facturing Partnership Process Industries Globally

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E

CONTROL OVER

RAW MATERIAL: Pulp and Paper Industry

usinesses across various industries including the pulp and paper industry are faced with overwhelming challenges and uncharted waters as they continue to navigate the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic. Amidst this uncer-

10 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

tainty, the steps for reinvention and being resilient are undoubtedly important, but the industry must now consider how the pandemic's impact should inf luence their procurement and recovery strategies and approach with respect to raw

material management amongst other aspects. Keeping these challenges in consideration, Paper Mart initiated an editorial feature to gain insights on the strategies adopted by the paper industry for raw material manage-

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E

ment on a continuous and sustainable basis, the impact of the lockdown causing a huge disruption in the logistic and procurement pipeline, and the major milestones achieved specific to raw material procurement, processing and consumption. As we look back on the year 2020, it's impossible to overlook the impact of the global pandemic on countless industries and the economies of almost every nation around the globe. In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the pulp and paper industry had to swiftly make efforts to optimize their company's resilience – while assessing opportunities for growth coming out of the downturn. This brings us to the question: how has the pulp and paper industry felt the impact of COVID-19? Has it bounced back? To mitigate the impact of the crisis – how have the paper making companies strategized to ensure consistency in the raw material management?

Understanding the Impact All things considered, the Indian paper industry has been under a great deal of stress beginning from March 2020, however, the recovery was seen for a couple of months in the latter part of 2020, after some balancing on trade globally but then we were hit by the second wave of COVID. Speaking about how the pandemicresultant lockdown caused a huge disruption in the logistic and procurement pipeline and how this, in turn, has impacted the company, Mr. P K SURI, Director & CEO, The Sirpur Paper Mills Limited affirms: “this had a direct impact on the availability of raw material which created a demand-supply gap and increased the rate of raw material. Even the logistics was severely affected.”

Raw Material Management amidst Crisis A combination of factors has come together to create a global supply side constraint, leading to an increase in the prices of raw materials in the paper industry. The mills which are dependent on waste paper grades, for making the deinked pulp or for making the recycled grades of packaging boards, were hit the most due to the poor collection of wastepaper globally. Further, there were significant logistics issues as well due to the non-availability of the vessels/containers. This has hiked up the prices of all the grades of waste paper almost double of what it was in the pre-COVID scenario. “ This has put the mills under tremendous stress for realizing the decent contribution for the grades of production and hence, the profitability is hit by at least 15-20%... Most of the paper mills in the country had the capacity utilization of 70-75% in the financial year 2020-21 and the same is in sight this financial year too, with the lockdowns getting announced and extended in various states,” says M r. S V R K r i s h n a n , E xe c u t ive Director (Operations), Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited. Outlining the approach for controlling raw material utilization and consumption, Mr. A. K. Bansal, Executive Director, N R Agarwal Industries Ltd. asserts: “with the right planning, raw materials can be managed and optimized at a professional level while reducing overall i nve n to r y co s t s co n s i d e ra b ly. Keeping an eye on raw materials inventory can provide a significant competitive advantage as well as a cost advantage.”

What's New? What's Next? Mr. Ganesh Bhadti, President Operations at Seshasayee Paper

and Boards Limited explains the methodologies their company has adopted to allow for real-time, inprocess monitoring and control over raw material procurement. “Inventories are monitored from a day-to-day basis to shift-to-shift basis. The process team and the supply chain team discuss the monthly requirements and plan well in advance the raw material requirements for the production target for the month.” “The policy of fall-back arrangements, say chemical or raw materials has enabled us to run the system even in this tough situation,” he added. Emphasizing the importance of automation in their production and day-to-day operations, Mr. Jagdeep Hira, Business Head, Yash Pakka Limited, says “Since the last two years, we have been investing heavily on automation technology just to control the input and we have seen tremendous improvements in the results that are far more consistent than our previous methods of checking output results.” In fact, real-time data monitoring and in-process control should be implemented in the production p ro ce s s e s i n a d d i t i o n to raw material procurement process beginning from the assessment of requirement, supply chain strengthening, strict quality checks and waste minimization in storage and transit. Since the intensity of the challenges the industries have been facing goes beyond the immediate crisis as it is difficult to assess the future impact, it is recommended for the paper industry to adopt a more nuanced approach for raw material management.

www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021 | 11

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E

The Sirpur Paper Mills Limited “We are focusing on developing farm forestry plantations in mill catchment. With focused R&D, we have released many clones of pulpable species which are fast-growing, high yielding with excellent fibre properties.”

Mr. PK Suri, Director & CEO, The Sirpur Paper Mills Limited

Impact of the Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity The pandemic has severely impacted the availability as well as the cost of raw material. The pandemic and the resultant lockdown have reduced the availability of labour involved in the h a r ve s t i n g a n d wo o d h a n d l i n g mainly due to the returning of migrated labour from other states. This had a direct impact on the availability of raw material which created a demand-supply gap and increased the rate of raw material. Even the logistics was severely affected due to the reduced availability of truck drivers, reduced availability of trucks, restriction on their movement and arranging e-pass for goods other than essential commodity was a tedious task especially for inter-state movement. This had an adverse effect both on the production as well as profitability.

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption We are focusing on developing farm forestry plantations in mill catchment. With focused R&D, we have released many clones of pulpable species which are fast-growing, high yielding with excellent fibre properties. This has also created a strong pull factor amongst farmers to plant our desired species. By increasing the raw material availability in our catchment, we can develop control over its supply and we can source raw material of our desired qualities.

12 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement The adopted methodologies are as under: l

We are continuously working to reduce the Turn Around Time (TAT) for trucks of raw material

We are using Google forms for tracking of raw materials trucks, so its arrival at the mill and subsequently unloading can be pre-planned

Apart from Google forms, we have some internal controls to monitor and regulate incoming trucks of raw material. These controls help in efficient wood handling and its consumption

Support Expected from the Government The government should allot revenue/degraded forest land to woodbased industries for large scale captive plantations for sustainable raw material generation. The government must ensure the unrestricted movement of raw material of mill especially interstate movement. In addition, the government should provide financial assistance to farmers for taking farm forestry plantations, which will also help in increasing green cover. Further, the subsidies/ financial stimulus package should be provided for paper manufacturing units to combat adverse effect of the pandemic. Also, health assistance for unorganized labour and proper vaccination drive for risk group should be organized. n

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E

Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited “Our strategy on the raw material-procurement, mainly for the various grades of the pulp and bulk chemicals, is to buy from the reliable and established sources… We work on a 2030 days inventory schedule by incorporating “Manufacturing Excellence” trigger points under Smart Procurement Teams.”

Mr. SVR. Krishnan, Executive Director (Operations) Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited

Impact of the Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity Yes, there has been a terrible impact due to the pandemic. On the whole, the paper industry has been under great deal of stress right from March, 2020, however, the recovery was seen for a couple of months in the later part of 2020, after some balancing on trade globally but then we were hit by the second wave of COVID. Unfortunately, the pulp and paper mills, whether big or small, have been majorly affected from both the supply as well as the demand. The mills depending on the waste paper grades, for making the deinked pulp or for making the recycled grades of packaging boards, were hit the most due to the poor collection of wastepaper globally and the logistics issues due to the non-availability of the vessels. This has jacked up the prices of all the grades of waste paper, be it white or grey, preconsumer or post-consumer, almost to double of what it was in the pre-COVID scenario. Today, the prices of white recycled waste are up to 380 USD per ton and the price of ONP is up to 260 USD per ton. This has put the mills under tremendous stress for realizing the decent contribution for the grades of production and hence, the profitability is hit by at least 15-20%. The mills which are imported HW and SW bleached pulp-dependent were also hit badly as the bleached virgin pulp prices were also on its peak with 60-80% increase in the prices and their profitability is also hit by 10-12%, compared to the larger integrated pulp and paper mills, with their own in-house pulp.

14 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

Most of the paper mills in the country had the capacity utilization of 70-75% in the financial year 2020-21 and the same is in sight this financial year too, with the lockdowns getting announced and extended in various states. Nevertheless, with the effort of the government in every state of the country and many vaccine grades available, the situation may be brought under control soon.

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption The procurement of raw material is a quite specific to mill site, and the grades. We, in TNPL, have three paper machines and one coated board machine, using five grades of furnishes such as Eucabased hardwood pulp, imported softwood pulp, chemical bagasse pulp, de-inked pulp and BCTMP grades of pulps, for making various grades of paper and packaging boards. TNPL does all the procurement through the e-procurement or the reverse auction method leveraging on the huge vendor base and with the best possible price. For some critical inputs, where we cannot have the exposure of the process or the products to all the vendors based on the lower price due to stringent CTQs, we have started the procurement with the limited enquiry basis, to select the best quality vendor at competitive prices. Our strategy on the raw materialprocurement, mainly for the various grades of the pulp and bulk chemicals, is to buy from the reliable and established

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E sources at the best price possible and to keep the narrow inventory period. We work on a 20-30 days inventory schedule by incorporating “Manufacturing Excellence” trigger points under Smart Procurement Teams. At TNPL, we tap all the government sources in Tamil Nadu and also in the nearby states like Kerala and Karnataka for the government tender sale and also for the collection of the white and mixed waste. We also have a good tie up with all the colleges and universities for the collection of the white waste such as question papers, answer sheets and other office records etc. Our marketing team has a good tie up with the printers and converters for the collection of the printed and unprinted white waste mainly from the southern regions, to take advantage of the freight. Our strategy will always be to maximize the usage of the minimum cost raw material and the subsequent furnish in the products, ensuring that the final paper or board properties are met. The fibre consumption in each grade is monitored shift-wise by the respective vertical heads, by optimizing on the filler usage, wet-end process chemicals and also by controlling the web breaks on the machines and reducing the quality and converting rejections at each stage of manufacturing.

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement

As already explained, the procurement is through the tendering process with the reverse auction to get the price advantage. We also follow very closely on the price indices published by various agencies and to keep track of the right time to buy the bulk material. The consumption pattern is meticulously monitored by the senior management team fortnightly and then the corrective actions on procurement or dynamic change in the product mix on each machine will be put in place to manage, without stock out situation at the same time without any major deviations in the final product quality. For the raw material consumption, be it fibres or process chemicals, we use the process DCS and QCS trends with the best batch/lot back-up analysis along with the statistical methods like control charts, moving range charts and Cp & CpK etc to ensure the adherence to the specification, without overdoing in the process, on the speck limits. This has really helped us to optimize the quality and cost.

Support Expected from the Government As India is a net fibre import country and the pulpwood plantation cover is lesser compared to the Scandinavian and other European countries, we also fall short with the quality fibres for the wood pulp manufacture. Even the kind of fibre length and fibre strength is much less compared to these countries. Keeping this scenario in mind, the

government should aggressively promote forestation policies, making the policy to be industry-friendly, by allowing the paper mills to own the land for raising their pulpwood plantations. This will also improve the green cover in the country alongside making the industry self-sustainable. Farmers – Paper mills – Timber Traders can be formed as a triangular rural economy model and the livelihood of the society can be enhanced further. Similarly, there can be a Super Social Forestry Model. Government agricultural universities in various states can be engaged for the best species suited to the local conditions, helping the farmers to grow the high yielding varieties for better income and to fulfill the requirement of the local paper mills. These universities can also help the farmers with the soil quality tags, for the suitable fertilizers at the right quantity and also for the consumption of the local mill-treated effluent water, by way of drip irrigation. The entire cycle of activities can be performed as a circular economy model. Now, the government has to seriously consider the rural economy model by bringing the local pulp and paper mills, the local Farmers (having more than 50 acres of land) and the educational machinery (better schools and colleges) by pooling good IITs and AU graduates to the rural side of the country's economy. There is a lot more to do here for the maximum and sustainable returns. n

Naini Group of Industries “Our long-established relationship with our suppliers has also enabled us in maintaining our inward supply of raw material and fuel.”

Mr. Pawan Agarwal, Managing Director, Naini Group of Industries 16 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

Impact of Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity Due to the disruption in logistic chain with the imposition of the lockdown,

the supply of inputs (excluding raw material and fuel) has been badly affected. The prices have also gone up owing to the disruption in transporta-

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S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E tion and scarcity of trucks. Additionally, the shortage of manpower has also been a reason for this disruption. Needless to mention, the productivity and profitability have both been adversely affected. This is going to have a ruining impact on the annual results of the company as well.

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption

For agro-based mills, the impact of the pandemic has not been much, as the raw material is already procured in a seasonal manner. In our case, we already had sufficient storage of bagasse and fuel (rice husk). Thus, the supply chain with sugar mills was uninterrupted. Also, since the production was reduced due to the slump in the market demand, the raw material shortage has not been a major issue for us.

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement We strive to maintain the supply chain on a regular basis with a steady supply of bagasse to the sugar mills and of rice husk to the rice mills. Our long-established relationship with our suppliers has also enabled us in maintaining our inward supply of raw material and fuel. n

Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited “Pandemic took a big toll on the business. Life beyond the Covid-19 pandemic holds much promise provided we are ready for transformation.”

Mr. Ganesh Bhadti, President Operations, Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited

“Inventories are monitored from a day-to-day basis to shiftto-shift basis. The process team and the supply chain team discuss the monthly requirements and plan well in advance the raw material requirements for the production target for the month.” Impact of the Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity The nationwide lockdown to curb the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the demand for paper and paper boards which is likely to witness a 10-15 percent year-on-year decline in FY 2020-21. The demand has shrunk as schools and colleges are shut down, while the majority of offices have also crimped demand for writing & printing paper. Furthermore, the usage of industrial paper has also crumpled because of weakness in FMCG, consumer durables and apparel and apparel segments, which account for around 50-60 percent of the demand. The demand for paper and boards is expected to contract 10-15 percent this financial year as compared to the previous year. About 40-45 percent of paper mills are

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in the COVID-19 red zones, and another 40-45 per cent is in orange zones. In addition to this, the industry is also grappling with the shortage of raw materials which is ultimately affecting the capacity utilization. Besides, exports have also fallen. However, the export market is still in a better situation than the domestic market. But export prices are unremunerated. Because of container and freight issues, we are under pressure to reduce ex mill price. This will affect the financials of the paper makers, especially the small and mid-sized ones, which are highly fragmented. The outlook has been revised from 'positive' to 'stable' on the account of lower-than-expected improvement in the profitability and the production efficiency primarily due

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E to the COVID-19 led business disruption and due to the weak demand for writing & printing paper and newsprint and lower capacity utilization. The pandemic has caused disruption in the materials movement of both the indigenous as well as the imported goods. The paper mills across the country have received special permission for functioning as they are classified under continuous process industry in essential categories. Although some of the paper mills have operated completely, their sales percentage as well as the corresponding profit has suffered a huge drop. Imported Goods movements: There has been a significant delay in the arrival of import consignment due to the non-availability of containers. Moreover, due to the non-availability and the huge demand of Chinese market, there has been a scarcity in the material availability. Hence, the prices have increased, but we have maintained long term contract prices wherever it is possible. Indigenous movements: The indigenous goods have suffered issues in interstate movement due to the restrictions resulting from the pandemic situation. However, with the special permission obtained from the government of Tamil Nadu, all the process materials' movements between the interstate became possible. The paper mills have issued the special declaration letter stating that the material is being transported to a continuous process industry exempted from the lockdown. Also, combining smaller consignment loads into bulk loads wherever possible has facilitated the logistic movement seamlessly by collecting from multiple points. Profitability & Productivity: Some of the Indian paper mills have halted production at their units due to the pandemic. But a few paper mills which had operated completely have suffered issues in selling the finished goods. Also, some of the paper mills have stocked the finished products

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optimistically in view of successful sales after the pandemic period or for their own use during emergencies. Due to the pandemic-resultant lockdown, the consumption of our products has drastically come down which has affected our business via increasing inventory, low production, low sales etc. All the input chemicals costs have gone up steeply which has eventually impacted our profitability.

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption Wood: The strategy adopted by the paper industry to meet its ever-growing demand of wood on a continuous and sustainable basis is by expanding the social and farm forestry plantations apart from raising plantations by forest development corporations. Some of the strategies adopted include - the close monitoring of yield, ensuring remunerative price for farmers, trying to make payment on time and to look for a combination of pulp including DIP instead of depending only on wood and trying to maximize ash in paper. The daily stock report of major raw materials has been taken up and analyzed to ensure the stock level is maintained with the min buffer level. Also, we ensure that the process department utilizes the raw material eventually as per the production requirements. Our main raw material is wood which we procure majorly from Tamil Nadu particularly from the farmers. During the lockdown, there was a restriction on cutting and labour movement from one place to another due to which we weren't able to arrange required quantities in time. Since the trucks were allowed to bring the materials, the logistics was not an issue this time. Normally, we used to maintain our raw materials stock as inventory for one month and we haven't faced any shortage of wood.

Chemicals: We look for alternate suppliers, procuring more indigenous items at competitive quality and cost. With our in-house R&D team, trials were undertaken and the cost impact analysis was also made to work with different ratio of wood species in cooking. Trial of bleaching chemicals with and without some of the chemicals is taken to assess the impact on the properties of pulp, improving the chemical recovery cycle to bring down waste in our processing. Other secondary input materials like sodium chlorate, oxygen, sulphuric acid, starch, calcium carbonate, etc also became critical owing to the pandemic and their costs have gone up to a very high level which has increased our cost of production. Some alternate chemicals or process changes are helping us to recover losses to some extent. O t he r m a j or m i l e s ton e s i n t h e procurement, processing and consumption in the company are: l

Coal procurement from the stock and sale party due to the demand in Indonesian market

Non-availability of liquid oxygen on account of the pandemic. Hence, we have made alternate arrangements in the process for utilization of hydrogen peroxide in place of liquid oxygen

Rate reduction in the procurement of hydrogen peroxide, caustic lye etc.

AMC orders value - Rate reduction

New Vendor Development for sizing chemicals and GCC has also helped in cost reduction and alternate source of supply.

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement Inventories are monitored from a dayto-day basis to shift-to-shift basis. The process team and the supply chain team discuss the monthly require-

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E ments and plan well in advance the raw material requirements for the production target for the month. The chemical consumption is monitored online both on their as such-basis and per-ton-basis. The policy of fallback arrangements, say chemical or raw materials has enabled us to run the system even in this tough situation. l

The stock statements taken from the system (ERP) provide real time monitoring of the daily consumption and accordingly sourcing of raw materials is being planned Stocking advised items requirements are automatically generated from the ERP system based on the consumption from the user department. The system will not allow for the nil stocking, as it necessitates pre-ordering the item which is below the minimum stock level During this COVID-19 pandemic, we have switched over to plasma cutting and welding in place of the oxygen gas-based welding process

In chemical and additives procurement, the cost has gone up due to the

increase in freight charges along with the basic price of the materials. Particularly, the movement of all the imported items had to be stopped due to their higher logistics costs (including the pulp and calcium carbonate filler). Secondly, the import of oxygen which is one of the important ecofriendly bleaching agents was stopped for medical reasons. Thus, we had to go ahead with an alternate costly bleaching chemical called hydrogen peroxide which has also increased our overall cost of production.

Support Expected from the Government Financial assistance (credit) for the procurement of raw material is for up to 120 days. Materials facilitated under bulk supply arrangements are provided at bulk supplier's rate by eliminating the middlemen and thus, the goods are procured at a lower price. The discounts received under bulk supply arrangements are shared with MSMEs, enabling them to reduce the cost of purchase of materials (Economies of Scale). The availability of raw material

on credit and enabling the MSMEs to execute the orders in hand would greatly benefit the paper industry. The MSMEs operations can be started pertaining to them being in the category of the continuous process industry. The government can support the paper industry with regard to the challenges pertaining to the raw materials in the following ways: l

Intimation to all customs authorities across sea ports for relaxation in clearing the import consignments

Ensuring nil demurrage charges for all import consignments and a common notification to ensure avoiding demurrage

In order to avoid economic losses, the government should support the industries by allowing them to operate with some constant conditions. The major one is the stabilization of fuel prices, which is really affecting the industries while fixing the procurement costs. This situation can be controlled by the government n

Satia Industries Limited “Our approach has always been to focus on procuring maximum raw material locally, and maintaining a strong relationship based on trust and loyalty with our vendors in addition to a strict vigil on the quality-related parameters…” Impact of the Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity

Mr. R. K. Bhandari, Joint Managing Director, Satia Industries Limited

22 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

The pandemic-resultant lockdown and the subsequent issues in logistics had very limited effect on our raw material procurement except with regard to sourcing wood chips and veneer waste t h a t we p ro c u re p a r t i a l ly f ro m Haryana. Since we are positioned in the heart of the wheat belt, we had no issues in the procurement of wheat straw within a radius of 30-40 km which fulfils our daily requirement. Similarly,

our fuel is also sourced locally and a slowdown in industrial activity led to heavy reduction in rice husk prices in this period. However, our wood chips and veneer waste prices had moved higher due to the shutdown of the plywood industry and the movement of migrant labour back to their native places. The paper industry especially the mills which are waste paper-based and those dependent on the imported wood pulp were totally shaken by the poor availabil-

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S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E ity of both indigenous and imported raw material despite the steep hike in prices and logistic-costs coupled with poor demand and fall in prices.

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption

Real-time data monitoring and inprocess control is implemented in the production processes but not much in raw material procurement process which starts from need analysis, supply chain strengthening, contracts in writing, strict quality checks on the spot for moisture, stacking and waste minimization in storage and transit.

The government must allow the use of degraded land for agro-forestry and encourage and educate the farmers not to burn straw in their fields. It would be favorable to incentivize the straw collection, support the storage activity and provide tools and tackles at low interest rates.

During the consumption, metered supply is ensured to avoid wastages, reuse of system spills and rejects wherever possible, and the controlled dosing of chemicals, maintaining processing conditions and timing are controlled using the latest technology. These processes are implemented to

Further, the government should also encourage the paper industry to utilize agro waste, veneer waste and promote agro-forestry which would result in pumping money into the farm sector and help in generating large-scale e m p l oy m e n t wh i c h wo u l d b e a propitious strategy for our economy. n

Our approach has always been to focus on procuring maximum raw material locally, and maintaining a strong relationship based on trust and loyalty with our vendors in addition to a strict vigil on the quality-related parameters, scientific storage to slowdown decay and optimizing storage capacity. This has helped in reducing our cost and avoiding any raw material crisis for many years. Flexibility in seasonal procurement and consumption of raw material is maintained by utilizing wheat straw, sarkanda, kahi, bagasse, bamboo etc.

get optimum yield, low waste and to attain near to ideal consumption.

Support Expected from the Government

N R Agarwal Industries Limited “With the right planning, raw materials can be managed and optimized at a professional level while reducing overall inventory costs considerably…. With regard to the processing and the consumption of raw material, there is more attention given on the process optimization and ensuring to achieve almost nil to minimum fibre loss.” Mr. AK Bansal, Executive Director, N R Agarwal Industries Ltd.

Impact of the Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity The COVID-19 virus has not only taken the lives of people but has also severely crippled the economy and serval industries including the paper industry. Due to the pandemic situation and further because of the outbreak of the ongoing second wave since March 2021, both the inward and outward supply chain of the paper industry have been totally disrupted, which had somehow started gaining its pace when the COVID-19 cases were almost dropped to a minimum. However, presently, due to the strict lockdown, the manufactur-

24 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

ing and logistics activities have been suspended, and it has affected the demand and supply of various products as a result of restrictions imposed on s hopke e pe r s a n d re t a i l e r s. T h e demand had badly dropped due to the lockdowns imposed by almost all the states resulting into the closing down of educational institutions, commercial establishments and downstream printers, publishers, converters, and stationery which has resulted in to reduction of the production and some cases even closing down the industries. Because of this the profitability of the mills has come down drastically. Among various business segments within the paper industry, the packag-

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E ing industry has fairly done better across segments like pharma sector, FMCG and growth of the e-commerce business. However, the education, office and commercial segments have been adversely affected.

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption

competitive advantage as well as a cost advantage for most companies. With the challenges faced by the small and medium companies as globally sourced supply chains continue to become more complex, data-driven, analytically capable software are the best option for managing raw materials inventory without losing track.

For controlling raw material utilization and consumption, we are keeping track of raw materials inventory. As a critical part of a delicately balanced ecosystem, managing raw materials inventory can make or break the supply chain effort. As the material plan and purchasing coordinate to deliver raw materials, there are several other issues which need to manage tightly. With the right planning, raw materials can be managed and optimized at a professional level while reducing overall inventory costs considerably.

With regard to the processing and the consumption of raw material, there is more attention given on the process optimization and ensuring to achieve almost nil to minimum fibre loss. To achieve the goal, we have installed some fibre saving equipment such as reject sorters and drum screens etc. Also, on the other hand, we are compelled to use more percentage of imported waste paper as the availability of local waste paper is very much reduced because of the lock down imposed by most of the states.

Keeping an eye on raw materials inventory can provide a significant

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process

Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement Raw material management is critical to the overall performance of any manufacturing unit. Besides the demand and other forces like competitor's actions and the general price index; raw material situation in terms of efficient management and effective planning determines the activity level, the turn-over and the ultimate profit in any company. Material management being based on the coordination of efforts (planning, controlling, organizing, directing ), thus, achieving e f f i c i e n c y i n t h e p ro c u re m e n t , transportation, stocking and utilization of inputs of our manufacturing organization is central to production activities and management. We feel that effective and efficient functioning of the material management has direct bearing on the total performance of the organization. Thus, the management of raw material in our organization is given attention and critical study in

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S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E order to achieve uninterrupted p ro d u c t i o n r u n s a n d e n h a n ce d performance in operations. These objectives are achieved through integrated approach to material management functions by combining planning, procurement and inventory control. Another important issue in material management is the matter of m a i n t a i n i n g go o d s ys te m s a n d procedures and this calls for strict discipline in documentation. This implies that all related paper work are completed in time so as to generate the basic data and compile timely and reliable information for planning, follow-up and control.

Support Expected from the Government India, the largest overseas market for

the U.S. mixed paper, has tightened the quality standards and reduced its r e c yc l e d f i b r e i m p o r t vo l u m e . Imported mixed paper is now allowed with a maximum of 1% contamination. The move threatens to close a major outlet for the U.S. mixed paper: from January through November 2019, the most recent month for which figures are available, India imported 1 million short tonnes of mixed paper from the U.S., or 41% of all the U.S. mixed paper exports. The next closest country in terms of import volume was Canada, bringing in 253,000 short tonnes of the U.S. mixed paper during the first 11 months of 2019. India is already a fibre deficit country and mostly depends on recycling waste paper, hence, to make sufficient raw material available for the paper industry, the government should

announce some relaxations. On the other hand, the imports of paper and paperboards, excluding newsprint into the country, have been increasing steadily. In the last nine years, imports have risen at a CAGR of 11.34 per cent and in value terms from INR 3,411 crore in 2010-11 to INR 8,972 crore in 2019-20. If the imports are growing at the same high rate, then the industry sometimes underutilize the domestic installed capacity, which hits the paper industry economically. The government can look into this issue also. The paper industry is hoping that the Covid-19 pandemic second wave disappear and paper business gets back to normalcy with schools, educational institutions, commercial establishments start functioning normally. n

Yash Pakka Limited “Since the last two years, we have been investing heavily on automation technology… we have seen tremendous improvements in the results that are far more consistent than our previous methods… the change in focused approach have resulted in cost reduction and consistent quality.”

Mr. Jagdeep Hira, Business Head, Yash Pakka Limited

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Impact of the Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity

institutions and the states is definitely an opportunity lost beyond recovery.

This is an unfortunate period for all the businesses across the world; especially the impact of the second wave has been severe in the country. As far as the paper industry is concerned, unfortunately the timing of the second wave of pandemic has critically impacted the o p e ra t i o n s o f t h e p a p e r m i l l s. Specifically, with education sessions going online and the states announcing partial intermediate lockdowns have impacted the writing & printing industries, forcing some to curtail the production and build up stocks inventory. This period across the year has historically been the up time for industry and the closer of aforesaid

Similarly, the lockdown has impacted the kraft paper industry with the closure of physical shopping, restaurants chains and many converting industries being shut in various states that have caused a reverse impact on the paper industry and the demand going slow to almost nil. Overall, since March 2020, barring 23 months where industry had witnessed an upturn have again slowed down and has faced even the closing of production lines due to no demand.

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption Though as stated earlier, it has been an

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E unfortunate time but it has given various opportunities to step back and think on the cost reduction-front to overside the huge losses the companies have seen in the previous FY. Our team has worked exceptionally hard on optimizing the input cost by efficiencyimprovements and has taken steps for reducing the procurement cost as well. On the procurement-front, we have entered into yearly contracts with the raw material suppliers with equal commercial proposition with the vendors. Sustainable practices have been implemented in the waste reduction at all fronts. Further, the strengthening of SOP and setting up automation wherever the need was felt to control losses were implemented.

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement We have always believed in controlling the input at every stage and consequently, when the inputs are controlled, the resultant shall be even in

any case with the support of wellengineered equipment. Since the last two years, we have been investing heavily on automation technology just to control the input a n d we h ave s e e n t r e m e n d o u s improvements in the results that are far more consistent than our previous methods of checking output results. Thus, the change in focused approach has resulted in cost reduction and consistent quality. Every process across the operations at the company has the online real-time monitoring mechanism. We have implemented the process to be controlled by automation and the team members should control the automation.

Support Expected from the Government As of yet, as an individual entity and as the member of IPMA, we have been pursuing the government to extend various kinds of support to the paper industry, however, it has been disheart-

ening that the movement has been quite slow. As we have seen during the pandemic, many papermaking companies struggled to continue operations, we had expected the government to initiate some pertinent policies of putting some import duties on paper imports and especially, as a nation, we want to promote the 'Make in India' initiative. Similarly, the import duties on input raw material should have been waived off at least during these critical times to sustain and support the paper industry. Moreover, the paper industry has seen ground water charges implementation during the same period and the emission norms getting implemented as well — despite most of the paper mills like us operate on bio fuel and support farmers on their earning and contribute in reducing pollution load. Government has to really see and implement successful Make in India concept where the industries in India, including the paper industry in holistic view rather than ministries/portfolio acting independently. n

Kuantum Papers Limited “We have built the 'Procurement Analytics Function' which gives us very strong 'Control Tower Type capabilities'. Backed by real-time data from SAP, insightful information dashboards are created… The procurement team, backed by this information, regularly reviews market situations, potential emerging scenarios and creates action plans to address these scenarios.” Mr. Bharat Bansal, Chief Strategy Officer, Kuantum Papers Ltd.

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Impact of the Pandemic on Profitability and Productivity The second wave of COVID -19 was intense and has impacted the lives and livelihood of people, but for a limited duration. Thankfully, we are seeing a continuous reduction in cases from May and June. We pray and expect everyone to bounce back faster and stronger. The states are rapidly opening up various sectors and key markets.

The varied lockdown/restriction protocols followed across different states during the second wave has resulted in some new challenges. Due to this situation, the interstate procurement and movement of raw material was affected. The procurement activities were largely restricted within the bounds of state sources, which resulted in demand and supply imbalances, leading to price escala-

S•P•E•C•I•A•L F•E•A•T•U•R•E t i o n s . Fr o m a f i n i s h e d go o d s perspective, the domestic demand was muted in April and May as schools, colleges and offices remained mostly shut. However, we believe the industry as a whole was a little better prepared this time as compared to last year's first wave. The negative impact of the crisis in the domestic market was set off to some extent by shifting quickly to exports and the government orders. The paper mills may have experienced some inventory build-up in these months. However, with off takes in exports and the government orders, this effect started getting diluted. We expect to see a recovery in demand from the end of second quarter onwards. In a nutshell, even though the second wave was intense, its effect was largely brief. The Indian paper industry was better prepared on a cco u n t o f t h e l e a r n i n g c u r ve obtained from the first wave, which resulted in a lessening of the negative impact this time around.

Approach for Raw Material Procurement, Processing and Consumption The first phase of COVID-19 last year was long drawn and had a global impact. The pandemic and the ensuing uncertainties last year made us realign our procurement strategy. Earlier, we used to broadly operate with the concept of “Just in Time” Inventory. However, last year, we made a subtle shift in our strategy and looked at options of creating stocks for specific raw materials when their availability had an improved status and the prices were favourable. We also ensured that our consumption patterns did not lead to an ageing inventory. We have amplified our focus in educating our vendors in terms of meeting defined quality parameters. A better quality of raw material helps to further improve yields, thus reducing the overall consumption of inputs per ton of paper.

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We have enhanced our efforts to broad-base our vendors. Recently, when the second wave hit us all, the logistics movement and availability of material was impacted for some time. However, through the shift in strategy adopted last year, we were able to ride out the second wave more comfortably by consuming from our available stocks as and when raw material s u p p l y w a s u n ce r t a i n . We w i l l continue to invest in further building on this strategic shift with more tactical interventions to improve our bottom line.

Methodologies Adopted for Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring and Raw Material Procurement We are adopting a broad-based approach to create real-time visibility across the gamut of our operations. We have built the 'Procurement Analytics Function' which gives us very strong 'Control Tower Type capabilities'. Backed by real-time data from SAP, insightful information dashboards are created for each level in the procurement function on a daily/weekly basis. This is complemented with real-time information flow on material received, in transit and planned for the next day. The procurement team, backed by this information, regularly reviews market s i t u a t i o n s, p o te n t i a l e m e rg i n g scenarios and creates action plans to address these scenarios. This analytics capability has leapfrogged our ability to stay nimble and proactive. We are able to make quick adjustments to our approach of 'On the Go' on a regular basis. Our ability to forecast various situations emerging due to a volatile market has improved dramatically, ever since we have created this inhouse capability.

Support Expected from the Government While we all hope the situation will rapidly improve from the second wave

of the pandemic, everyone is already wary of an impending third wave. As a company, we are broadly upbeat about the future. There are three key areas where we would request the government's support and intervention. Firstly, we would like to see a far more coordinated “Center–State” approach in the future to manage situations arising out of these pandemic waves. Such coordination should help create uniform policies across neighbouring states specifically in terms of lockdown protocols. These will ease life for the industry as well as the common man, specifically from the perspective of seamless movement of goods while ensuring that the right level of safeguards are in place. Secondly, we request the government to reconsider its decision of discontinuation of Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) by Coal India for the non-power sector. The uncertain future due to the pandemic, further compounded with limited transportation options, has resulted in an increased landed cost of coal for industries like ours. Discontinuation of FSA does not change the source of coal but introduces more intermediaries, thus increasing the overall cost of procurement. We urge the government to allow extension of existing FSA's by at least two years in order to give the industry more time to manage its supply chains in the future. Lastly, a continuous push towards recent policies that were enacted to reduce stubble (agri-residue) burning to reduce air pollution, needs to be done both at Centre and the Statelevel. This stubble can be used as an alternate fuel in various industries with capability of multi-fuel boilers and an industry like ours for paper making. If this can be pushed structurally through policy intervention, it will increase the availability of alternate fuel and also h e l p re d u ce t h e ove ra l l c a rb o n footprints. n

H•Y•G•I•E•N•E & W•E•L•L•N•E•S•S

Century Pulp and Paper:

Diversifying into Consumer Brands with Aim to Create Awareness on Hygiene “BIRLACare is not only a brand but our commitment to consumers to provide them with affordable and nature-friendly hygiene & wellness solutions.”

“

Recently, we have introduced various tissue paper products and wipes under the brand — BIRLACare.

“

responsible player in the hygiene segment, we thought of providing hygiene solutions to the consumers which would take care of the hygiene of the consumer, his/her family, and at the same time, the solutions should be ecofriendly too. BIRLACare is a brand that would provide these hygiene solutions through tissue paper ranges, wipes ranges and other hygiene-related products that are in the pipeline. From L to R : Dr. Alok Prakash, Chief Sales Officer and Mr. J.P. Narain, Chief Executive Officer, Century Pulp and Paper

r. J. P. Na ra i n , C h i e f E x e c u t i v e O f f i c e r, Century Pulp and Paper, in an exclusive interview with Paper Mart, talks about the company's new brand — BIRLACare, motive behind the launch of hygiene & wellness products, and sheds light on how the company is using social media to spread awareness among people on the

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effectiveness and affordability of tissue papers amid the pandemic.

Paper Mart: Firstly, kindly brief us up about the new launch by Century Pulp and Paper – BIRLACare and the vision behind the launch of the brand? J.P. Narain: There is an increased awareness of hygiene and wellness. As a

PM: Could you please guide us through the features of the range of wet wipes and tissues offered by the brand? What will be BIRLACare's biggest USP that differentiates it from its competitors in the segment? JPN: Recently, we have introduced various tissue paper products and wipes under the brand — BIRLACare. We have launched tissue papers in various consumer-friendly packing in

H•Y•G•I•E•N•E & W•E•L•L•N•E•S•S

“

We are planning to initiate nd the 2 facility in the western part of the country and then will gradually expand our footprints across the country.

“

all the segments like facial tissue, toilet tissue, napkin tissue and kitchen towel. We have also launched pocket tissues which is a very handy tissue pack that is small enough to fit in one's pocket or handbags for on-the-go use. These pocket tissues have a unique refreshing fragrance for that feel-good factor apart from its cleansing attributes. Century Pulp and Paper has also launched various products in the wipes segment like baby wipes, refreshing face wipes, multi-purpose disinfectant wipes and bath wipes. These wipes are made from 100% viscose biodegradable fabric. Each of the above products is well researched, instilled with unique fragrances for the feel good factor and made to provide hygiene solution. Further, all these products are ecofriendly, biodegradable, and are endto-end controlled right from sourcing of pulp from sustainable & responsible forestry, manufacturing of base materials and conversion into finished products. Even the fabric of non-woven for wipes is 100% biodegradable viscose Birla Purocel from Birla Cellulose.

PM: How have you strategized the growth plans of the brand – in terms of the initial market reach and the plans of expanding your presence? JPN: Our main aim is to create consumer awareness on hygiene & wellness. We will be majorly concentrating in north market then gradually moving to the other markets.

PM: Where does the manufacturing of BIRLACare products take place? What are your expansion plans?

JPN: We have only recently ventured into this market. At present, we are only catering to the north Indian market as our manufacturing facility is located at Sonepat, Haryana. Further, we are nd planning to initiate the 2 facility in the western part of the country and then will gradually expand our footprints across the country. However, I would stress again that we diversified into consumer brands with the primary aim to create awareness about hygiene.

PM: In our conversation two months ago, you had asserted that the primary aim with which Century Pulp and Paper had entered into the tissue paper segment is to create awareness about hygiene – could you please shed some light on the strategies with which you would like to attain this purpose? JPN: We have been diligently working to enhance our reach through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter. We have been promoting content to create consumer awareness on hygiene & wellness and how tissue paper & wipes could be a very handy, affordable, and immensely effective mode of maintaining hygiene. We are also contemplating broadening our reach through electronic media as well.

PM: How are you seeing the surge in awareness about hygiene and related trends evolve in this time of the pandemic? Also, what is your

outlook about the future of tissue papers and wipes segments in the country? JPN: Awareness about hygiene and related trends is going to stay — pandemic only highli ghte d t he necessities of the same. We have become more conscious about our own hygiene, as well as more respectful about Nature. Moreover, we have become more conscious about the products we use and their effect on environment. Hygiene and wellness products that are also eco-friendly will be the future. Affordable and userfriendly tissue paper and 100% viscose wipes that provide hygiene solutions, and are as well biodegradable, will be the preferred choice of the consumer in times to come.

PM: Having a pre-established presence in the tissue paper segment; however, this is a new venture for Century Pulp and Paper in terms of BIRLACare being a distinct brand for hygiene and wellness. How do you view this product diversification in the overall growth strategy of the Company? JPN: BIRLACare is not only a brand but our commitment to consumers to provide them with affordable & naturefriendly hygiene & wellness solutions. Tissue paper and wipes are only a part of that commitment. We will continue to work on creating awareness of hygiene through affordable means.

www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021 | 33

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

Star Paper Mill:

Focused on Quality & Sustainable Tissue Production Mr. Aejaz Ahmed Munshi, General Manager, Star Paper Mill Paper Industry LLC

“We may invest in another paper mill, but it may not be tissue paper. It may be any other grade of paper which would be in demand in future.”

n an exclusive Interview with Paper Mart, Mr. Aejaz Ahmed Munshi, General Manager, Star Paper Mill Paper Industry LLC talks about his Company, its manufacturing capabilities, product portfolio, market presence, latest developments, growth strategies and future plans.

Paper Mart: Could you please give us a glimpse into the business story of Star Paper Mill? Aejaz Ahmed Munshi: Star Paper M i l l i s l o c a te d a t t h e g row i n g Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), United Arab Emirates. It is spread in an area of 27000 sqm. The company's license and work started sometime

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back but the actual production started in May 2019. We are involved in the manufacturing of a wide range of white and pastel shades of hygienic tissue paper in various grades ranging from the most delicate 12.5 GSM to most durable 42 GSM. The company is currently producing around 3000 tonnes per month of hygienic tissue paper jumbo rolls made from 100% virgin pulp. It specializes in manufacturing tissue papers to multiple specifications meeting GCC, European and other international standards requirements.

PM: Please share details about the infrastructure and manufac-

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

“

The company is currently producing around 3000 tonnes per month of hygienic tissue paper jumbo rolls made from 100% virgin pulp.

“

turing capabilities of Star Paper Mill? AAM: The paper machine has been sourced from an Italian company — Recard S.p.A. The deckle size of the machine is 3600mm. It is a virgin tissue line and is equipped with 2 sets of rewinders with calendaring rolls, enabling us to handle small widths, single ply and up to 4 ply tissue reels. It is a crescent former tissue machine with the latest flexi-nip shoe press technology by Voith. The inclusion of shoe press has helped us in achieving higher bulk and more softness in the paper. The annual production capacity is 36,000 TPA approximately.

PM: Could you shed light on the product portfolio offered by your company and raw material procurement & management? AAM: Star Paper Mill specializes in the production of facial tissue, toilet tissue, napkin tissue, kitchen towels, maxi rolls, center-feed rolls, auto-cut rolls, industrial rolls and very high wet strength towel in 1, 2, 3 & 4 ply. Most of the raw materials we use is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified pulp. The hardwood pulp that we use is sourced majorly from Brazil, Portugal, Poland and France. The softwood pulp is procured from Canada, USA, Finland and Sweden. As a socially responsible organization — we ensure appropriate usage of water in our manufacturing processes. In addition to the recycling the water we use, Star Paper Mill ensure to produce

hygienic and safe tissues as top priority. This is further determined to the numerous certifications we have to our credit — ISO 9001:2015, FSC, HACCP and food contract certificates. The manufactured jumbo reels are examined in our quality control lab conducting testing procedures setup by international governing bodies like ASTM, TAPPI, SCAM to make sure the tissues meet the prescribed specifications of tensile strength, brightness, etc.

PM: Could you please take us through the market presence of the Company? Kindly delineate on your plans with respect to furthering Star Paper Mill's reach to newer geographies, i.e. to establish presence in different countries — specifically India?

“

Star Paper Mill is constantly working on the development of new products for different markets. There are certain markets which require particular products — and we ensure to fulfill those demands.

“

quite high in India for tissue. So, as of now there are no plans to enter the Indian market.

AAM: Star Paper Mill has its clientele in UAE, other Middle East Countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain etc.), some parts of South & East Africa, and UK.

PM: Please share your views on the tissue paper industry and the various trends which are driving the growth of the industry. How do you view the sector is positioned with respect to innovations and growth?

Talking about the market presence in India — unfortunately there is no free trade agreement between India and UAE... so when we supply materials to India, our customers are charged full custom duty. The import customs is

AAM: The two segments that have seen surge in the last one year are hygiene and packaging. Amidst all the grades of the papers — tissue paper is a growing market when compared with all the other paper grades. The use of tissue is

www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021 | 35

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

“

We are developing a special kind of napkin tissues where converters can do multicolor printing on them.

“

increasing every day. People have become more hygiene conscious, especially after Covid-19. Earlier, people used cloth napkins in restaurants and towels in washrooms, but keeping in mind the hygiene and safety, the cloth napkins & towels are now replaced by tissues. So, we are confident that there will be further growth in the tissue papers.

PM: How do you think the tissue paper industry has performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What is the degree of competition in the global tissue paper industry? AAM: In UAE, we are particularly facing challenges fro m the Indian paper mills because the two main players — Orient Paper Mills and Century Pulp & Paper have their own local production of pulp. They use wood to manufacture pulp which is locally available, so the cost of production for them is low compared to paper mills that import raw material. As and when they feel that the local demand is less, the Indian paper mills supply their products to UAE at low prices. Recently, we have seen prices going down by USD 300 per tonne, which is around 35% less price the Indian paper manufacturers offered to the UAE markets. Our selling price in UAE for the last month was USD 1400 per tonne, and at the same time the Indian paper mills have sold for USD 1050 per tonne. In international terminology, this is considered dumping. The Indian paper mills are dumping a lot in the Middle East — as they are not highly

36 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

affected by the global pulp pricing structure. However, we also had discussion on these issues with the Indian paper industry but nothing much has come out of it. Moreover, the Government in UAE has an open policy for imports without restrictions and does not levy any antidumping duty.

PM: Are there any new developments at the Company that you wish to talk about? AAM: Star Paper Mill is constantly working on the development of new products for different markets. There are certain markets which require particular products — and we ensure to fulfill those demands. Our product development varies from customer to customer. For example, the 12.5 GSM facial tissues was not much in demand in the Middle East — but when we started our operations, we began manufacturing low GSM tissue. Generally, the low GSM is 14 GSM here in UAE. We were able to give the properties of 14 GSM in 12.5 GSM tissues and gave it more strong yet delicate finishing. This has been a very successful product for us in UAE. Likewise, we are developing a special kind of napkin tissues where convert-

ers can do multicolor printing on them. We are also manufacturing high wet strength towel tissue and some other g ra d e s a re b e i n g d e ve l o p e d o n continuous basis.

PM: Do you have any plans for capacity expansion? What are the future plans of Star Paper Mill going forward? What are your growth strategies for the coming years? AAM: Not immediately, but in near future we will study the market and see what kind of papers are in demand, and a cco r d i n g l y t a ke t h e d e c i s i o n . Moreover, any expansion in the tissue paper segment in the Middle East is currently not a wise step because there is already an over-capacity of tissue paper in the region. We may invest in another paper mill, but it may not be tissue paper. It may be any other grade of paper which would be in demand in future.

PM: Is there anything else that you wish to add to the interaction? AAM: Star Paper Mill is a very customer service-oriented company — in the sense that, apart from the standards we maintain, depending on the countries where our supplies are going, we try to

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W meet the individual requirements of our clients as well. We carefully study those requirements, work alongside

our clients and develop each product which is individually suited to our customers. We focus a lot on customer

service, timely deliver and quality adherence — all this together give us an edge over our competitors.

NEWS

Valmet Inaugurates New Facility for Filter Fabric Production in Pune Valmet took the decision to invest in filter fabric manufacturing in Pune, India in order to better serve its customers and improve delivery times of filter fabrics to the Asia Pacific and Middle East areas. June 30, 2021

almet has started the production of filter fabrics in Pune in India. The inauguration ceremony took place on June 29, 2021, and was also broadcasted virtually. The first customer orders will soon be delivered. “The decision to invest in filter fabric manufacturing in India was done in order to better serve our customers in the Asia Pacific and Middle East areas. We are happy that we could keep the original schedule in spite of the Covid pandemic and are now ready to deliver filter fabrics with improved delivery times,” says Mr. Rahul Rote, Workshop Manager, Filtration at Valmet. “With the new facility we strengthen our position and ensure our capacity for the coming years in the region. We do not only deliver fabrics but also our expertise to support our customers in achieving maximized reliability and optimized performance of their filtration processes. One of our focus areas is the filtration of tailings where we can contribute to mines' environmental

38 | www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021

Valmet Inaugurates New Facility in Pune

targets,” says Mr. Varun Jain, Director, India Region at Valmet. Valmet is one of the leading suppliers of filter fabrics and industrial textiles globally. Valmet's filtration offering covers filter fabrics and felts for the mining and chemical, pulp and paper, dry filtration and laundry industries. n

L•E•A•D•E•R S•P•E•A•K•S

Strengthening Valmet’s Presence and Expanding Horizons in Asia Pacific “India is one of our key markets and we're constantly developing our local capabilities here to better serve the customers in India, Asia-Pacific and globally. Further, the Indian market also plays an important role in our global manufacturing, procurement and in the overall supply chain.”

Mr. Petri Paukkunen, Area President, Asia Pacific at Valmet

n an interview with Paper Mart, Mr. Petri Paukkunen, Area P re s i d e n t , A s i a Pa c i f i c a t Valmet, talks about his roles and responsibilities as an Area President, the vision and strategies for the AsiaPacific market, the outlook on the association with the Indian pulp and paper industry, and thoughts on the recovery from the crisis the pandemic has created. Excerpts from the interview:

Paper Mart: Kindly outline your major roles and responsibilities as an Area President, Asia-Pacific Area at Valmet? Pe t r i Pa u k k u n e n : Va l m e t h a s maintained a strong position in AsiaPacific, we have around 900 persons and 25 locations in this area. The AsiaPacific market is one of the most important markets globally in many ways and for a number of industries, for example, the fast-growing market of the pulp and paper industry.

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Valmet has been consistently developing its presence along with local capabilities in Asia-Pacific to better serve our customers with the right and efficient solutions. My role is to lead and further develop Valmet's sales and services operations, to strengthen Valmet's growth and the customer relations in the Asia-Pacific area.

PM: Prior to this role, you have also donned the caps of Vice President, Board and Paper Mills business unit (BU) and Vice President, Sales and Marketing — how do you think your knowledge acquired in these roles is going to help you in the present role as Area President? PP: Valmet's strong offering includes – process technologies, services and automation to pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. The board and paper mills' business unit where I worked in the past is the largest process technology business unit in

L•E•A•D•E•R S•P•E•A•K•S

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Valmet has been consistently developing its presence along with local capabilities in AsiaPacific… My role is to lead and further develop Valmet’s sales and services operations

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Valmet, with more than 1,200 professionals around the world. Heading this BU has provided me with very good insights into the board and paper production-related process technology and has built the internal network which helps me to better understand the customers and area-specific needs. During the period of heading the BU's Sales and Marketing, I was able to travel around the world to meet the customers regularly, including the customers in Asia-Pacific area. I was heavily involved in a couple of key projects in this area. Being close to the customers and understanding their needs is the key to achieve success in business. I believe the knowledge and network built in my previous roles has helped and will continue to enable me in fulfilling my current roles and responsibilities.

PM: Your association with Valmet goes a long way back, over 30 years. How do you manage to get attuned to the work culture and country-specific demands with new roles and geographies? PP: During my whole career, I have always been in a global role, visiting more than 40 countries, meeting the people and seeing the diversity of each area. After moving to Thailand, this is the fourth country I have lived in. Asia-Pacific area is diverse and my international background gives me the foundation to understand the issues with a wide perspective. Our competent teams located in the six regions in

Asia-Pacific supports me in this role to better serve our customers.

PM: Share with us some of the immediate strategies or companywide policies as an Area President you would like to implement to attain the objectives of Valmet in Asia-Pacific regions. PP: At Valmet, our mission is to convert renewable resources into sustainable results with our technologies, services a n d a u to m a t i o n . I n Ma rc h , we introduced our climate program – forward to a carbon neutral future, to continue our comprehensive work to reduce CO2 and other emissions. We can supply process technology, services and automation - which is unique in the pulp and paper and the energy industries. We also streamline the way to serve our customers globally by implementing our services concept 'Valmet's way to serve' that aims to provide the best customer experience in all the touch points in the customer's journey. Our four core commitments are 'safety comes first', 'close to you', 'solutions to your needs' and 'people you can trust'. To be close to our customers, we systematically expand our locations in the area to better serve customers and also provide them with remote services along with new technologies especially in this challenging situation due to the ongoing pandemic. Regardless of the geographical location, the customers can easily access all Valmet professionals. In the area, we are focusing on moving our customer's performance forward.

PM: Valmet's presence in India is both long and clearly visible. Kindly share with us your association with the Indian paper industry and how you have witnessed the changes in technology and perception about technology. How has Valmet been instrumental in upgrading the overall technological standard of the Indian paper industry?

PP: Valmet has been active in the Indian market, bringing the latest technology, services and automation to Indian customers. As a recent example, we have supplied Valmet Continuous Cooking, the latest third-generation technology to an Indian pulp mill, helping the customer to achieve lower water consumption and raw material efficiency in the operations. Another example is the delivery of key containerboard machine technologies to paper mills in India, helping customers with their target of producing high-quality containerboard with tangible efficiency improvements to enhance their competitiveness. Also, we have provided a modern state-ofthe-art recovery boiler technology to an Indian customer, to ensure reliability, energy efficiency and environmental performance. From the renewable side, we are executing three projects in India consisting of - BioTrac™ biomass pretreatment system for biomass to ethanol application. With this technology, waste material such as rice straw can be utilized to produce climate friendly biofuels. Along with the process technology deliveries, we also provide the automation, industrial internet applications and services to our customers to increase process reliability and performance. The Indian pulp and paper industry has been investing strongly in new technologies to bring the overall technological standards of the Indian paper industry to the next level. We have been working alongside our customers in India to reach that target.

PM: Has India proved to be a fair investment market in terms of demand, business growth, ease-ofdoing-business for Valmet? Kindly give us your views! What are your strategies or plans for the Indian market? PP: Valmet has four offices and two workshops in India. Our capability in India has been developing systemati

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We have expanded the automation's operation facility and have increased our footprint in India through GL&V acquisition in 2019. Last year, we decided to invest in filter fabric manufacturing in Pune, and the operation will start later this year.

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cally. We have expanded the automation's operation facility and have increased our footprint in India through GL&V acquisition in 2019. Last year, we decided to invest in filter fabric manufacturing in Pune, and the operation will start later this year. All these efforts show our strong presence

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and commitment to the Indian market. India is one of our key markets and we're constantly developing our local capabilities here to better serve the customers in India, Asia-Pacific and globally. Further, the Indian market also plays an important role in our global manufacturing, procurement and in the overall supply chain.

PM: Your comments on the present state of the Indian pulp and paper industry? How much time do you think the industry will take to fully recover its natural growth post-COVID? PP: The COVID-19 pandemic has a definite impact with regard to a number of aspects. From the industryperspective, in the pandemic, the development of remote and other digital services has been speeding up utilizing the latest technology. Also, the boom of e-commence and strict hygiene requirements bring various

We can supply process technology, services and automation - which is unique in the pulp and paper and the energy industries. We also streamline the way to serve our customers globally by implementing our services concept 'Valmet's way to serve'

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opportunities for the packaging and tissue business. The industry's full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is d ifficult to estimate at the moment. It depends on factors such as the vaccination process and the new possible virus variations.

Stora Enso Partners With Vogue Scandinavia For Eco-Friendly Fashion Media

NEWS

Stora Enso will provide Vogue Scandinavia with advisory services for sustainable materials and cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessments. Stora Enso will also support Vogue Scandinavia in transparent sustainability reporting. May 20, 2021

tora Enso and Vogue Scandinavia have formed a strategic partnership to replace plastics in magazine packaging. As a part of the partnership, Stora Enso will provide Vogue Scandinavia with sustainability and packaging design expertise. A renewable, carbon neutral eco-package concept will be available for the first issue of Vogue Scandinavia, to be published in August this year. As a part of the partnership, Stora Enso will provide Vogue Scandinavia with renewable magazine packaging, along with packaging design and automation services. The Vogue Scandinavia magazine packaging aims to be fully carbon neutral, with a renewable, low-carbon raw material and energy efficient production. The remaining emissions are offset by using the CarbonZero service by Stora Enso, in collaboration with compensation partner South Pole. n

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Vogue Products Box

R•E•C•Y•C•L•E & R•E•I•N•V•E•N•T

Ekman Recycling:

The Frontrunners in Paper Recycling “We have time honored associations selling to all major customers in India. India is and will remain a major market for Ekman both on the pulp as well as the recovered paper side... We believe that the prospects of Ekman in India are very encouraging.”

Mr. Pankaj Chowdhary, Director, Ekman Recycling Limited

r. Pankaj Chowdhary, D i r e c t o r, E k m a n Recycling Limited presents an overview of Ekman Group, its subdivision – Ekman Recycling Limited, their strategies for a consistent supply to the customers, and the outlook on the Indian paper industry, in a conversation with Paper Mart. Further, he also explains the impact of

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the pandemic on the company and their future roadmap.

Paper Mart: To start with, could you please give us a glimpse into the business journey of Ekman Group and elaborate on its presence in the paper industry? Pankaj Chowdhary: Ekman Group is amongst the largest forest products

R•E•C•Y•C•L•E & R•E•I•N•V•E•N•T

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Ekman Recycling Limited was nominated for the 'Best Paper Recycling Business of the Year’ award.

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trading companies in the world. We have a large recovered materials division which ships about 1.4 million MT of recovered paper and secondary rolls globally. Ekman Recycling Limited United Kingdom is an Ekman Group company. Ekman & Co AB had acquired Reliance Fibres Limited in 2016 and the company's name was changed to Ekman Recycling Limited in 2018. Ekman Recycling Limited is one of the largest exporters of recovered fibre from the UK to a number of countries around the world. Our prime markets are India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Pakistan through the way of deep sea containers. We also supply material to Europe in trailers. The company is licensed as Upper Tier Brokers registered with the Environment Agency and is licensed to export recovered paper from England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern & Southern Ireland. Ekman Recycling Limited is a member of The Recycling Association UK, and in personal capacity, I am a member of the Board of Directors of the A s s o c i a t i o n . R e c e n t l y, E k m a n Recycling Limited was nominated for the 'Best Paper Recycling Business of the Year' award. The company was founded by me in the year 2004 and then, it was subsequently acquired by Ekman Group, and I continue to lead the company as its Managing Director.

PM: Could you please describe the solutions offered for the pulp and paper industry? PC: We export some of the major grades of recovered paper, for example,

OCC 95/5, OCC 90/10, hard mix, soft mix, multigrade, news & pams, and other special grades from the UK and other European countries.

PM: Considering the surge in the paper-based packaging market due to the awareness of the environmental and social advantages of this type of packaging; what is your outlook regarding the future prospects and potential of the segment in India? How do you see the market evolving in the future?

PM: Since Ekman Pulp Division is the world's largest independent paper trader present in more than 100 countries and providing a range of recovered paper grades; how do you view the prospects of the Company in the Indian paper industry? PC: Ekman has already been associated with the Indian markets for many decades. We have time honored associations selling to all major customers in India. India is and will remain a major market for Ekman both on the pulp as well as the recovered paper side.

PC: The Indian packaging markets will grow exponentially and quickly over the next 5-10 years, albeit, India is one of the lowest per capita consumers of packaging. Moreover, the online distribution channel has led to a huge change in consumer behavior and the sustainable micro packaging has emerged as a completely new sector (which we call the Amazon effect) and also, there's been a huge substitution with plastic.

The distribution channels for the pulp and recovered paper are separated in India for Ekman, and we have longestablished relationships with the customers which make Ekman Group a major supplier to India. We believe that the prospects of Ekman in India are very encouraging, and we envisage long-term sustained growth.

PM: Recovered materials are a major area of growth and a key segment of Ekman's business, what are your various strategies to ensure a consistent flow of materials to the customers?

PM: Volatility in global recovered paper markets has increased over the last few years, never more so than in 2020-21 – what are the factors that are influencing these price increases?

PC: We have hugely invested in our company in putting in place the right purchasing team – which possesses a lot of market information and at Ekman, we believe in building long term relationships with our suppliers.

PC: In the short term, there has been a bit of a panic-like situation owing to the volatility of the markets, however, the long-term approach is paper markets, especially packaging, which is very sustainable and will continue to grow. Once the pandemic period is over, the markets will stabilize; still, with long term demand and the global shortage of fibre, we may expect a new normal.

Our quality inspection team is equipped with latest and state-of-the-art testing equipment and is continually on the move for conducting quality and specifications checks. Our supplies adhere strictly to EN643, i.e. the European standards for the supply of recovered paper. Ekman's logistics team has a dedicated office in Leicester (in the middle of the UK). The team is able to swiftly move material from anywhere in the UK to any corner of the world. In addition to that, we have invested in IT and communication infrastructure which has allowed us to continue business right through the pandemic.

PM: How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the recovered paper industry and how do you foresee the future? PC: The outbreak of the pandemic has increased the demand for recycled and virgin fibre. Since the collection of recovered fibre has been short, the prices have increased and so has the cost of freight. In the long term, the paper industry has a bright future especially in

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R•E•C•Y•C•L•E & R•E•I•N•V•E•N•T

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We have hugely invested in our company in putting in place the right purchasing team – which possesses a lot of market information and at Ekman, we believe in building long term relationships with our suppliers.

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emerging markets, the industry will be driven by packaging, and as it seems, the print media will continue to shrink.

PM: As per the Confederation of European Paper Industries, India is one of the leading destinations for most of the waste paper from the US and Europe for recycling purposes. What are the regulations for the import of waste paper in the country and the challenges as the demand for waste paper is increasing every year? PC: Any waste shipments come with legislation. In the UK, we are very cautious of what we export and we strictly adhere to the environmental laws and legislations. In fact, Indonesia has introduced diligent inspections and so will Malaysia in the coming future. As a matter of philosophy, we have no objections to the same as long as the legislation and inspections are undertaken with proper consultations with the industry. Since the Indian paper industry needs the import of recovered paper, the Indian Government should support the industry by not imposing any unpractical processes or quotas. We welcome any legislation or inspection process which is done with consultation with the industry, and which is for the benefit of the industry, especially if it can remove malpractices in waste shipments.

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PM: Recently, the Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) had put forth the idea of setting up “recycling zones” and “shredding centres” that can become hubs of scrap management. How do you think this proposal is favorable in the context of the Indian paper industry? PC: Having “recycling zones” or “shredding centres” is definitely a good idea; however, the Indian paper recycling industry is fragmented and the concept and system of waste management has not yet evolved in India as a major industry. A lot of investment is required in India, and the largest investment in India should be made in educating the large young population of India on “how to recycle” and to inculcate recycling as a habit – this will bring about monumental change.

PM: How do you view the Indian pulp and paper industry with respect to the prospects of different types of paper? Also, what is your viewpoint with respect to capacity expansions, quality enhancement, and productivity improvements in the pulp and paper industry in India? PC: In the long term, the paper industry has a bright future especially in emerging markets. The industry is projected to be driven by packaging, the print media will continue to shrink, the hygiene products and healthcare products will continue to see a robust demand. In terms of quality enhancement and productivity, it should be noted that while India has many mills, the industry is still fragmented and needs consolidation. The consolidation will bring about large economies, and enhancement in quality and productivity. For instance, we have still not seen any paper mill setting up large machines with production capacity of 500 TPD or above which has now become a norm in other Asian nations.

PM: With respect to the crisis brought by the pandemic, what has

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A lot of investment is required in India, and the largest investment in India should be made in educating the large young population of India on how to recycle and to inculcate recycling as a habit – this will bring about monumental change.

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the impact been like on the company and the different resilience strategies which have enabled you in managing in the crisis? PC: The pulp and paper industry has witnessed a paradigm shift in terms of demand. In particular, the demand for packaging has catapulted. At Ekman, we have invested heavily in remote working and efficient communication has been a key to our overall strategy. Moreover, our global network has enabled us to continue working in many markets despite the crisis brought by the pandemic.

PM: Since the Group is active globally in a wide spectrum of packaging grades, how do you view the growth opportunities? How well-positioned do you view the Company to be, to capitalize on the opportunities? Moving ahead, what are the goals of the Company in terms of further expansion? PC: We are uniquely well-positioned and prepared for the markets to grow further. As I've already mentioned, the growth will be led by the packaging and hygiene products. As it seems, paper is a sustainable, non-polluting and recyclable product which will continue to be in demand. The goal of the company is to continue to expand its market reach in various markets, especially in the emerging

R•E•C•Y•C•L•E & R•E•I•N•V•E•N•T

Ekman Recyling Limited at The Recycling Association AGM 2019

markets. We will continuously strive to be the number one supplier of forest products in the world.

PM: Any concluding thoughts

that you wish to add to the interview? PC: The paper industry has a sustainable and bright future and the recyclability of paper makes it one of

the most exciting businesses to be in, despite being one of the oldest industries in the world. India will continue to be a favorite destination for Ekman Recycling Ltd for business.

JK Paper Reports Healthy Performance for FY2021 With Higher Volumes and Better Realizations

NEWS

Net profit of JK Paper rose 46.50% to Rs 135.79 crore in the quarter ended March 2021 as against Rs 92.69 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2020. May 26, 2021

K Paper reported 22.06% YoY increase in consolidated revenues for the Mar-21 quarter at Rs. 898.16 crore. On a sequential basis, the total sales revenue was up 20.58% compared to total revenues in the Dec-20 quarter at Rs. 744.88 crore. The company has witnessed a sharp spike in volumes and also price realization during the quarter. As reported in a leading daily, the JK Paper Management has stated that the second wave of pandemic had adversely impacted the rural region. The supply side of the product has somehow not faced any major challenges. The strong performance in Q4 has triggered the demand in the last few weeks. Due to the anti-dumping rule imposed, the demand for packaging has been adversely imposed. The demand has still been in the recovery stage, and the robust recovery is keeping the company alive. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 112.96 crore in the January-March quarter a year ago, JK Paper said in a regulatory filing.

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JK Paper

The Company has also re-appointed Mr. Harsh Pati Singhania as the vice chairman and Managing Director of JK Paper for a further term of five years effective from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2026. n

S•Y•M•B•I•O•T•I•C A•L•L•I•A•N•C•E

Zume Inc.:

Pioneer in Molded Fiber Technology Mr. Vaibhav Goel, Managing Director, APAC & EMEA, Zume Inc.

“Zume has recently announced the strategic expansion and global distribution of its molded fiber manufacturing technology… These new partnerships bring Zume's fully compostable packaging solutions to even more international markets and arrive just weeks after the distribution deals across North America, India and Europe that the company announced earlier this year.”

r. Vaibhav Goel, Managing Director, APAC & EMEA, Z u m e I n c . g i ve s u s a glimpse into the business journey of Zume, the product portfolio, the manufacturing capabilities of Zume, the advanced molded fiber technology and the 'Partnership Model' of the company. Further, he speaks on the recent association with Parason, their future plans, and the outlook of

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molded fiber products' market share in the packaging industry in an exclusive conversation with Paper Mart.

Paper Mart: What was the thought that led to the inception of the Zume Inc.? What is the history behind the name of the company and its business journey so far and milestones achieved? Vaibhav Goel: Founded in 2015, Zume

S•Y•M•B•I•O•T•I•C A•L•L•I•A•N•C•E Inc. is a sustainability solutionscompany focused on creating economically viable packaging substitutes for plastic. The founder and CEO of Zume, A l e x a n d e r G a rd e n , s t a r te d t h e company with a vision to advance technologies in and around the global food supply chain. Over the last six years, Zume has created the world's most advanced molded fiber manufacturing equipment and patented technologies that provide global food brands with an alternative to single-use plastics at competitive prices. Zume has established its product distribution partnerships in more than twenty countries. Among the comp a ny ' s s t ra te g i c c u s to m e r s a n d partners are Boon Distribution, Click Chefs, Detox Folks, Majestic Timbers, Packaging Supplies, Prestige Tissues, Rebel Foods, SealTec, and SR Papers. As well, Zume has recently announced manufacturing partnerships around the globe, including the collaborations with Satia Industries and Parason Machinery, both in India and with Jefferson Enterprise in North America.

PM: Single-use plastic packaging is a large component of the food delivery market — how Zume is trying to end the plastic problem and contribute towards more sustainable packaging solutions?

with sustainable alternatives. We offer plant-based replacement products that are compostable, made of moldable fibers such as bagasse (sugarcane fiber), bamboo, wheat, straw, and blends of various grass fibers.

PM: Tell us about the product range offered by Zume — including a turnkey bundle of hardware, software, and services. VG: Zume's molded-fiber consumer products are designed and manufactured in a manner that performs as well or better than plastics. They are “backyard” compostable in 90 days, making them optimal in the effort to replace single-use plastics today and in the future. The products such as cups, lids, multi compartment food trays, bowls, plates, curry bowls are manufactures and distributed by Zume. Further, the company provides professional services that allow the clients to leverage Zume's software, design, and manufacturing capabilit i e s to c re a te u n i q u e , b ra n d e d molded-fiber packaging that meets the uniquely required shape, size, capacity, and design of individual brands. Our manufacturing partners leverage our patented molded-fiber manufacturing technology which is the most

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Zume pushes the limits of what's possible with molded fiber and intends to maintain its innovation leadership position in the industry. To do so, we have established a center of excellence at Camarillo, California… This facility has three stock preparation systems and multiple prototyping lines

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advanced in the world. In addition, our professional services enable our partners to become leaders and make pioneering efforts to replace single-use plastics around the world with financially viable and sustainable consumer goods.

PM: Please outline the manufacturing capabilities of Zume – for both sustainable solution containers and technology and equipment. Share details about

VG: Everything that moves is in packaging, but the sad reality is that it's one of the most damaging sectors to our environment with plastic pollution costing USD 13 billion in economic damage annually. Global research studies have shown the flow of plastic into the ocean each year could triple by 2040, and the UN predicts there may be more plastic than fish by weight in the ocean by 2050. At Zume, we believe that a world without single-use plastics is both possible and inevitable. That is why Zume has dedicated resources to create an alternative to plastic and Styrofoam. Our single tech stack offers the hardware, software, and services to make it easy and possible to swap out plastic packaging

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As a part of this partnership, Parason is helping Zume further optimize stock preparation and other auxiliary systems that complement our core manufacturing technology.

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the infrastructure of your production facility. VG: Zume MFCs are fiber agnostic, enabling Zume to deploy our technology worldwide, with the capability to produce simple (tableware) and complex (industrial packaging) parts on the same machine, while maintaining cycle times that are fastest in the industry. Traditionally this is achieved by installing different types of machines. Zume MFCs can produce parts with both side smooth finish and near-zero draft angles that enable plastic-like performance. All these features and more, enable higher throughput, better yields, and an efficient, financially attractive payback period for our partners.

PM: Tell us more about Zume's Advanced Molded Fiber Technology

and its 'Partnership Model' where companies can manufacture molded fiber products using its proprietary design and technology. What makes Zume's Molded Fiber solutions technologically innovative and interesting? VG: An ideal partner for Zume has the access to pulp, power, and willingness to help solve the global plastic problem. We provide turnkey solutions to manufacturing partners, including MFCs and all auxiliary equipment through a network of preferred vendors and integrators. The Zume business model embraces the core competencies of both parties involved, where partners focus on production and operations and Zume provides the design, technology, prototyping, and access to a global sales force. Partnering with Zume is a winwin situation as partners can diversify into a high-yielding asset and Zume can deploy the technology at scale, and a much faster pace.

PM: Molded fiber manufacturing has gained huge commercial importance in recent years. However, there is still an arising need to consolidate the best practices from R&D to increase its implementation. Could you explain the R&D process that leads up to the creation of

Zume's Advanced Molded Fiber Technology? VG: Molded fiber (Type-3 and Type-4) technology is relatively new and fragmented and there is limited consolidation of best practices. Zume pushes the limits of what's possible with molded fiber and intends to maintain its innovation leadership position in the industry. To do so, we have established a center of excellence at Camarillo, California, which provides opportunities to all stakeholders in the ecosystem. This facility has three stock preparation systems and multiple prototyping lines to rapidly iterate on breakthrough solutions. The company works with the top material scientists, chemical and additive companies, mold manufacturers, etc. to solve existing limitations of molded fiber products.

PM: Recently, Zume has partnered with Parason Group to launch the most advanced Molded-Fiber Manufacturing Facility in Southeast Asia — could you brief more about this collaboration? VG : P a r a s o n i s co n s t r u c t i n g a Greenfield factory where the Zume manufacturing technology will be deployed. With this deal, Parason has joined a network of Zume's manufacturing partners around the globe, expanding the availability and market share of Zume sustainable goods that replace plastics and styrofoam. As a part of this partnership, Parason is helping Zume further optimize stock preparation and other auxiliar y systems that complement our core manufacturing technology. These efforts enhance Zume's capability to deliver turnkey solutions globally with partners eager to leverage Zume's manufacturing technology.

PM: Zume has also tied up with Satia Industries for the supply of patented paper cutlery products — could you tell us more about this association? VG: Initially, Zume and Satia Industries

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S•Y•M•B•I•O•T•I•C A•L•L•I•A•N•C•E

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UBS estimates the global food delivery business is estimated to grow more than ten times, from USD 35Bn in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 365Bn by 2030. This has motivated Zume to create a first-of-its-kind, and plantbased compostable packaging that matches the performance of plastic, but comes at a lower cost”

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will deploy more than 2,000 tons of self-sealing, sustainable molded-fiber products to be manufactured and marketed during the first year of the partnership. Satia Industries plans to enhance its expertise and expand its product offering basket through the association by providing customized molded fiber packaging solutions across multiple industries such as food, consumer packaged goods, electronics, cosmetics, healthcare, and pharmaceutical.

PM: Please elaborate on the market footprint of Zume globally. What are your plans to expand to newer markets in the future? VG: Zume has recently announced the s t ra te g i c e xp a n s i o n a n d gl o b a l distribution of its molded f iber manufacturing technology, including the partnerships with major distributors and manufacturers across more than 20 countries including Packme Ltd (UK), Seamlessly Ltd (UK), Transcend Packaging (UK), Rausch Verpackung GmbH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Eocrep SARL (France), Korrex Group (Russia and CIS), and No Waste Living IKE (Greece), among others. The deals will bring sustainable

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packaging solutions to the UK, G e r m a n y, G r e e c e , A u s t r i a , Switzerland, France, Russia and more.

ogy advantages to drive this conversion at the most accelerated pace possible.

These new partnerships bring Zume's fully compostable packaging solutions to even more international markets and arrive just weeks after the distribution deals across North America, India and Europe that the company announced earlier this year. Most recently, the company has announced three groundbreaking sustainable manufacturing deals both stateside and internationally with Texas-based Jefferson Enterprise Energy as well as Parason and Satia Industries of India.

We see a massive opportunity in: transforming the world's food industry into a globally sustainable food system by providing sustainable packaging alternatives to the world's largest food brands and manufacturers.

PM: What is your overall assessment of molded fiber products' market share in the packaging industry? What is the future of molded fiber packaging? VG: The world's single-use plastic packaging industry is valued at over USD320B and is ripe for innovation. Meanwhile, the global trend toward increased sustainability is driving significant growth in molded fiber solutions as a leading sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. It is estimated that around USD10B to USD20B worth of single-use plastic packaging will convert to molded fiber. Zume uses its superior equipment, product design, and technol-

While packaging is used in almost everything we buy, the world's inability to sustainably dispose of packaging is polluting our waterways, and when incinerated, our air. In response, the policymakers have recently started to do their part with more than 150 singleuse plastic bans around the world. Most of these bans have focused on straws, utensils, and plastic bags. This is a great start. Yet despite these bans, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that plastic production is expected to double in 20 years and almost quadruple by 2050, driven in part by global food delivery. UBS estimates the global food delivery business is estimated to grow more than ten times, from USD 35Bn in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 365Bn by 2030. This has motivated Zume to create a first-of-its-kind, and plantbased compostable packaging that matches the performance of plastic, but comes at a lower cost when produced at a large scale.

S•Y•M•B•I•O•T•I•C A•L•L•I•A•N•C•E

PIPL:

Collaboration with Zume Grounded on Mutual Vision to Bring Breakthrough Developments in Molded Fiber Industry “The Greenfield factory by the name PIPL (Prathisthan Industries Pvt. Ltd.) which is being constructed is located in the Paithan MIDC, Dist. Aurangabad (Maharashtra)… With the support of Zume's manufacturing technology, PIPL will pave the way for the future of the plant fiber-based products.”

Mr. Madhure Desarda, Director of Operations, PIPL

r. Madhure Desarda, Director of Operations, PIPL enlightens us on the recent partnership of PIPL which is a subsidiary of Parason Machinery with Zume Inc., the details on the Greenfield factory where the manufacturing technology will be used, and the USP of PIPL's molded fiber product line, in an exclusive conversation with Paper Mart.

Paper Mart: PIPL has announced the company's new manufacturing and professional-services partner-

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ship with Zume Inc. – please elaborate on this unique collaboration. Madhure Desarda: As per the statistics cited in a feature report by the UN, by the year 2050, there may be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight. To fight the battle against plastic pollution, we've been replacing single-use plastics with 100% compostable, and plant fiber-based products. PIPL's partnership with Zume Inc. is a step towards reducing the use of single-use plastics from the day-to-day lives of people.

S•Y•M•B•I•O•T•I•C A•L•L•I•A•N•C•E

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Amid the pandemic, the food delivery business has grown rapidly and PIPLZume will be providing these businesses a compostable alternative that was not available earlier.

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PIPL and Zume share the same vision to save planet earth from the harmful effects of plastic. Furthermore, using Zume's technology in the PIPL venture, we can produce patented anti-leak products that can be used in the food delivery sector in this time of the pandemic.

PM: PIPL is the Greenfield factory wherein Zume's manufacturing technology will be deployed; tell us more about the factory - investment, total area, technical infrastructure, commercial startup, and future expansion plans etc. MD: The Greenfield factory PIPL which is being constructed is located in the Paithan MIDC, Dist. Aurangabad (Maharashtra). In this factory, with the support of Zume's manufacturing technology and Parason's Pulping technology, PIPL will pave the way for the future of the molded fiber products. A huge amount of capital has been invested for this project, comprising a huge area with a plan of expanding more units in the same area. The factory will use the latest technical equipment in addition to having world-class infrastructure, and having pertinent global standard certifications.

PM: Please elaborate on Parason's technologies and equipment that would be delivered and complement Zume's core molded fiber manufacturing technology for PIPL?

L to R: Mr. Madhure Desarda, Director of Operations, PIPL and Mr. Alex Garden, Chairman & CEO, Zume Inc.

MD: Parason is a global leader in stock preparation systems. The technologies and equipment that will be delivered for the project will be an entire turnkey project. Being the best-in-class, the technology and the components of the equipment will be on a par with Zume's core molded fiber technology and it will complement the latter quite smoothly. Parason is proud to assert that it is officially the wet-end partner of Zume Inc.

PM: The collaboration is said to put Parason in a network of Zume manufacturing partners to produce sustainable goods that replace plastics and Styrofoam — how do you see your business expanding in other regions/ markets with this partnership? MD: The product is made of moldable fibers such as bagasse (sugarcane fiber), bamboo, wheat, straw, and blends of various grass fibers. The tableware manufactured is elegant, oil–proof and designed with superior strength, and won't break or crack under moderate pressure. It is perfect for storing hot as well as cold food products. The product has Snap lids, is compostable and can be easily stacked. This is a market that is growing at a rapid pace and PIPL will focus on the expansion of the business in India and

abroad. Partnering with Zume, PIPL looks forward to entering this business segment with a bang. Parason has a pre-established presence in India, Brazil and the USA and with the association with Zume, we look forward to setting up world-class molded fiber facilities starting with PIPL.

PM: Talking about molded fiber products — could you please brief us up about PIPL's molded fiber product line market share, new developments or any technology upgradation? What are the USPs of PIPL's molded fiber product line? MD: PIPL is specialized in offering complete project engineering and solutions to produce biodegradable and compostable molded fiber-based products that are used in hospitals, corporate cafeterias, quick serving restaurants, universities, restaurants, schools, homes, etc. There have been continuous developments, research, and technology upgradation in this segment. One of our USPs is that the molded fiber products that are manufactured using our equipment are the best ecofriendly solutions for an environmentally-conscious consumer. These

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S•Y•M•B•I•O•T•I•C A•L•L•I•A•N•C•E products are manufactured under high-quality standards with the least greenhouse effects along with zerowaste production, using electric heating for hot presses. No thermo fluid heater, coal, or any other solid fuel is being used which implies that clean energy is being used and this is another of our USP. The raw materials used are biodegradable and compostable, made from natural plant fibers such as sugarcane bagasse, wheat fiber, or bamboo fiber, all of which are renewable resources. Placing hot foods in plastic or Styrofoam containers generates a lot of cryogenic gases which further leads to life-threatening diseases such as cancer and other diseases. The products are also listed on Amazon and are performing great. Amid the

pandemic, the food delivery business has grown rapidly and PIPL-Zume will be providing these businesses a

compostable alternative that was not available earlier. The timing is just perfect.

NEWS

ITC-PSPD Reports Sustained Growth for FY2021 with Strong Sequential Recovery Momentum ITC-PSPD reported higher volumes in paperboards and higher cartons exports in the packaging business coupled with operating efficiencies. June 1, 2021

TC-PSPD reported 13.5% YoY increase in paperboard, paper & packaging segment revenues for FY2021 at INR 1656 crore compared to total segment revenues in FY2020 at INR 1459 crore. Paperboards, paper & packaging segment continued its strong sequential recovery momentum with improvement in offtake across most end-user industries. Higher operational efficiencies partially mitigated the impact of softer realizations. The company witnessed robust growth in cartons and flexibles packaging. As reported in the company's financial result, the paperboards, paper and packaging segment was adversely impacted by subdued offtake in end-user segments such as publications, liquor and wedding cards; robust growth in exports and strong demand in pharma & décor segment helped partially mitigate the impact. A significant uptick in volumes and realizations in paperboards

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ITC-PSPD

in the latter half of the year on the back of recovery in most enduser industries, relentless focus on operational efficiency and structural cost-saving interventions resulted in a much improved performance. The mill also reported steady progress in High Pressure Recovery Boiler project despite Covid disruptions – pulp mill capacity expansion (import substitution), reduced Carbon footprint, operational efficiencies. n

I•N•T•E•R•V•I•E•W

Meghmani Dyes & Intermediates:

Fulfilling the Chemical Requirements of the Paper Industry “In order to meet the domestic demand, MDIL started OBA manufacturing in the year 2002, when the majority of domestic requirements were fulfilled by imports… The entry of MDIL had substituted the imports in India to a large extent and has enabled the domestic industry to be self-reliant with regard to the OBA segment.” Mr. Ramesh Patel, Managing Director, Meghmani Dyes & Intermediates LLP

n an exclusive conversation with Paper Mart, Mr. Ramesh Patel, Managing Director, Meghmani Dyes & Intermediates LLP, sheds light on the overview of the companyhow Meghmani Dyes & Intermediates has built its standing in the paper industry, the product range for the paper industry, the manufacturing

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capabilities of the company, and their market reach. Furthermore, he also speaks on the various measures the company follows to maintain quality and the challenges with regard to the procurement of raw materials.

Paper Mart: To start with, tell us briefly about Meghmani Dyes and

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MDIL offers various chemical products used in the paper industry like Optical Brightening agents used for whitening the paper, dyes and pigment emulsion for the colouring and decoration of papers and other auxiliary chemicals such a binders and thickening agents.

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Intermediates, its business journey and important milestones? What makes Meghmani different from its competitors? How do you add value to the paper industry in India? Ramesh Patel: Meghmani Dyes and Intermediates LLP (MDIL), which was formed in the year of 1979, is part of USD 550 million Ahmedabad-based – Meghmani Group. It started its operations with the manufacturing and export of textile dyes and thereafter added to its product basket other categories of dyes such as vat dyes, acid dyes, direct dyes, petroleum dyes, optical brightening agents (OBA), dyes intermediates such as H-Acid, VS, etc. For FY 20-21, the Dyes and OBA business contributed more than Rs. 1000-cr revenue to the group. This has made MDIL one of the leading players in the Dyes and OBA segment.

During the journey of the past four decades, Meghmani Group has evolved into a leading manufacturer of chemical products in various verticals like - dyes, pigments, OBA, agrochemicals and established itself as a leading brand globally, with a strong customer base in more than 60 countries. Beginning from a small unit of 750 sq m, Meghmani Group now has a network of 27 manufacturing units across Gujarat and MP, spread over more than a million sq m of industrial space, in addition to a wide supply chain network and sales offices in all the states of the country and in UAE, China, USA, Turkey and Spain. In order to meet the domestic demand, MDIL started OBA manufacturing in the year 2002, when the majority of domestic requirements were fulfilled by imports and the market was dominated by MNCs which used to import and offer the same to the Indian industries and end users. Thus, the entry of MDIL had substituted the imports in India to a large extent and has enabled the domestic industry to be self-reliant with regard to the OBA segment. It had also encouraged other entrepreneurs to enter into this segment and thus, adding to the export kitty of the country. MDIL operates in all the segments of OBA i.e. for textile, paper, detergent and plastics. The company also offers direct dyes and pigment emulsion used in the paper industry and is planning to offer other paper auxiliary as well in the coming years. MDIL's consistent approach to quality, innovative offering and customer

satisfaction differentiates it from its competitors. Further, the company also has the strength of backward integration of Di-stilbene, 2FBS, BCMB, certain raw material used in manufacturing OBA. In fact, MDIL is the only company in India to offer dyes in agglomerate form and the only manufacturer to offer OBA in granule form. It also offers various customized product which are fit and ready-to-use products for the customers. Such innovative offerings and sound manufacturing base have helped MDIL to add all the big names of the OBA consumers to its customer list.

PM: Tell us about the product range for the paper industry and shed some light on the various benefits and unique features offered by your products. What are the key strategies catalyzing your niche in the paper segment? RP: MDIL offers various chemical products used in the paper industry like Optical Brightening agents used for whitening the paper, dyes and pigment emulsion for the colouring and decoration of papers and other auxiliary chemicals such as binders and thickening agents. In OBA, MDIL offers various types of OBAs like DiSulpho for wet end application, TetraSulpho for wet end, coating and size press application, and Hexa Sulpho for size press application. In the dyes and pigment segment, MDIL offers various direct dyes used in the paper industry and pigment emulsion of violet and blue for tinting purposes. These pigments find wide

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MDIL is also planning to add other products used in the paper industry like auxiliaries, thus, the customers will have the option and facility to source all of their colour and chemical requirements from one reputed source.

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applications in writing & printing paper, tissue paper for various uses such as facial tissues, paper napkins and more, decorative papers, labels, tags, posters, visiting cards and all types of invitation cards and so is the paper auxiliary chemicals. The product which we offer is in readyto-use form like liquids, emulsion, customized colours combination etc. This offers unique advantages to the customers such as they won't have to manufacture solutions, emulsion or blends at their end, thus, saving them the loss of any material, dusting and spoiling of other products. This also avoids quality issues, as being a manufacturer; we have the expertise to offer homogenous and specificationbased products, which can be used instantly unless the user requires any further modification at their end. MDIL also offers pre and post-sales services pertaining to educating about the suitability of the products, SOP for usage etc. MDIL is also planning to add other products used in the paper industry like auxiliaries, thus, the customers will have the option and facility to source all of their colour and chemical requirements from one reputed source. While colour and chemical is a small fraction of cost in the paper industry, it plays a vital role in maintaining the quality, consistency and reliability and saves time and effort in managing the supply chain.

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PM: Tell us about the manufacturing facilities at Meghmani Dyes and Intermediates — specifically units catering to develop products for the paper industry. Could you tell us about your production capacity, recent development and any expansion plans? RP: MDIL is the only other backwardly integrated OBA manufacturer in India having its own manufacturing facility to make di-stilbene, one of the key raw materials. MDIL have five manufacturing facilities, two at Vatva, Ahmedabad, two at Nandesari, Baroda and one at Padra, Baroda. Out of these facilities, three units manufacture and supply the product related to the paper industry. Further to support the exports demand of the paper industry, MDIL has the support of its group company having its unit in Dahej SEZ. To sum up, MDIL has the capacity to manufacture 15,000 MTPA of active ingredient for OBA (4800 MTPA for the paper industry), 2400 MTPA of direct dyes and 6000 MTPA of pigment emulsion and other auxiliary chemicals. At present, there has been huge demand destruction due to the COVID 19 pandemic and therefore, the company is not being able to use its 25% capacity for the products used in the paper industry. The writing & printing segment has been the worst-affected sector in the paper industry due to its huge reliance on the education sector as around 60% of the demand of the segment comes from the education and commercial printing segment. As we know that the corporate has cut down on the commercial printings, and also, schools and colleges have not opened and are unlikely to open for this academic year. Further, globally, it is expected that the demand will go down by 4% per annum till 2024 and therefore, we do not have any plans for expansion in the near future specifically for the paper industry product segments. Since we have sufficient capacity, we will wait for one more year to see how things unfold and to what extent the present capacity is being used.

MDIL holds several accreditation and certifications to its name, REACH, Blue Sign, GOTS, ETAD, to name a few. Recently, the company has joined the esteemed club of ZDHC aligning its vision to promote cleaner production.

PM: What is the current market share of Meghmani Dyes and Intermediates — paper segment? What kind of growth do you expect to see in future? RP: Presently, MDIL has about 5% share in the domestic market for OBA, dyes and pigment emulsion. Going forward, we expect a growth of 10% for us from FY 22-23, though we expect the domestic market for this segment would expand by about 4% every year. The expectation and confidence to outgrow the industry in this segment comes from our efforts and the acceptance of product in the market in the last two years. Further, by the next year, the COVID situation would also improve resulting in the education and corporate sector returning to normalcy, giving rise to an improved market-demand.

PM: How do you maintain the quality of your products? Could you tell us a little bit about the work being done by your R&D team? RP: We have our own dedicated R&D and Q&C laboratory, which is the biggest amongst the Dyes & OBA manufacturers in Ahmedabad. We have a team of about 20 technically qualified people headed by a senior person of the industry, who remains diligently involved in process improvements and the handling of pre- and post-sales queries and ensures that these are taken care of in the future as well. Our R&D team continuously works on the quality of the product, how it can be made better and offer customized solutions to the customer.

PM: We all want our papers to be as white as possible. Well, that's where optical brightening agents come in. Considering the demand

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challenges. As I've mentioned, we are one of the two backwardly integrated manufacturers for di-stilbene which is one of the two major raw materials that is being manufactured by us. With respect to another raw material – cyanuric chloride, we are the biggest importer in India and since it has applications in agrochemical and other dyes products as well, thus, we have established long term supply contract with major manufacturers. Moreover, other raw materials are also easily available in the country except for some short term hiccups. However, the dumping of the Chinese material or any environmental issue may impact the supply.

RP: As far as the procurement of raw material for OBA is concerned, we do not face any significant issues or

Further, as explained above, OBA and dyes constitute a small fraction of cost in the paper industry and India has a huge capacity for OBA, dyes and pigments for papers, therefore, it is quite competitive

MDIL has the capacity to manufacture 15,000 MTPA of active ingredient for OBA (4800 MTPA for the paper industry), 2400 MTPA of direct dyes and 6000 MTPA of pigment emulsion and other auxiliary chemicals. for OBA in the paper industry — what challenges do you face when procuring raw material to produce optical brightening agents?

and is a very low margin business which is impending further investment. Another issue is logistics, as the majority of the OBA and emulsion is transported in liquid form and has higher water content in it and thus, the transportation cost in supply is proportionally higher as we are situated far from the user industry. Aggravating the situation, the pandemic has hit this segment hard and the demand has contracted by about 33%.

NEWS

NEPA Mill to Start Paper Machine Trial Run in July 2021 This would be a huge achievement for the mill as the production at NEPA Limited was closed since 2016 due to renovation. June 24, 2021

he work of renovation of the paper factory NEPA Mill is going through the final stages. Within a few months, the paper mill is expected to be operational. The first unit of the mill was expected to start; however, the work got delayed due to the second wave of Covid-19. But now it is expected that the trial of the paper machine will be done in July 2021. It is worth noting that during the renovation of the mill, the trial of the de-inking plant has been completed. The trial of the power house is going on for two days, and then the trial of the ET plant will also be done within eight days. Accordion to the media reports — Mr. Sourav Deb, Chairmancum-Managing Director, NEPA Limited states that "if the second wave of Covid-19 has not spread, we would have been in a position to start a unit in June itself, but now keeping in view the possibility of the third wave, the work will be completed at the earliest. The emphasis is on getting the work done." Around six multinational companies are continuously working to get the NEPA Mill started. Recently some new contractors have also joined the mill. This is the reason that NEPA Limited will now be in a position to test the paper machine in July. There is a possibility of conducting trials of all the departments

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NEPA Limited

simultaneously in the month of September, as the speed has been increased in view of the possibility of third wave. According to Mr. Mahendra Kesari, Technical Secretary of CMD, steam blowing process has been started in the project work of the power house. This process is done for any type of internal cleaning in the new boiler so that clean and clear steam can be given to the turbine — to prevent damage to turbine blades. This process will continue for at least the next 7-8 days. The boiler will then be completely ready to provide steam for the turbine. After this, the power house will be fully ready for commercial production in the next one month. n

T•E•C•H - T•A•L•K

Factory Acceptance Tests Go Remote The Covid-19 pandemic has turned businesses upside down everywhere. For example, with the virtual Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), new ways of working are providing previously unseen benefits through the extended use of digital tools.

hy are FATs so important to project execution? They provide an opportunity for specialists to thoroughly check the equipment to ensure we deliver a product built according to specifications and avoid assembly problems in the paper mill. During the acceptance tests, customers also have the opportunity to personally check their machinery, test systems operation (without pulp) and implement improvements in the

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project. This is a highly valued practice, because the customer's engineers can familiarize themselves with the equipment before delivery to the paper mill. For many years, personally conducted Factory Acceptance Tests were one of Valmet's distinguishing features. The international lockdown associated with the pandemic caused travel restrictions, and we therefore faced the challenge of maintaining the current project implementation scheme while

T•E•C•H - T•A•L•K

The connection can be created from any device – a computer, phone or tablet.

between participants is carried out. Engineers at Valmet's workshop are equipped with mic-headphone sets, enabling wireless communication even close to working devices where the noise level is high. Two-way communication is guaranteed the entire time, directing the camera operator to show every detail, even the smallest ones, with inspection cameras. The image is transmitted from several cameras. With large machines, a drone, cable cam (a camera on a line above the machine) and other devices that can show the object according to the customer's needs are used. Transmission can be carried out in a second parallel channel, where it can be viewed by people not involved in the discussion but designated by the customer to watch the work's progress. The stream can be recorded and then used for further discussion – the recording is ready almost immediately after the meeting.

still making it possible for the customer to inspect their equipment. Having recognized the need, Valmet's teams began to search for solutions that would allow FAT to be transferred to the virtual world as fully as possible.

Face-to-face FATs become live broadcasts The solution lay in a live broadcast in which customers receive a unique link to a virtual meeting where high-definition transmission with communication

However, to carry out the entire transmission process effectively, good organization and preparation are necessar y. Two spheres of such preparations, technical and substantive, can be distinguished. The technical sphere on the customer's side includes an internet connection with a speed of at least 6–10 Mbps and a good-quality headset with a microphone. It is also possible to use audio solutions in conference rooms when a customer connects with a group of engineers from a particular point. It is unnecessary to have a camera on the customer side. Before each virtual FAT,

customers receive an instructional video that shows how to prepare for it, as well as problem-solving solutions. The substantive scope is another aspect. Before the meeting, both parties should agree the agenda and prepare the participants list so that all the necessary technical aspects can be referred to. The agenda is a point of r e f e r e n ce . Howe ve r, t h a n k s t o livestreaming, the range of elements that interest us can be expanded, directing the operator and the person leading the FAT to places of interest. This allows every element of the machine to be shown, all the required tests to be performed in real time, and the results to be discussed in a much wider group than was the case even when a group of customer engineers were personally present. New people can be added to the discussion, or a virtual FAT recording for analysis can be sent to other colleagues or superiors, at any time. The entire transmission is supervised by a designated person, who is also responsible for the transmission's technical aspects. Virtual FATs can also be supplemented with a 3D scan that allows all the elements of the object to be checked during a virtual walkthrough. This generates a three-dimensional model which can be extracted to a point cloud file used in designing programs (RCP, E57, PTX). It is also possible to execute and send a scan within two days anywhere in the world. Virtual FATs are currently available for small and medium- sized paper machines and have already been

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T•E•C•H - T•A•L•K

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The main purpose of proceeding with the Virtual Factory Acceptance Test is to prepare machinery for a safe, smooth and quick start-up.

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Two-way communication is guaranteed the entire time, directing the camera operator to show every detail with inspection cameras.

successfully carried out for customers from the United States, Mexico and Indonesia, and the next ones are already planned.

New way of working increases benefits and flexibility Until recently, FAT involved several days of costly travel. Thanks to the new virtual

solution, customers can fully participate in Factory Acceptance Tests, receive all the necessary information from engineers in real time, and define improvements or corrections based on fully assembled equipment without leaving home or the office. This limits the time they spend on the project to the co r e t e c h n o l o g i c a l d i s c u s s i o n .

Moreover, any number of people can participate in virtual FAT and undertake necessary consultation. It is also possible to adjust the transmission time to fit the customer's daily schedule. High-quality image transmission allows every detail to be thoroughly checked, and live tests to be performed. For example, it is also possible to get an image from drones that offer perspectives unavailable during a personal visit. No matter where our customers are in the world, we can now meet in real time in our workshop and work together even better than before the pandemic. n

NEWS

Umason Paper to Set Up 39000 TPA Kraft Paper Plant in Gujarat The Gujarat-based kraft paper mill to commence commercial production by December 2021. July 13, 2021

mason Paper Private Limited will be setting up a 39000 TPA Kraft Paper Plant at a proposed site in Dhrangadhra, Gujarat. The company will manufacture varieties of 16-32 BF kraft papers in the range of 80 GSM to 200 GSM. The paper machine's finished deckle size is 4000 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 300 MPM (machine operating speed is 210 MPM). The estimated cost of the project is INR 34.77 crore. As informed to Paper Mart, Umason Paper has ordered the main machine section from D.M. Engineering - Ahmedabad, while Pressurized Headbox, Top & Bottom Wire section will be delivered by Vapi-based Micro Fab Industries. The pulp mill equipment will be provided by Parason Machinery India Private Limited. The vacuum & separator pumps and dryer section will be imported from China. The electrification work will be done by Elmech Engineering - Ahmedabad. The plant's erection and installation are under full swing and Umason Paper expects to go for commercial production before December 2021. The raw material used for the production will be broken corrugated boxes, box waste cuttings, new corrugated cuttings and all other kinds of waste paper. Umason Paper will

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Umason Paper's Site

be procuring imported waste paper from the USA, China, Europe, UAE, Japan and Singapore. Umason Paper has its major clientele in Ahmedabad, Morbi, Wankaner, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Surendranagar etc. The company has a strong marketing network and a good customer base as it is already dealing in papers. The company was incorporated on October 6, 2020. Mr. Bipinbhai Premjibhai Patel, Mr. Kanaiyalal Thobhanbhai Patel, Mr. Nayankumar Trikambhai Patel, Mr. Bhaveshkumar Trikambhai Patel, Mr. Dhavalkumar Pravinbhai Patel and Mr. Mansukh Ambarambhai Patel are the respective promoters and directors. n

C•A•S•E S•T•U•D•Y

Klabin’s Massive Puma II Project Makes History With Eukaliner Kraftliner Klabin's massive Puma II project in Brazil is making history by challenging the conventional thinking that softwood pulp is required to make high-quality kraftliner. Its new OptiConcept M kraftliner machine will produce Eukaliner – the world's first kraftliner using 100 percent eucalyptus.

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n 2019, Brazil's largest paper producer, Klabin, decided to make the biggest investment in its 121year history: The Puma II project, which aims to produce 920 thousand tonnes of high-quality kraftliner board annually. Besides the project's giant size, a re m a rk a b l e fe a t u re i s t h a t t h e kraftliner will be produced using 100 percent eucalyptus hardwood pulp. This disruptive innovation, which Klabin believes will strongly propel its future growth, goes against the traditional thinking that softwood pulp is required to make high-quality kraftliner.

C•A•S•E S•T•U•D•Y large-scale hardwood pulp production. This new technology suits Klabin very well, giving it greater control in the digester.

A comprehensive project scope Partnering with Klabin every step of the way on the Puma II project is Valmet, which has a successful history of collaboration with the Brazilian company, most recently on the Puma I drying machines. Valmet will deliver most of the equipment for Puma II, including the PM 27 OptiConcept M kraftliner machine, the fiberline based on the new Continuous Cooking G3™ system, and a pulp dryer rebuild. Valmet will also supply the DNA Automation System and IQ Quality Management Solution, as well as Valmet's Industrial Internet (VII) solution, including Data Discovery and a wide range of predictive and advisory applications like Dynamic Centerline Advisor, Online Quality Predictor and Paper Machine Diagnostics. A Valmet Training Simulator is also part of the delivery. According to Francisco Razzolini, Director for Industrial Technology, Innovation, Sustainability and Projects at Klabin, Valmet was selected after an evaluation of several different areas. “Our choice is not only based on machinery or cost, but on our previous good cooperation, combined with Valmet's solid reputation for technology and its global team with local ser vice support here in Brazil,” Razzolini explains.

Eukaliner – Making history with great technology When it starts in 2021, PM 27 will rewrite the papermaking textbook with a new type of kraftliner called Eukaliner, the world's first liner grade based on 100 percent eucalyptus. Traditionally, kraftliner board (KLB) has been made from long-f iber softwood pulp such as pine, and people thought there were no alternatives. However, short-fiber eucalyptus offers numerous advantages such as lower costs, higher yields and better print quality. Klabin began testing combinations of raw materials many years ago, and although it took time, it now feels

The cooking plant features Valmet's new Continuous Cooking G3 technology and includes ImpBin technology for steaming and impregnation of the wood chips. This two-vessel system provides excellent pulp quality with very low reject content.

confident that 100 percent eucalyptus will work. “We had high-level technical discussions with Valmet about numerous machine design questions – about the starch applicator, for example, which is very important for improving the characteristics of hardwood KLB. The successful development to prove the machine's feasibility was conducted by Klabin and Valmet through the joint effort of the Process, R&D and Equipment teams,” explains João Antônio Gomes Braga, General Manager of the Klabin Puma II Project. The combined benefits of world-class technology and low fiber, energy and water consumption producing a very uniform KLB grade are perfect for Klabin, says Razzolini. “The market is moving toward lower basis weights and more uniform products, with tight control on profiles and weights, and this machine allows us to do this at high production speeds. Obviously, working with 100 percent short fiber is a little d i f fe re n t t h a n w i t h t ra d i t i o n a l machines, mainly in terms of product finishing and printability, which are essential for the final product. PM 27 design allows us to optimize all these factors.”

Tight cooking control for best pulp and paper quality Of course, making good paper depends on high-quality pulp. The Puma II fiberline is the first reference for Va l m e t ' s n e w c o o k i n g s y s t e m , Continuous Cooking G3™, which was launched in 2018. It is built on the strengths of the previous generation G2 but with special improvements for

“In the new digester, we're targeting higher kappa numbers, meaning a lower degree of cooking,” Razzolini explains. “When Valmet presented the tight control solutions that can be integrated in the digester – chip feeding, the impregnation vessel and chip transfer from the ImpBin to digester – we realized it fully supported all our goals for unbleached highkappa eucalyptus pulping.” Klabin's Corporate R&D manager Carlos Augusto Santos agrees. “Cooking is the heart of a fiberline: Quality is made in the digester and then complemented in the rest of the process. I had the opportunity to work with the firstgeneration technology previously, and I've followed Valmet's speedy evolution of G2 and G3, which is commendable. Valmet understood the customer needs and had the humility to add the necessar y improvements in the cooking process in line with market demands. We're happy to see this positive evolution.”

Automation supporting digital transformation and security Evolution is also obvious on the automation and IT side of the Puma II project. The rapid digital transformation of industrial processes based on Industrial Internet solutions has accelerated in the current pandemic scenario and will only continue to grow. For Puma II project manager Braga, new equipment must support this transformation by allowing remote support, providing secure external access to manage and troubleshoot processes and equipment. “A paper machine generates an enormous quantity of data,” says Braga, “and to integrate and use it well, we know the process equipment must include an automation, process control and quality package from one supplier.

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C•A•S•E S•T•U•D•Y using multivariable process analysis to optimize ever y production and maintenance operation. This also allows a faster machine start-up, rather t h a n co m b i n i n g s y s te m s u s i n g different technologies.” PM 27 will rewrite the papermaking textbook with a new type of kraftliner called Eukaliner, the world's first liner grade based on 100 percent eucalyptus.

When these are all integrated via the same technological base, we can obtain better reliability and operating results,

Cybersecurity is also a critical issue, comments Razzolini. “Industrial operations must have strong cyber protection to guard against attacks. Automation and remote support offer obvious advantages, but they shouldn't become a threat. As technolog y

advances, the improvement of control systems is a logical consequence, moving decisions from the operational workforce. They're then passed on to the control system, becoming algorithms and artificial intelligence. We also see advantages for equipment maintenance, where we can use the predictive evaluation of performance to anticipate failures and take corrective action before major problems arise,” he concludes. You need to be innovative – and bold – to make history. Project Puma II shows Klabin is just that. n

TECH TALK

Don’t Let REJECTS Take Away Your Precious FIBERS

GA Anlagenbau GmbH is a leading supplier of starch and coating kitchens, additive plants and chemical plants. Since 20214, the company based in Wernberg (Austria) is part of the IBS Paper Performance Group. With a long experience in special dispersing machines of coating kitchens, PGA developed the iFIBRE concept.

Mr. Christopher Krainer (iFibre Products Manager) from IBS Paper Performance Group

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Mr. Christopher Krainer, Product Manager of iFIBRE systems, shares an insight into this patented system for the treatment of fibre suspensions.

What is the iFIBRE? The iFIBRE is a high shear mixer which operates continuously with consistencies between 2-6%. The system creates a high-frequency of

T•E•C•H - T•A•L•K intense fibre to fibre friction without shortening the fibres and generating fine material.

Where in the paper mill iFIBRE can be installed? In general, an iFIBRE system can be installed in all paper mills using any type of furnish. However, the application of the iFIBRE depends on what that particular mill wants to achieve. The iFIBRE family is divided in three applications: iFIBRE deSAVER: The target of the iFIBRE deSAVER is to reduce reject in the screening process. The system is especially designed to improve the efficiency of existing screening plants in waste paper-based

Accept increased by 12.8%

+ 12.8% + 102 l/min

900 l/min

from an average of 798 to 900 l/min.

mills. Its area of application is in the reject line of stage 1 or 2 in the fine screening. Alternate areas of application are in the coarse screening or fractionation. The deSAVER significantly reduces reject quantities and thus saving fibre. Moreover, reduction in reject also mean saving in dumping costs. iFIBRE deTUNER The iFIBRE deTUNER saves energy and optimizes refiner lines. The solution is especially designed for the optimization of refiner lines (connected in series). When treating fibre suspensions with the deTUNER, stock freeness (Degree SR) is slightly increased without shortening the fibre. This increase is often sufficient to switch-off one of the refiners connected in series. Since the deTUNER is very energy-efficient and requires little maintenance compared to a conventional refiner, it pays back the investment in a noticeably short period of time. iFIBRE deFLAKER

798 l/min

The iFIBRE deFLAKER homogenizes stock suspensions — Due to the high shear forces achieved by the special design of the system, fibre suspensions

before

after

Reject quantities reduced by 25.4%

402 l/min

– 25.37% – 102 l/min

300 l/min

from an average of 402 to 300 l/min.

before

after

Cross-section of on iFIBRE

are dispersed and homogenized using minimal energy. It is resistant to impurities such as stones, wires, etc. The most common applications of the deFLAKER are directly after the pulper or after the mixing vat. The application of a deFLAKER after the dissolving ensures an optimal preparation of the

stock suspension for the subsequent refining process.

How does iFIBREsystems work? The basic functionality of iFIBRE systems is similar. The pulp suspension entering the iFIBRE at the top is led to the rotor and is thrown against the stator with rotational acceleration. Due to the circulation and the different speeds within the iFIBRE, the fibre bundles within the suspension are opened, resulting in a highly homogeneous stock suspension. The cautious treatment of the suspension does not destroy the fibres. Further on, impurities are not crushed and can be exit from the process reliably. deSAVER, deTUNER and deFLAKER differ in their distinctive and special design of internals, rotor, stator and control parameters such as dwell time, frequency, flow rates.

In which sizes iFIBRE machines are available? We have a big range from 10m³/hour to 350m³/hour.

Please tell us about other activities of PGA? As mentioned before, PGA is well known for starch kitchens, coating kitchens, additive plants and chemical plants. The company started its operations in India during 2017-2018 through its representative Omicron Paptech LLP which has its head office in Mumbai. Since its cooperation with Omicron, PGA has sold 2 fully automatic enzymatic starch kitchen lines in India; one plant to a mill producing liner kraft and another to a writing & printing paper mill. n

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Scan Machineries Commissions Another Green Field Turnkey Paper Mill Project in Zambia, Africa Scan Machineries has engineered and commissioned the paper mill project on a turnkey basis for Book Hut Limited, Zambia. June 27, 2021

can Machineries has commissioned a new double wire fourdrinier paper machine in Zambia, Africa which produces kraft paper of test liner, fluting medium and white top varieties. The new production line has a deckle width of 2600 mm which produces paper in the range of 70-250 GSM. The company has done complete engineering for the entire paper mill including stock preparation line, paper machine, civil layout including detailed structural engineering. Scan has also designed and supplied machinery starting from the conveyor to the machine chests of the stock preparation, the approach flow as well as from the headbox to winder of the Paper Machine. The pipeline design, water balancing and layout was also designed by Scan Machineries. Detailed electrical engineering was done for the entire paper mill which is designed for less power consumption to ensure sustainability and green energy conservation. Complete erection and commissioning was completed and training of man power to handle the paper mill at a high efficiency was ensured by Scan Machineries team. The paper machine includes a double wire in the wet-end section with two highly efficient nip press loads, a pre dryer section, a size press, a post dryer section, a Calendar, a pope and a winder with an automatic quality control system (QCS) for best sheet quality and formation. The sludge from the paper machine is used in manufacturing egg trays in Book Hut Limited's Egg Tray plant situated near the paper mill ensuring substantial savings of fibers and costs for

Image Source: Scan Machineries

the customer. This was specially designed to ensure the waste materials to be used in another process cycle as raw materials such as in an in-house egg tray plant and the complete production line is designed for zero discharge. In a statement released — Scan Machineries has acknowledged Mr. Gitesh Patel, Managing Director and Mr. Kunal Patel, Director, Book Hut Limited for the opportunity to supply the finest paper machinery and offer its elite engineering consultancy services to Book Hut. “It is a proud moment to say that Scan Machineries had reeled paper within 10 hours on the first day of the startup. Within one month of the startup, Book Hut Limited has become the market leaders in Zambia catering to many convertors and corrugating units. Their presence in the market has been increasing steadily at a rapid pace and is pushing to expand their presence overseas in the coming days.” n

Caliber Papers Orders 200 TPD Kraft Paper Plant From JMC Paper Tech The Morbi-based Caliber Papers will set up a 200 TPD high BF kraft paper plant supplied by JMC Paper Tech. May 31, 2021

aliber Papers LLP will set up a 200 TPD high BF kraft paper plant at Morbi in Gujarat. The company will install a high BF single wire MF (machine finished) machine with size press. Caliber Papers intends to upgrade the paper machine to top wire in future. The machine's deckle size is 4100 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 450 MPM (maximum operating speed is 400 MPM). The raw material used for the production will be OCC, NDLKC and KCC. Caliber Papers LLP

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N•E•W•S As informed to Paper Mart, Mr. Alpesh Bhalodiya, Director, Caliber Papers LLP told that the estimated cost of the project is INR 50 crore. The plant's erection and installation is under full swing and Caliber Papers expects to go for commercial production from October 2021. JMC Paper Tech Private Limited will supply a partial pulp mill section, a complete paper machine section — while the

finishing equipment and other equipments (electrifications, boilers, pumps, etc) are client scope. Before stepping into the paper industry, Caliber Paper's management team was involved in the AAC blocks manufacturing industry known as M/S. Pravin Buildtech Pvt. Ltd. The company's workforce includes over 200 skilled and unskilled personnel. n

Aksa Paper Mills to Start 300 TPD Kraft Paper Plant in Gujarat The Gujarat-based paper mill will manufacture high quality packaging grade Kraft liner and media paper at the upcoming kraft paper plant. Aksa Paper Mills expects to complete the project and start commercial production by the end of 2021. June 8, 2021

ksa Paper Mills Private Limited is commissioning a 300 TPD Kraft Paper Plant at Vapi in Gujarat. The company will manufacture 18-40 high BF kraft liner and media paper in the range of 100-300 GSM. The product will be high RCT paper. The paper machine's deckle size is 5.0 meters. The company is setting up the plant with advanced processing systems — it will install double wire parts with pressurized head box, suction couch roll and suction pick up and Bi nip press & jumbo press section. It will also include auto spools loading at pope reel with reel turn-ups system to avoid downtime and loses and stock preparation for advance screening & cleaning systems. As informed to Paper Mart, Microfab Industries and Parason Machinery Private Limited are the major suppliers for machines and equipment. The main component of the machine has been imported from China.

Mr. Ayub Haji Yasin Saiyed, Managing Director, Aksa Paper Mills Private Limited comments — “As you know, the present scenario of the Indian market as well as the global market is quite favourable with regard to the packaging industry, and the trend of packing in good-quality paper boxes is increasing day by day. Due to this, the consumption and Mr. Ayub Haji Yasin Saiyed, the market-demand of packaging Managing Director, Aksa Paper Kraft paper is on a sharp rise. Mills Private Limited Keeping all these things in mind, we are setting up a high-quality Kraft paper manufacturing plant with advanced processing systems. We will complete our project by the end of this year and able to start commercial production.” n

Kanha Paper Mills to Start 180 TPD Kraft Paper Plant in Siliguri The West Bengal-based paper mill will start the commercial production at the plant from November 2021 onwards. Also, the Company is planning to cater to Eastern Indian markets and to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh from this plant. May 28, 2021

anha Paper Mills Private Limited is setting up a 180 TPD double wire kraft paper plant on National Highway-31, Siliguri, West Bengal. The company will install a double wire paper machine with a size press and a headbox. The company will manufacture 16-24 BF kraft paper in the range of 100-220 GSM. The machine's finished deckle size is 4100 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 450 MPM (currently to be operated at a speed of 300 MPM). The estimated cost of the project is INR 45 crores (excluding land and building). As informed to Paper Mart, Scan Machineries will supply the

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Kraft Paper

N•E•W•S paper machine while the pulping equipment will be supplied by Parason Machinery and Su-Tantra Equipments. Kanha Paper Mills is expecting to commence commercial production from November, 2021. The new plant is positioned very close to the international borders of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh which will provide an opportunity to export to these three-neighboring country markets. Mr. Manish Agarwal, Director, Kanha Paper Mills Private Limited

comments, “in Siliguri, we have around 2000 TPM of recycled fibre available. This raw material from the region is procured by paper mills in other states in the country. On this account, we would also be utilizing the indigenously sourced and abundantly available raw material. Besides, the raw material can be procured from other nearby areas as well. Hence, we have the location advantage with respect to the fact that our mill is located quite close to the recycled fibre source and also to the ready market, which is presently buying paper from other states.” n

Evernew Papers Orders 120 TPD Kraft Paper Plant From JMC Paper Tech The Morbi-based paper mill is setting up a 120 TPD single wire kraft paper plant. Papers expects to go for commercial production from September 2021. Before stepping into the paper industry, Evernew Paper's management was involved in the business of ceramics and laminates industry as M/S. Symphony Ceramics, M/S. Om Laminates & M/S. Parimal Trading Co. The company's workforce includes around 130 skilled and unskilled personnel. n

Evernew Papers LLP site

May 19, 2021

vernew Papers LLP will set up a 120 TPD single wire kraft paper plant at Morbi in Gujarat. The company will install a high BF single wire MF (machine finished) machine with size press. Evernew intends to upgrade the machine to top wire in future. The company will manufacture high BF kraft paper, fluting media, and test linear paper at the facility. The machine's deckle size is 4100 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 300 MPM (maximum operating speed is 250 MPM). The raw material used will be OCC, NDLKC and KCC. The estimated cost of the project is INR 40 crore. JMC Paper Tech Private Limited will supply a partial pulp mill section, a complete paper machine section along with other finishing equipments. As informed to Paper Mart, the plant's erection and installation is under full swing and Evernew

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Soprite Paper Commences Production at 150 TPD Kraft Paper Plant The Morbi-based paper mill has commenced production of lower GSM and high BF Kraft Paper at its facility. May 4, 2021

oprite Paper LLP has started production at its 150 TPD Kraft Paper Plant in the very first trial. The company will be producing lower GSM and high BF Kraft paper. As informed to Paper Mart — NKR Engineers Private Limited has supplied the paper machine. The machine's deckle size is 3700 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 300 MPM. The raw materials used for production are sourced from domestic and overseas suppliers. n Soprite Paper starts production of kraft paper

Satia Industries and Zume Announces New Manufacturing Partnership The new partnership with Satia Industries will accelerate Zume's globally distributed sustainable manufacturing capacity. Also, the deal advances Zume's strategy of using hardware, software, and services to replace plastics and styrofoam solutions in the global marketplace. June 4, 2021

atia Industries, one of the largest wood and agro-based paper manufacturers in India has partnered with Zume, the sustainability solutions company creating economically viable substitutes for single-use plastics, for a new manufacturing and professional services. This deal brings innovation to the USD 580 billion global plastic industry by presenting a scalable solution to replace plastics and styrofoam with sustainable alternatives. Founded on the mission to change the unsustainability in the food supply chain, Zume's proprietary design, prototyping, and manufacturing technologies present an automated system to replace single-use plastic with 100% compostable plant fiber-based products. Through Zume's patented molded fiber manufacturing equipment system and technology, global food brands can transition from plastic packaging to sustainable solutions without disrupting their manufacturing processes or bottom line. “There is a tremendous runway for plastic packaging disruption as plastic production has outpaced almost every other material and corporations are supplying single-use plastic at a record pace,” said Alex Garden, Zume's Chairman and CEO. “Established, experienced innovators like Satia Industries are speeding the adoption of Zume's technology, and we're proud to work together to accelerate the replacement of single-use products around the globe.”

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Dr. Ajay Satia, CMD, Satia Industries

Through this deal, Zume and Satia Industries will deploy more than 2,000 tonnes of self-sealing, sustainable molded-fiber products to be manufactured and marketed during the first year of the partnership. Satia Industries plans to enhance its expertise and expand its product offering basket through this association with Zume by providing customized molded fiber packaging solutions across multiple industries such as food, consumer packaged goods, electronics, cosmetics, healthcare, and pharma. “Our partnership with Zume empowers Satia Industries to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients for highperforming, affordable and reliable products that are

N•E•W•S sustainably manufactured and easily composted,” said Dr. Ajay Satia, CMD, Satia Industries. “As well, we are able to create new demand for Zume sustainable solutions, helping to transition customers into more modern, reliable, and forward-thinking products than that which they may be relying upon today.” Separate from its global manufacturing partnerships, Zume

manufactures its sustainable solutions containers at Zume's facility in Camarillo, California. Zume's sustainable solutions containers are already available in 20 countries through Zume's network of premier food brands, brokers, and distributors, including Boon Distribution, Click Chefs, Detox Folks, Majestic Timbers, Packaging Supplies, Prestige Tissues, Rebel Foods, Saintjo Innovations, SealTec, and SR Papers. n

Shree Narayan Kraft Paper Mill Orders 120 TPD Kraft Paper Plant From JMC Paper Tech The Kheda-based paper mill has set up a 120 TPD single wire absorbent kraft paper plant. May 1, 2021

hree Narayan Kraft Paper Mill LLP has set up a 120 TPD single fourdrinier absorbent kraft paper plant at Kheda district in Gujarat. The company has installed a single fourdrinier machine with dandy roll. The machine's deckle size is 4100 mm and is designed to run at a speed of 300 MPM (maximum operating speed is 250 MPM). The raw material used for production are OCC and waste kraft. The estimated cost of the project is INR 40 crore. The production for the absorbent kraft paper was started on April 11, 2021. JMC Paper Tech Private Limited has supplied a partial pulp mill section, a complete paper machine section along with other finishing equipments (electrifications, boilers, pumps, etc.). As informed to Paper Mart, JMC Paper Tech has successfully completed the commissioning and paper reeling in its first attempt at M/S. Shree Narayan Kraft Paper Mill LLP.

Shree Narayan Kraft Paper Mill Plant

Before stepping into the paper industry, Shree Narayan Kraft Mill's management team was involved in the business of Wooden Packaging Industry. The company's workforce includes around 130 skilled and unskilled personnel. n

Lemit Papers Orders Krima Disperser From Cellwood Machinery Cellwood Machinery will supply three KD-710 Krima Dispersers to Lemit Papers in Ahmedabad, India. June 9, 2021

emit Papers LPP has awarded Cellwood Machinery to supply its Krima Disperser model KD-710 to their new Duplex Board machine in Ahmedabad, India. Cellwood will delivery three Dispersers model KD-710. The Dispersers will be used on different layers in the production of multilayer board and the start-up is scheduled for May 2022. Cellwood Machinery develops manufactures, and supplies machinery and systems for the pulp and paper industry. Lemit Papers is an upcoming duplex board manufacturer with 400 TPD production capacity. The company will be manufacturing LWC, HWC with white and grey back in different thickness. n

Krima Disperser

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Satia Industries Secures Order Worth INR 70 Crore From Maharashtra State Textbook Bureau The said order execution has already started and will be completed in Q2FY22. June 23, 2021

atia Industries has been awarded an order worth INR 70 crore from Maharashtra State Textbook Bureau for supply of 7000 MT paper at a very good realization. The company said that the said order execution has already started and will be completed in Q2FY22. The order along with orders under execution from Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh text book board will lead to surge in per ton realization in paper prices almost at par with pre-Covid levels of Rs 60,000 per ton registering an increase of 25-30% in first half of the year. Commenting on the order received, Mr. R. K. Bhandari, Joint Managing Director said — we are pleased to announce that our sustained relation and consistency in delivering the best quality paper always has again fructified in securing this high

realization order of over 70 million which will improve our margin profile significantly. This order further adds to our existing strong order book with orders in hand till 15th August in these difficult times too. Thus, we are progressing towards enhanced revenue levels and attractive margin profile for the next two quarters and expect this trend to continue for the rest of Mr. R. K. Bhandari, Joint the year which will be supple- Managing Director, Satia mented by start of cutlery segment Industries Limited in second quarter and our incremental capacity of 100,000 MT by end of December 2021. n

India Begins Sunset Review Probe on Uncoated Copier Paper Imports From Indonesia and Singapore The period of investigation was January-December 2020. May 20, 2021

ndia has initiated a sunset review investigation on antidumping duty on uncoated copier paper imported from Indonesia and Singapore. According to a report in a leading daily — JK Paper Limited has claimed the likelihood of recurrence of dumping if the extant antidumping duty comes to an end and requested for review and continuation of the levy. Anti-dumping duty was first imposed in 2018. “There is prima facie evidence regarding likelihood of dumping from Indonesia and Singapore and consequent injury to the domestic industry in the event of cessation of antidumping duty,” Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) said in a notification. As per the notification, JK Paper said that though the domestic industry has not suffered continued injury, it is likely to suffer injury in the event of cessation of antidumping duty. Factors such as decline in imports post imposition of duty, likely dumping margins should duties cease, declining demand of the product in Indonesia, significant production capacities in Indonesia, declining global demand of the subject goods, duties imposed by Australia (on Thailand and Indonesia), facts found by the Australian authorities with regard to the Indonesian Market, cost advantage with exporters in Indonesia, dumping margins in respect of third

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Uncoated Copier Paper

country exports “suggest the possibility of continuation of dumping and recurrence of injury”. The application has been supported by West Coast Paper Mills Ltd. and Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd. Alleging the existence of a particular market situation in Indonesia, JK Paper submitted that the costs are required to be adjusted for international price of major input. “The applicant has submitted that the government of Indonesia, vide various policies and actions, has influenced and artificially lowered the prices of input materials (wood pulp),” DGTR said, adding that the claim will be examined during the course of the investigation. n

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Paper Excellence Acquires Domtar in a USD 3 Billion Deal to Expand into the US Market Paper Excellence has acquired Domtar in a blockbuster USD 3 billion deal to expand into the US market. May 13, 2021

aper Excellence, a global manufacturer of pulp and printing, writing, specialty, and packaging papers, has acquired Domtar, the largest integrated producer of uncoated free-sheet paper in North America, for USD 55.50 per share. The all-cash transaction represents an enterprise value of approximately USD 3 billion. After the transaction closes in the second half of 2021, Paper Excellence intends to continue the operations of Domtar as a standalone business entity. As such, Domtar will continue to be led by its current management team, and Paper Excellence plans to retain Domtar's Fort Mill, S.C.-based corporate office and its production locations.

offers a full line of pretreated production inkjet grades under the Husky and Cougar brands.

Domtar manufactures and distributes a wide range of printing papers used for digital and conventional commercial printing, publishing (magazines, catalogs, and books), and direct mail applications, under brand names such as Cougar, Lynx Opaque Ultra, Husky Opaque Offset, EarthChoice, and others. It also

Its network includes 13 pulp and paper mills and 10 manufacturing and converting facilities in the U.S. and Canada, which reportedly gives it approximately 2.7 million tons of papermaking capacity and 1.5 million air-dried metric tons (ADMT) of market pulp capacity annually. n

Paper Excellence Acquires Domtar

Valmet and Neles to Merge Creating Leading Company With a Unique Offering for Process Industries Globally The combination is expected to generate annual run-rate synergies of approximately EUR 25 million of which approximately 60 percent are expected to be achieved by 2023 and approximately 90 percent by 2024. July 2, 2021

almet and Neles Corporation have announced that their respective Boards of Directors have signed a combination agreement (the “Combination Agreement”) and a merger plan to combine the two companies through a merger (the “Combined Company”).

Some major transaction highlights: The Combined Company will be a leading company with a unique offering for process industries globally with illustrative combined net sales for 2020 of approximately EUR 4.3 billion. In addition, it will have a globally balanced expert organization of approximately 17,000 professionals. The Combined Company expects to have growth potential in all current businesses and in new emerging sectors supported by favorable megatrends. It will also have enhanced growth opportunities across automation and flow control

Neles Corporation

serving a range of various process industries with a strong sustainability focus. The Combined Company will benefit from broader revenue and cost synergies anchored in the

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N•E•W•S strong industrial logic of combining flow control and automation systems. The combination is expected to generate annual run-rate synergies of approximately EUR 25 million of which approximately 60 percent are expected to be achieved by 2023 and approximately 90 percent by 2024. Total one-off implementation costs related to synergies are expected to be approximately EUR 25 million. The proposed combination will be implemented as a statutory absorption merger whereby Neles will be merged into Valmet. The combination is subject to, among other items, approval by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast and shares represented at the respective Extraordinary General Meetings (“EGM”) of Valmet and Neles, and the obtaining of merger control and other regulatory approvals. The completion is expected to occur on or about January 1, 2022, subject to all conditions for completion being fulfilled. It is proposed that the Board of Directors of the Combined Company will include six (6) directors from the current Board of Directors of Valmet (Mikael Mäkinen, Aaro Cantell, Pekka Kemppainen, Per Lindberg, Monika Maurer and Eriikka Söderström) and two (2) directors from the current Board of Directors of Neles (Jaakko Eskola and Anu Hämäläinen). It is proposed that the Combined Company's Chairman of the Board of Directors will be Mikael Mäkinen and that the Combined Company's Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors will be Jaakko Eskola. Mr. Pasi Laine will continue to act as the President and CEO of the Combined Company after the completion of the merger.

Valmet Chairman, Mr. Mikael Mäkinen, said: “The combination of Valmet and Neles will create a broad and competitive product offering for our customers and build on the excellent reputation of both of our businesses. The transaction creates a global industrial leader with a bright future beyond what we could achieve separately. Together our businesses are better positioned to drive innovation and leadership in sustainability.” Neles Chairman, Mr. Jaakko Eskola, said: “The common heritage of Valmet and Neles will allow for a smooth integration of our two companies to the benefit of shareholders, customers and employees. Neles will benefit from enhanced scale to accelerate its growth and building on the excellent work done by Neles management since the formation of Neles as an independent company in 2020.” Valmet President and CEO, Mr. Pasi Laine, said: “We are delighted with the announcement of the merger which will create an even stronger Valmet with a strong offering to global process industries and a global team of 17,000 professionals around the world. The Combined Company will have solid business fundamentals, a strong financial profile, attractive growth potential and estimated synergies contributing to the enhanced shareholder value.” Neles President and CEO, Mr. Olli Isotalo, said: “Through our capabilities and know-how, we have positioned Neles for best in class growth and profitability and now look forward to accelerating this agenda as part of the Combined Company. We are delighted about the opportunities to continue to execute our growth in flow control across process industries from an even stronger base. The combination also creates attractive opportunities to digitalize our joint services to support customers' efforts to achieve greater sustainability in their operations.” n

Asian Granito India Limited to Divest Stake in Astron Paper and Board Mill The proceeds from sale of the said shares will be utilized to meet long term working debt reduction. May 31, 2021

ith a view to focus on core business of ceramic and other tiles and products related to construction industry, the Asian Granito India Limited's board has considered and approved Disinvestment from Aston Paper & Board Mill Limited, in which the Company is holding 87,75,000 equity shares (18.87%) in capacity as one of the promoters of Astron Paper and Board Mill Limited. Last week, Astron Paper and Board Mill Ltd. reported that its Profit After Tax (PAT) was up 152% YoY to Rs. 6.8 crore compared to Rs. 2.7 crore in Q4FY20, boosted by strong pick up in performance in Q4FY21. PAT for fiscal FY21 was Rs. 10.3 crore compared to Rs. 13.4 crore, a drop of 23% YoY.

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Astron Paper and Board Mill

N•E•W•S For the fiscal FY21, Astron Paper and Board Mill's revenue from operations was at Rs. 435.1 crore were up 21% YoY compared to Rs. 358.9 crore in FY20, despite H1FY21 taking a hit due to Covid related shutdowns and supply disruptions.

Volumes in FY21 were higher by 8% over the corresponding previous year, picking up in H2FY21. Production during the year was 159,016 tonnes for the year vs 147,488 tonnes in FY20. n

Noida-based Kagzi Bottles Introduces 100 Percent Biodegradable Paper Bottle Homegrown company — Kagzi Bottles introduces 100% Biodegradable Paper Bottle manufactured using waste paper. June 11, 2021

lastic packaging has long been the obvious choice for many liquid products brands — such as body wash, lotion, beverages, shampoo etc. Without a doubt, plastic is durable, inexpensive and most importantly — it does not absorb liquids. However, as the awareness on the sustainable packaging rises — the consumers have started demanding sustainable alternatives. That is where paper bottles come in. According to the report by Statista — the world's plastics production totaled around 368 million metric tonnes in 2019, and continues to rise. The main reason for the increase in plastic production is plastic packaging. Providing a solution to these very significant and catastrophic environmental issue of single-use plastic, the homegrown Noida-based startup — Kagzi Bottles is pioneering a completely new product category: a 100% compostable paper bottle, which is also first-ofits-kind in India. This innovative solution will give consumers a greener and cleaner switch from plastic to paper pulp. The bottle can be used to package beverages, toiletries, liquids and powder. The brain behind this sustainable alternative is Samiksha Ganeriwal, the founder of Kagzi Bottles.

Image Source: Kagzi Bottles

Over the past one year — many multinational companies have come up with unique and sustainable alternatives to plastic bottles. Some of these companies even launched the bottles while others developed prototypes. However, these bottles still had a thin inner layer of plastic to provide a moisture barrier and resistance to other environmental factors. This is where Kagzi Bottles are distinctive — they are developing 100% biodegradable paper bottles using waste paper. According to a media report, Kagzi Bottles is procuring waste paper from a Himachal-based company. It is currently producing paper bottles for shampoos, conditioners and lotions. n

BillerudKorsnäs Introduces SWAPP® for Sustainable Packaging BillerudKorsnäs' SWAPP® is an opportunity for companies to grow business by meeting new consumer and regulatory demands through renewable and innovative paper applications. June 2, 2021

WAPP® to paper packaging for a sustainable future! SWAPP® with an extra P for paper is a range of fibre-based packaging materials from BillerudKorsnäs to enable transition from plastic to paper and meet new consumer demands through better sustainability performance for people and the planet. SWAPP® is a collaborative and seamless process where the BillerudKorsnäs guides brand owners and retailers through the transformation towards sustainable paper packaging solutions.

SWAPP® with an extra P for paper

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N•E•W•S BillerudKorsnäs takes responsibility for the transition from A to Z. Within a SWAPP® project the team supervises all actions to deliver a solution designed for consumer appeal and commercial performance. BillerudKorsnäs can provide paper material

expertise, industrial experience, a network of converters and designers and prepare for a full-scale industrial packaging production. n

Tetra Pak and Finish Society Collaborates to Increase Used Carton Pack Recycling The used cartons collected through this initiative will be sent to the nearest recycler - Khatema Fibres Ltd, a local paper-mill based in Uttarakhand, and a recycling partner for Tetra Pak since 2013. June 3, 2021

etra Pak has tied up with Finish Society, a well-known solid waste management NGO, to increase collection of used carton packages in Udaipur. According to the media reports — as part of the collaborative effort, the NGO will be working closely with the Municipal Corporation of Udaipur to recover used packs of juice/milk from the corporation's sorting centres, which will then be channelised to the nearest recycler. With this new partnership, Rajasthan has become the 22nd State / Union territory covered by the company's extensive collection network. This network covers 38 cities and 14 Indian Army contingents, supported by over 26 collection and awareness partners, across 22 states and Union Territories. Udaipur is a high-visibility tourist destination and therefore sees a lot of carton consumption. At the same time, it is also ranked 1st in Rajasthan under the Swachch Sarvekshan 2020 for cities with under 10,000,00 residents. The company and the NGO will therefore focus on raising awareness among the waste-picker community, about the value they can derive from collecting used beverage cartons and selling them to a recycler. At the same time, the initiative will also raise awareness among consumers about the positive impact of waste-segregation and recycling on the cleanliness of their surroundings, as well as on the environment at large. Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Jaideep Gokhale, Sustainability Director, Tetra Pak South Asia, said, “Tetra Pak cartons are paper-based, recyclable and have the lowest carbon footprint among all other packaging materials used for similar food products. So, when we choose carton packaging, we are already making a positive choice. And when we segregate used cartons from our waste, we ensure that waste pickers earn an additional livelihood, and the used cartons get recycled into many useful items like benches, desks, bins, roofing sheets and more. Over the past 17 years, we have been able to expand our collection and recycling ecosystem across the country and today, over 40% cartons sold in India are recycled. We had been looking for a suitable partner to work

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Tetra/Carton Packs will be recycled at Uttarakhand

with in Rajasthan and we have found that in Finish society. Together, we look forward to helping build a Swachh Udaipur.” Mr. Saurabh Agnihotri, Finish Society, said, “The need of the hour is to recover all recyclable waste and convert it into a resource. We will work on raising awareness about recyclability of these packages on one hand, as well as set up 'drop-off points' at registered shops, juice centres and other easily accessible locations where consumers can deposit their used cartons easily. But the key focus of our work will be on educating the waste-picker community about the value of carton waste and the role it can play in augmenting their household income. We are thankful to Tetra Pak for leading from the front, and also the Municipal Corporation of Udaipur for their continued support.” The company's cartons are paper-based and recyclable. The company, along with its partners, has been strengthening the carton package recycling eco-system in the country for over 17 years. The used carton packages are collected and recycled into various materials like paper, waterproof poly-aluminium, or panel boards which are then turned into useful items like classroom furniture for disadvantaged schools, roofing sheets, notebooks, seats and backrests for commercial vehicles and more. With the addition of Udaipur, today, the company's collection network covers 22 states and Union Territories. This network is supported by 26 collection and awareness partners and 4 recyclers across the country. n

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April Group Highlights Sustainability as Key to Long-Term Growth at International Industry Forum June 17, 2021

peaking recently at the Siemens Fiber Industry Web Conference, Mr. Praveen Singhavi, President, APRIL Group, said, “Sustainability will become crucial for companies operating in this industry over the next decade, as consumers become more sustainability-conscious. The ability of companies and the industry as a whole, to operate sustainably will remain key through to 2030 and beyond”. “Securing raw materials or sustainably produced fibre, and increasing productivity, will be critical for companies to be successful in the future,” Mr. Singhavi said. APRIL is a member of the RGE group of companies. RGE manages a group of resource-based manufacturing companies with global operations. Also on the panel at the conference, which was held in May, were Lars Mallasch, Group Technical & Sustainability Director, Mondi; Andreas Endters, CEO Group Division Paper, Voith Paper; and Jan Kabus, Vice President for Fiber Industry, Siemens Energy. The focus of the panel was on the strategies needed to improve the sustainability and long-term growth potential of the energy-intensive pulp and paper industry.

“Our APRIL2030 commitments show that with the right focus, companies can make major progress on sustainability. We hope that with APRIL2030 we are demonstrating that an Asian company can be part of the global movement to deliver on the SDGs and have a positive impact on climate, nature and people, while also continuing to Mr. Praveen Singhavi, run our business sustainably to President, APRIL Group produce high quality renewable fiber-based products,” added Mr. Singhavi. “My hope is that our industry can continue to move forward, based on greater collaboration and partnerships, to be part of the solution to climate change mitigation and to have a positive impact on the environment,” he added. APRIL Group's sustainability commitments are guided by the company's Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0, which is aligned with the RGE Forestry, Fiber, Pulp and Paper Sustainability Framework. n

A major topic for discussion was the continued impact of digitalization. “Generally, our industry is already quite automated, where most processes in mills are controlled by centralized systems and generate millions of data points. This provides insights that can be valuable, in terms of data analytics and the implementation of artificial intelligence tools”, said Mr. Singhavi. “At APRIL, we have implemented digital solutions across our organization, from forestry to mill operations to logistics and sales. For example, for our paper customers, we created a mobile customer portal, which allows a lot of our customer engagement activity, like product catalogue viewing and order tracking, to be done on a smartphone. This is integrated with production planning and logistics, and has in turn resulted in improved productivity and customer service for our operations,” he added.

In Case You Know Fishing

The requirement to balance continued growth with ongoing commitments to sustainability, especially in terms of emissions reductions and climate mitigation, was another key focus area for the panel. “As we see the rise in fiber demand due to increasing use of tissue and sustainable packaging, the fiber industry is faced with the challenge to improve yield without expanding land bank or concession footprint. We have achieved a 29% increase in fiber yield over the past four years without expanding our land bank or concession footprint. Science-based solutions and continued research that enables us to produce more from the same land bank is essential for supply and sustainability,”said Mr. Singhavi.

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Nine Dragons Paper Mills Orders Key Pulp Production Equipment From Valmet These orders once again confirm the excellent business relationship between ANDRITZ and Nine Dragons Paper. The start-ups are scheduled for 2022 and 2023. May 6, 2021

NDRITZ has been awarded orders from Nine Dragons Paper, China, to supply equipment and key process technologies for five of their mills. The scope of supply on EPS basis includes the following equipment — a white liquor plant with a capacity of 10,500 m3/d, including a recausticizing plant and an ANDRITZ LimeKiln. The recausticizing plant delivery includes green liquor cooler, a LimeSlake slaker-classifier, three causticizer tank agitators, a drum filter for dregs handling, a LimeWhite filter for white liquor filtration to achieve high white liquor quality, and a LimeDry filter for efficient lime mud filtration to ensure high lime mud dryness and consequently low heat consumption in the kiln. The ANDRITZ LimeKiln, with a capacity of 950 t/d burnt lime, will be equipped with a highefficiency LimeCool sector cooler. Also, a recausticizing plant with a capacity of 5,800 m3/d. Two ash re-crystallization (ARC) systems with ash handling capacities of 400 t/d and 200 t/d respectively, to treat the ash from the electrostatic precipitator by decreasing the chloride and potassium content while recovering sodium and sulphate. ANDRITZ will

Key Pulp Production Equipment

supply a recausticizing plant with a capacity of 5,800 m3/d, and an ash re-crystallization (ARC) system with an ash handling capacity of 200 t/d to treat the ash from the electrostatic precipitator by decreasing the chloride and potassium content while recovering sodium and sulphate. The order also includes three recausticizing plants with a capacity of 2,500 m3/d each. n

ANDRITZ to Supply Approach Flow Equipment for Two Board Machines to Shanying Paper in China Start-up is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022. May 26, 2021

NDRITZ has received an order from Shanying Paper (Guangdong) to supply the approach flow-, fiber recovery-, and broke handling systems for two board production lines to its mill in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, China. ANDRITZ' scope of supply features the following technological highlights:

ModuScreen HBE screens with proven inflow design for highly efficient and pulsation-free headbox screening at low energy consumption

ModuScreen F screens with advanced rotor and screen basket design enabling high screening efficiency in the broke handling

Newly developed PrimeFilter D saveall disc filters with Conical Cell bagless sectors providing excellent filtrate quality and minimum maintenance efforts in the fiber recovery

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Newly developed PrimeFilter D saveall disc filter

Zhaoqing mill's production lines PM52 and PM53 feature a total capacity of 3,300 t/d and process OCC as raw material producing linerboard and testliner as final product. Shanying Paper (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. is part of Shanying International Holdings Co., which is a leading enterprise producing various paper products like culture paper, kraft papers, various packaging paper boards, and corrugated cardboard boxes. n

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Nine Dragons Orders Three XcelLine paper machines from Voith The commissioning of the XcelLine paper machines is planned for 2022 and 2023. May 25, 2021

ine Dragons Paper, the biggest manufacturer of packaging paper in China, has commissioned Voith to build and deliver three XcelLine paper machines for the production of high performance testliner and white top testliner. The three lines will further strengthen the paper manufacturer's leading position in the packaging paper segment. The planned daily production volume of the three identical paper machines is especially high: approximately 2,400 metric tons each, at production speeds of 1,400 m/min. In order to meet these requirements, the components must be extremely high-performing and robust. The elaborate former design of the machines, which are equipped with a DuoFormer DII E, allows for the required speed with high basis weights at the same time. The press sections each feature a Triple NipcoFlex press, which ensures excellent surface smoothness of white top liner. Due to the double unwind configuration and a fully automated full

XcelLine paper machines from Voith

reel change, the high-performance TwinDrive winder enables fast and efficient winding and thereby ensures a winder capacity that is up to 20 percent higher than conventional unwinding systems. n

ANDRITZ to Supply 2 Semi-Chemical Fiberlines to Lee & Man Paper in China ANDRITZ will also provide the basic engineering as well as supervision of mechanical installation work, commissioning, and start-up. May 6, 2021

NDRITZ has received an order from Lee & Man Paper to supply two semi-chemical fiberlines for its mills in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, and Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China. Start-up of both lines is scheduled for the end of 2022. The new fiberlines will have a capacity of 1000 admt/d each and process eucalyptus wood chips to produce semi-chemical pulp, an intermediate grade between kraft pulp and mechanical pulp. Semi-chemical pulp provides excellent fiber properties for corrugated boards, such as fluting paper and other grades produced at the mill. The highly efficient green liquor pulping technology from ANDRITZ will enable production of excellent pulp quality, high fiber yield as well as optimum interaction with the kraft pulp mill. The scope of supply comprises the main equipment for both fiberlines, featuring the following technological highlights:

Ÿ ANDRITZ continuous digester specifically designed for the semi-chemical pulping process

ANDRITZ blow line refiner 1CP

Ÿ Medium-consistency blow line refiners, type 1CP, to defibrate and homogenize cooked chips at low specific energy

Ÿ 5-stage counter-current washing with highly efficient vacuum VT washers and ANDRITZ screw presses to achieve minimum loss in washing and lowest carry-over of detrimental substances n

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Valmet Receives Order For 2 Tissue Lines From Zhejiang Jingxing Paper in China The order was included in Valmet's orders received of the first quarter 2021. The value of the order will not be disclosed. However, a project of this size and scope is typically valued at around EUR 20-30 million. May 11, 2021

almet will supply 2 Valmet Advantage DCT tissue lines, including automation system and three tissue rewinders, to Zhejiang Jingxing Paper Joint Stock Co., Ltd. in China. The new line will support the company's increasing demand for high-quality tissue products in the domestic and international markets. The start-ups are planned for the first half of 2022. The two new tissue machines TM5 and TM6 will have a width of 5.6 m and a design speed of 2,000 m/min. The raw material to be used in the tissue production will be virgin fiber. The new production line is optimized to save energy and to enhance the quality of the final product. Valmet's scope of delivery will comprise complete tissue production lines featuring two Valmet Advantage DCT 200 HS tissue machines. The machines will be equipped with OptiFlo headbox and steel Yankee cylinders. It will also be featured with the Advantage tissue technology including ViscoNip press,

Valmet Advantage DCT tissue lines

Advantage AirCap systems, WetDust dust systems, sheet transfer systems and SoftReel P reels. The delivery includes three Valmet Focus Rewinders. Furthermore, the delivery will include an extensive Valmet automation package with Valmet DNA machine controls, process controls and Valmet IQ quality controls. Complete engineering, installation supervision, training, start-up and commissioning are also included in the delivery. The new lines will add 120,000 tonnes of tissue to the customer's current production. n

Stora Enso Inaugurates its Renewed Containerboard Mill in Oulu, Finland Oulu Mill is Stora Enso's second successful conversion, following Varkaus Mill, inaugurated in 2016. May 20, 2021

tora Enso arranged a virtual inauguration ceremony to celebrate the successful conversion of the Oulu Mill which was transformed from paper production into high-quality kraftliner production. The Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, inaugurated the mill. The EUR 350 million conversion project proceeded according to plan, from the investment decision made in May 2019 to the start of the commercial deliveries in the first quarter of 2021. The current ramp-up phase is proceeding ahead of plan, and the customer feedback has been positive. The new machine is estimated to reach its designed annual production capacity of 450000 tonnes by the end of the June 2021. The product, AvantForte by Stora Enso, has three fibre layers, making it the strongest kraftliner in Stora Enso's portfolio. Packaging applications include fresh, fatty or moist food, as well as high-end e-commerce packaging. Customers with demanding packaging end-uses that require strength, purity and strong visual appearance features benefit from Oulu's new product. The market demand for the product is strong, as the global

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Oulu Mill

containerboard demand is forecasted to grow +2% per annum. The investment included a conversion of paper machine 7 into a world-class production line for virgin-fibre based kraftliner as well as the modification of the pulp mill and drying machine for unbleached brown pulp. In addition, Stora Enso invested EUR 40 million to enhance the mill's environmental performance. n

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Nippon Paper to Close Paper Machine at Ishinomaki Mill in Japan Nippon Paper Industries has decided that at the end of May 2022, it will shut down the operation of its coated paper-producing N6 paper machine at Ishinomaki mill (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Pref) in Japan. May 25, 2021

ippon Paper Industries will transform the business structure of the mill with the assumption that the mill will implement household paper business late FY 2023. Having operated since November 2007 as one of the Company's largest coated paper production facilities, N6 paper machine has continued to supply high quality products to customers. However, the demand for printing paper, including coated paper, is experiencing a structural decline due to the declining birthrate and the advance of digitalization. The products of N6 paper machine will continue to be made by other machines at the same mill and other mills of the Company. n

Nippon Paper

Mondi's New Recycled Containerboard Machine in Slovakia Delivers Sustainable Solution for Customers The new paper machine is part of Mondi's extensive EUR 370 million modernization programme at the Ružomberok mill over the past two years. May 11, 2021

ondi is supplying customers with its innovative and sustainable containerboard grade made in Slovakia from renewable materials. Kraft Top White combines the strength, printability and appearance benefits of a white fresh fibre top layer with the advantages of a recycled fibre bottom layer. State-of-the-art paper technology increases strength while reducing weight, making Kraft Top White a compelling solution for the growing European white top liner market for use in shelf-ready packaging, point-of-sale displays, trays, ecommerce packaging, consumer durables and other customized packaging applications. The Ružomberok mill enjoys a central location in the growing European containerboard market and can therefore offer reduced delivery lead times to customers across Europe for these new paper solutions. Mondi's annual 300,000 tonnes Kraft Top White capacity is unmatched in Europe. Production of the two Kraft Top White grades – ProVantage Smartwhite and ProVantage Topwhite – has been ramping up since PM19 started-up in January. At full capacity, the machine will use more than 200,000 tonnes of paper for recycling per year (mainly from Slovakia), opening new processing capacities and supporting the circular economy by keeping materials in circulation and preventing waste. The fully integrated pulp and paper mill has undergone major upgrades including an automatic warehouse storage area for

A roll of containerboard comes off the PM19 line in Ružomberok, Slovakia.

end products, a recycled paper line, and a recycled storage area. Work was also undertaken to improve the wastewater treatment plant. It now produces biogas as a by-product which is used at the plant's boilers, consequently reducing the mill's use of fossil fuels. Avoiding waste, keeping materials in circulation and reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions in line with science-based targets are a key focus of MAP2030, Mondi's 10-year Action Plan on sustainability. Details:

Ÿ Available with FSC® or PEFC® certification to meet demand for responsibly sourced materials

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Valmet to Supply the 12th Tissue Making Line to C&S in China The order was included in Valmet's orders received in the first quarter 2021. May 12, 2021

almet will supply a Valmet IntelliTissue 1600 tissue making line to Chinese tissue producer C&S. The new line will be installed at the company's mill in Tangshan, China. The start-up is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022. The value of the order will not be disclosed. However, a project of this size and scope is typically valued at around EUR 5-10 million. Valmet IntelliTissue machines belong to the small and medium size tissue machines that were integrated to Valmet's offering when the company acquired PMP from Poland in 2020. Thanks to a long-term customer relationship, this order

Valmet Tissue Making Line

will be Valmet's twelfth IntelliTissue tissue making line delivery to C&S. n

Stora Enso Divests its Sachsen Mill in Germany Sachsen Mill has an annual production capacity of 310 000 tonnes of newsprint specialty paper based on recycled paper. May 27, 2021

tora Enso has signed an agreement to divest its Sachsen Mill located in Eilenburg, Germany, to the Swiss-based family-owned company Model Group. Under the agreement, Model Group will own and operate Sachsen Mill after the transaction is closed. Stora Enso will continue to sell and distribute Sachsen's paper products under a contract manufacturing agreement for a period of 18 months after the closing. After that period, Model will convert the mill to the production of containerboard. All 230 employees at Sachsen Mill will move to Model Group with the transaction. The enterprise value of the transaction is EUR 35 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The impact on Stora Enso's operational EBIT or net debt is not considered material. Stora Enso will book a one-time cost of approximately

Representational image: Stora Enso Sachsen Mill

EUR 32 million in its IFRS operating profit in the second quarter of 2021, considered as an item affecting comparability (IAC). The transaction is expected to be closed during the third quarter of 2021. n

ANDRITZ Successfully Starts Up an Innovative Reject Handling Line at Sun Paper Savannakhet This successful start-up strengthens ANDRITZ's strong position as a technology and service provider for reject handling lines in Southeast Asia. ANDRITZ has supplied three reject handling systems to Sun Paper since 2014. May 19, 2021

NDRITZ has successfully started up a complete, innovative reject handling line as well as key stock preparation equipment at Sun Paper Savannakhet, Savannakhet Province, Laos.

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ANDRITZ's scope of supply includes a complete reject handling line that processes rejects from the mill's two OCC lines and the pulp drying line on site and has a design capacity of 400 t/d. The innovative reject line delivered and started up by ANDRITZ comprises the following key equipment:

N•E•W•S Ÿ Reject Compactor ReCo for dewatering the light rejects from coarse and drum screening to highest dryness

Ÿ ADuro P shredder equipped with a unique knife system and a robust rotor to ensure that the material is cut to the required particle sizes in only one step

Ÿ ADuro C shredder with special coupled shafts to facilitate knife exchange during maintenance and thus reduce downtime In addition, ANDRITZ installed approach flow systems and broke handling as well as several stock preparation components as part of two OCC lines. The stock preparation systems feed two paper production lines that feature a maximum capacity of 1,434 t/d each and produce high-quality test liner and corrugated paper as their final product. n

ADuro P shredder, type 2000, for one-step handling of light rejects

Toscotec to Supply AHEAD 2.2S Tissue Line to Saudi Paper Group Founded in 1989 as a private enterprise in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Paper Group is composed of three subsidiaries specializing in tissue jumbo rolls manufacturing. June 17, 2021

oscotec will supply an AHEAD 2.2S tissue machine to Saudi Paper Group (SPG) at its Dammam paper mill in Saudi Arabia. The new PM2 will produce premium quality tissue from virgin pulp. The start-up is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022. The AHEAD 2.2S line has a sheet trim width of 2,850 mm, a maximum operating speed of 2,100 mpm, and an annual production capacity of over 30,000 tons. Designed for top performance and optimal energy efficiency, the tissue machine is equipped with TT NextPress new shoe press design, a third-generation design TT SYD Steel Yankee Dryer with patented deckle head insulation, and high efficiency TT Hood. The supply includes the stock preparation system and Toscotec's patented TT SAF® (Short Approach Flow) featuring a double dilution system that reduces electrical consumption to a minimum. The scope also includes Toscotec's proprietary DCS system, and one OPTIMA slitter rewinder. Toscotec will provide a complete service package with detailed mill engineering, erection supervision, commissioning, training, and start-up assistance. Yousseri Abdel Hamid Abdel Aziz El Bishry, CEO of Saudi Paper Group, says, “Toscotec's AHEAD tissue machine will increase SPG's production capacity of tissue paper from 100,000 to 130,000 tons per year. It is a strategic expansion for our group, and we believe in the importance of equipping ourselves with leading-edge technology that will allow us to achieve our production targets with optimal performance and energy efficiency, delivering the highest quality to our customers.” Alessandro Mennucci, CEO of Toscotec, says, “We are very pleased to begin a new partnership with Saudi Paper Group. This project further strengthens Toscotec's position in the Middle East region. SPG will attain its objectives and fully

Contract signature at Toscotec headquarters in Lucca: (from left to right) Mr. Yousseri Abdel Hamid Abdel Aziz El Bishry, CEO of Saudi Paper Group and Mr. Alessandro Mennucci, CEO of Toscotec.

benefit from the optimal performances, high reliability and energy efficiency of this AHEAD tissue line.” Founded in 1989 as a private enterprise in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Paper Group is composed of three subsidiaries specializing in tissue jumbo rolls manufacturing - The Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company (SPMC), tissue converting, and paper recycling. SPMC is one of the leading tissue manufacturers in the Arab World, offering a wide range of tissue products from facial and pocket tissues, toilet rolls, kitchen towels, table napkins, maxi rolls and various other tissue-related products, which it distributes to the domestic and international markets. n

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Valmet to Supply Major Pulp and Board Technology Delivery to Klabin in Brazil The start-ups of PM 28, the BCTMP line and the fiberline are scheduled for the second quarter of 2023. June 11, 2021

almet will supply a large pulp and paper technology delivery to Klabin in Brazil. The order consists of a paperboard making line (PM 28), a complete new fiberline including a new Continuous Cooking G3, and a new bleached chemi thermo mechanical pulp (BCTMP) line, all with extensive scopes of automation and Valmet Industrial Internet solutions. The machine will produce a large variety of board grades from kraftliner to coated boards such as folding box boards (FBB) and liquid packaging boards (LPB) with a reservation to add bio-barrier grades to the portfolio in the future. Valmet's delivery consists of equipment for stock preparation and approach flow systems and a complete three-ply coated board making line (PM 28) from headboxes to reel, followed by a winder with automated transfer rails and roll handling systems. The delivery also includes extensive packages for air systems for the machine, a hall ventilation system as well as a wet end chemical system, and surface starch and coating color preparation with supply systems for a sizer and coating stations. The automation delivery includes Valmet DNA automation system, Valmet IQ quality control system, Valmet Industrial Internet package with Valmet Performance Center services, and a large combination of advanced monitoring and prediction applications, advanced process controls and training simulators. Additionally, it also includes Valmet Virtual Mill, and

The orders are included in Valmet's orders received of the second quarter 2021.

Valmet Paper Machine Clothing package for the startup for all machine clothing positions. The 9,000-mm wide (wire) machine will produce high quality kraftliner, liquid packaging board and folding box board grades with a design basis weight range of 150-350 g/m2. The design speed of the machine will be 1,200 m/min and the annual capacity 460,000 tonnes. The fiberline is designed to flexibly produce eucalyptus hardwood pulp or southern pine softwood pulp. The design capacity for eucalyptus pulp is 1.000 tonnes/day and for pine pulp is 800 tonnes/day. The new 400 tonnes per day BCTMP line includes an impregnation system, high consistency refining stage, bleaching system, low consistency refining, screening, dewatering and washing. n

Kadant to Acquire German Blade Manufacturer Joh. Clouth Clouth is a leading manufacturer of doctor blades and related equipment used in the production of paper, packaging, and tissue. June 17, 2021

adant Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Joh. Clouth GmbH & Co. KG, and its affiliates for approximately EUR 78 million in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments. “Our acquisition of Clouth brings together two global market leaders to create an even stronger portfolio of doctor blades used in creping, scraping, cleaning, and coating applications,” said Jeffrey L. Powell, president and chief executive officer of Kadant Inc. “Clouth's first-class management team has built a solid reputation in its core markets and established a formidable presence in Europe, Asia, and North America with 92% of its revenue from parts and consumables. We are delighted to welcome Clouth employees to the Kadant family.”

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Joh. Clouth

“After nearly 150 years of building a world-class reputation for quality doctor blades, we are excited about this new chapter in our company's history,” said Peter Kochenrath, chief executive officer of Clouth. “Kadant's relentless focus on serving customers with high-performance products and service is consistent with our business approach and positions Clouth well for continued growth.” n

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Mondi and ACMI Team Up on Paper Pallet Wrapping System This innovative paper solution replaces the multi-layer plastic which is currently the industry standard for pallet wrapping. June 17, 2021

ondi has collaborated with an Italian machine producer, ACMI, to create a new wrapping system for pallets that uses paper instead of plastic. Advantage StretchWrap is a brand-new lightweight paper grade from Mondi made especially for wrapping pallets. The company claims that the solution, which is responsibly sourced from renewable materials in Scandinavia, is able to stretch and resist punctures, providing robust protection for goods during transit. According to Mondi, the paper's “impressive stretchability” and “high-tensile strength” make it a reliable alternative for transport. Acceleration tests to simulate transportation with ESTL equipment (performed according to EUMOS 40509) and real-life transportation trials have reportedly confirmed that pallets wrapped with Advantage StretchWrap are safe. Now, after two years of research and development, we are proud to launch Advantage StretchWrap, our innovative

Mondi Advantage StretchWrap

paper-based solution for pallet wrapping. It is a great example of how we are making packaging and paper sustainable by design, using paper where possible, plastic when useful.” n

Valmet to Supply Two OptiConcept M Container Board Making Lines to Zhejiang Shanying Paper The orders are included in Valmet's orders received in the second quarter 2021. The value of the orders has not been disclosed. June 23, 2021

almet will supply two OptiConcept M container board making lines with extensive packages of automation, services and industrial internet applications to Zhejiang Shanying Paper in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang province, China. The new board making lines PM 16 and PM 17 continue the expanding of the Zhejiang Shanying Paper's business in the Zhejiang area. The start-ups are scheduled from the end of 2022 to early 2023. These deliveries at Jiaxing Mill will already be Valmet's 11th and 12th OptiConcept M board making line deliveries to Zhejiang Shanying Paper. The 10 earlier machines were or will be delivered to customer's different sites. The latest one (PM 53) was published earlier this year. Valmet's delivery for the both machines will include a highspeed, multi-layer container board making line from broke collection to a reel and winders. The delivery will also include board machine process ventilation systems. The wide automation package includes Valmet DNA automation system for process and machine controls as well as runnability and

Valmet's OptiConcept M Container Board Making Line

condition monitoring and Valmet IQ quality management system. The delivery will also include comprehensive Maintenance Master Data, Valmet Paper Machine Clothing, spare parts and consumables packages. For a period of two years, the start-up and the further optimization of PM 16 will be supported remotely from Valmet Performance Center. Valmet Industrial Internet solutions will help the optimizing of raw material and quality and help the operator to optimize the use of fabrics. They can also be used to

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N•E•W•S predict and avoid production losses and increase machine reliability, and with a solution called Dynamic Centerline Advisor, the operator can find the optimal setpoint and

running conditions for processes. Virtual Mill, which can be used e.g. for personnel training, consists of full digital design twin of the board machine. n

Mondi Approves EUR 125 Million Expansion of Kuopio Mill in Finland The project includes an upgrade of the wood yard, fibre line, evaporation plant and paper machine. Start-up is planned for the fourth quarter of 2023. June 23, 2021

ondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, has approved a EUR 125 million capital investment project at its semi-chemical fluting mill in Kuopio, Finland. This investment will increase the Kuopio Mill's capacity by around 55 thousand tonnes per annum to meet growing customer demand; enhance product quality and costcompetitiveness; and strengthen the mill's environmental performance.

Kuopio Mill

ProVantage Powerflute®, the semi-chemical fluting produced at the mill, is a high per formance and top quality containerboard grade. Due to its high strength, moisture resistance and durability, it is a key component of fresh fruit and vegetable trays and boxes as well as specialized applications. Fit-for-purpose packaging plays an important role in protect-

ing fresh produce, which is vital considering approximately a third of the world's food is lost or wasted every year. ProVantage Powerflute® is ideally placed to meet the growing demand for paper-based fresh food packaging solutions that are sustainable by design, thereby minimizing food waste and reducing the use of unnecessary plastic. n

ANDRITZ Introduces High-Speed Tissue Machines with 2200 m/min Design Speed The machines feature Metris – ANDRITZ digital solutions – which allow for remote assistance during commissioning and start-up as well as improved operation. June 17, 2021

NDRITZ has introduced two new tissue machines with a design speed of 2,200 m/min for high production capacity:

Ÿ PrimeLineTM S 2200 with 2.6 to 2.85 m width at reel Ÿ PrimeLineTM W 2200 with 5.4 to 5.6 m width at reel All proven ANDRITZ key components can be installed, like the PrimePress XT shoe press for gentle dewatering and high niploads, the PrimeDry Steel Yankee for energy-efficient drying, the PrimeDry HeatRecovery re-evaporation system for returning energy to the production process or the PrimeDry Hood ST for steam-heated drying instead of using more expensive gas heating. The new machines feature Metris – ANDRITZ digital solutions – which enable remote assistance during commissioning and start-up as well as improved operation. With the services

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High-speed tissue production with ANDRITZ PrimeLine technology

offered by ANDRITZ at its Metris Performance Centers, tissue mills are able to benefit from individual and fast customer service by using the Metris UX Platform for optimization of production processes, troubleshooting by operators and decision-making support. n

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Voith Group Received Significantly Growing Orders in the First Half of FY 2020-21 Voith Paper was able to significantly increase its orders received by 26 percent in the first half of the financial year and sales remained at a high level. June 22, 2021

n the first six months (October 2020 to the end of March 2021) of the current financial year 2020/2021, the Voith Group continued to develop positively, despite a very challenging market environment partly due to the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, the Voith Group was able to operate in the black in all three divisions of its core business and increase Group-wide EBIT. In addition, there was significant growth in orders received at all Group Divisions. After adjusting for currency effects, there was an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year and the orders received were 21 percent higher than in the previous year. Further, the orders on hand as of March 31 were noticeably higher than the already high level of the previous year, resulting in its highest level in the last nine years. Voith was able to further increase its operating results slightly in the first half of the year. Despite the difficult market environment, net profit was in positive territory. In the past, Voith had strategically strengthened its core business through various M&A activities. This had a positive impact on the half-year results during the crisis. Strengthening its business as a full-line supplier in the paper sector through the acquisitions of BTG at the end of 2019 and of 90 percent of the shares in Toscotec S.p.A. in 2020 bore initial fruit in the current financial year. ELIN Motoren GmbH also made a positive contribution in the first half of 2020/21. In the spring of 2020, Voith acquired 70 percent of the Austrian company, which specializes in electric motors and generators for industrial applications. In addition to strengthening its core businesses, Voith continues to focus on opening promising business fields. Voith is

Voith Group

examining strategic options in the fields of hydrogen technology, energy storage and electric drive systems. Its strategy is to position itself as a pioneer and performance leader in its strategic business areas. To this end, Voith aims to be among the leading suppliers in each of the industries it covers and to continue to develop in the direction of the megatrends of decarbonization and digitalization. Voith Paper remains on course for growth. Despite a normalization of investments in the paper industry, Voith Paper was again able to significantly increase its orders received by 26 percent in the first half of the financial year and sales remained at a high level. The Voith Group's strategic goal of achieving sustained profitable growth in the coming years remains unchanged. Despite continuing uncertainties, due to the solid results for the first half of the financial year and a stronger market environment, Voith expects all key performance indicators to develop more positively in the remaining financial year 2020/21 than was projected at the 2019/20 financial year-end closing in December. n

Kadant Successfully Starts up OCC and Approach Flow Systems at Shanying's Thai Operations The new recycled pulp facility in Thailand began test runs in May using OCC furnish from the U.S. June 29, 2021

adant Fiberline (China) Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Kadant Inc. has announced the successful start-up of its OCC and approach flow systems on Shanying International's new recycled pulp line in Prachin Buri province, Thailand.

The new recycled pulp facility in Thailand began test runs in May using OCC furnish from the U.S. With China's full recovered paper (RCP) import restrictions starting at the beginning of 2021, the recycled pulp output from the Thailand plant is expected to be shipped to China to feed the company's board machines.

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N•E•W•S “Once again, we are very pleased to have been selected by Shanying to supply our OCC and approach flow systems,” said Scott Warner, president of Kadant Fiberline (China) Co. As part of the Kadant Foundations™ fiber processing product line, this system features innovative technologies and equipment enabling the mill to operate with excellent stock quality and yield while generating up to a 20% reduction in fiber and energy consumption.” Shanying International Holdings Co., Ltd., is one of the largest industrial papermaking enterprises and packaging board manufacturers in China. n

Kadant Inc.

Valmet and Red Leaf Pulp Sign Exclusive Teaming Agreement for New Pulp Technology Red Leaf's plant is expected to start commercial production in 2023 and will have the capacity to produce 600 TPD of market pulp from waste wheat straw which will be collected locally. June 30, 2021

ed Leaf Pulp, developer of a proprietary low-carbon pulping process, and Valmet have signed a long-term Teaming Agreement to exclusively collaborate and pursue commercialization of Red Leaf's innovative ag-based pulping process in North America, employing Valmet's fiberline and other value-added equipment. Red Leaf's initial plant in Regina Saskatchewan is expected to start commercial production in 2023 and will have the capacity to produce 600 TPD of market pulp from waste wheat straw collected and aggregated from local producers. Red Leaf Pulp and Valmet announce an exclusive teaming

Image: Valmet

agreement to commercialize innovative ag-based pulp technology. n

Valmet Launches New Fiberline Analyzer for Major Process Control Needs in Pulp Mill The Valmet Fiberline Analyzer includes the major advances in measuring technology gained through four generations of Valmet Kappa Analyzers. May 3, 2021

almet has launched a new Valmet Fiberline Analyzer to enable pulp makers to improve total pulp quality management, boost process stability and gain major savings in chemical costs from the digester blow line right up to final pulp storage. Valmet Fiberline Analyzer measures pulp lignin content and brightness in addition to enhanced fiber and shive property measurements using the latest high-definition imaging

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techniques. Measurement data from automatically extracted pulp samples, in addition to inline sensor information can be combined with real-time production targets to provide set points for chemical controls from the digester to final bleaching stages.

Application specific measurements and controls Built-in controls can provide external set points to the chemical dosage controllers using easily understood

N•E•W•S function blocks to perform filtering and calculations. For softwood pulps, the basic controller uses a Kappa factor control modified with predic tive feedback tak ing Kappa/brightness, shive content and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) into account. Valmet Fiberline Analyzer can also separately measure lignin and hexenuronic acid (HexA) to provide significantly improved control of the complex chemistr y of cook ing and delignification, especially with hardwood pulps. These measurement and control capabilities, coupled with the analyzer's unique ability to accurately measure final brightness, close the loop for true fiberline process optimization and quality control.

User-friendliness and remote support The analyzer requires minimal maintenance and features chemical based self-cleaning for trouble free operation. With the built-in touch screen display, all analyzer operating parameters, operating sequences and diagnostics together

Valmet Fiberline Analyzer

with operating instruction are all instantly available. Remote configuration and operation as well as Valmet Industrial Internet (VII) capabilities provide the possibilities of remote specialist support and assistance from Valmet around the world. n

Toscotec to Supply Wet End Rebuild to Dunn Paper in Michigan Established in 1924, Dunn Paper is a tissue and specialty paper manufacturer and converter. May 12, 2021

unn Paper selected Toscotec for the rebuild of the wet section of PM2 at its Menominee paper mill in Michigan, USA. The paper machine produces specialty papers including MG grades and flexible packaging products. In 2017, Toscotec had installed a custom-made TT Headbox at Dunn Paper's St. Catharines paper mill in Canada. Based on the successful experience of this rebuild, Dunn Paper Menominee asked Toscotec to create a preliminary engineering solution that met PM2's production and quality targets. Finally, Dunn Paper awarded the rebuild order to Toscotec, valuing the importance of a fully-customized technical offer based on the analysis of the machine's operating data. Toscotec will supply the approach flow system, and a hydraulic TT Headbox-SL fitted with dilution control. The service package includes erection supervision, commissioning, and start-up assistance. n

Dunn Paper Menominee paper mill in Michigan, USA

UPM Specialty Papers Presents New Multifunctional Barrier Paper UPM Specialty Papers is expanding its selection of recyclable packaging papers with the launch of a new barrier paper made from renewable materials – UPM Asendo Pro. May 25, 2021

two-side coated paper, UPM says that its new solution provides multiple advantages as a rec yclable monomaterial – including a basis for high-quality visuals, advanced grease resistance, good moisture resistance, and mineral oil barrier properties that keep products safe.

The solution is reportedly suitable for dry, greasy and frozen foods, as well as wrappings where print properties are vital. End-use purposes vary from non-food wrapping to food enduses, and can be further converted for additional barrier properties and sealability to open up more demanding enduses.

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N•E•W•S Over the development period of the product, UPM says that it worked closely with converters, packaging line manufacturers and brand owners to test the product's features and to receive input and feedback. The collaborative development process also included optimization of the product's print performance. n

UPM Asendo Pro

Dunn Paper Launches Sustainable Coated Paper Technology Dunn Paper has launched BiOrigin, a sustainable coated paper technology that serves as an alternative to plastic. May 26, 2021

orth American paper manufacturer and supplier Dunn Paper has launched a sustainable coated paper technology to act as an alternative to plastic packaging. Named BiOrigin, the fluorocarbon-free product platform uses barrier and containment technology that contains no chromium or styrene. The product has been launched after several years of development. The company used bio-based coatings for the technology to meet renewability, recyclability and compostability requirements for certification. Dunn uses bio-based polymers as a sealing agent to enhance product freshness while shielding products from external elements. BiOrigin paper is printable and can be customised with clients' preferred branding and designs. According to Dunn, the paper also offers enhanced functionality to improve safety and sustainability. BiOrigin technology

Dunn Paper offers sustainable coated paper

complies with the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) food contact regulations and is certified by other third parties, including the US Department of Agriculture and the Biodegradable Products Institute. n

Smurfit Kappa Invests EUR 20 Million in Czech Republic and Slovakia The investment consists of four major projects — three upgrades will occur in the Czech Republic, at Smurfit Kappa facilities in Žebrák, Žimrovice, and Olomouc, and one in Slovakia at Smurfit Kappa Štúrovo. All four projects are expected to be completed by the end of this year. May 26, 2021

murfit Kappa is substantially expanding its converting capacity at four manufacturing plants across the Czech Republic and Slovakia with a significant EUR 20 million investment.

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The investment further highlights Smurfit Kappa's commitment to its customers and operations in Eastern Europe. The investment will see the installation of new converting equipment which will increase capacity by over 100 million regular and offset printed boxes per annum. The new state-of-

N•E•W•S the art equipment will enable the plants to meet their respective increasing customer demand for sustainable, paper-based packaging, and to deliver high quality packaging solutions on a consistent basis. The investment also adds the opportunity to bring the employees an even safer and more ergonomic workplace. n

Smurfit Kappa announces EUR 20 million investment

Bioactive Paper Coatings to Replace Plastic for Packaging Foods The amount of plastic waste increases every year. Some of this waste is due to plastic packaging used to protect food. May 31, 2021

s part of the “BioActiveMaterials” project, researchers at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have presented an innovative, sustainable, and eco-friendly solution for food packaging. Just as with conventional packaging, it keeps the food fresher for longer. The new packaging involves no plastic whatsoever and can be easily recycled after use. As per the report, the researchers use paper as the base material for producing typical and functional packaging materials: resealable bags or wrapping paper. Its inside surface is coated with a blend of proteins and waxes with biobased additives. The coating is applied to the paper in liquid form, using roll-to-roll technology and offers long-term stability, performs several functions at the same time. The proteins are extracted from plants such as rapeseed, lupins, whey, or sunflowers. Turning to the waxes, the researchers went for beeswax and wax produced from the candelilla bush native to northern Mexico and from the Brazilian carnauba palm. These waxes are biodegradable, approved for food contact, and readily available on the market. After use, the packaging can be placed in the waste paper recycling bin for disposal. The coating is biodegradable and

Bioactive Paper Coating

does not impede the recycling process. Discount stores and food retailers will also benefit from the Fraunhofer packaging because consumers are following the trend towards resource-efficient, biodegradable and plasticfree packaging. The project partners are already experimenting with concepts for applying the coating directly to foods such as fruit or vegetables, thereby extending their shelf life. n

Mondi Completes Acquisition of Turkish Packaging Group Olmuksan Mondi will also launch a mandatory tender offer to acquire the remaining 9.62% of outstanding shares in the company that it does not already own. May 31, 2021

ondi has announced that it had completed its planned acquisition of Turkish corrugated packaging group Olmuksan International Paper Ambalaj Sanayi ve Ticaret from

International Paper. Mondi said all conditions for the deal, first announced on 5 January, had now been satisfied. It had acquired 90.38% of the outstanding shares in Olmuksan for EUR 66 million, with an implied enterprise value on a 100% basis of around EUR 88 million. www.papermart.in / April - May, 2021 | 99

N•E•W•S Olmuksan is a leading and well-established corrugated packaging player in Turkey, listed on the Istanbul stock exchange. Its network of five plants provides a diverse customer base with high-quality sustainable packaging for food, beverage, agriculture and industrial applications. n

Turkish Packaging Group Olmuksan

Metsä Group Plans to Expand Production of Mechanical Wood Products at Äänekoski Mill Site The planning process is estimated to last until early 2022. June 3, 2021

etsä Group has started a planning process with the City of Äänekoski with the aim of expanding the production of mechanical wood products at the Äänekoski mill site in the future. A detailed plan is being applied for as an industrial area for the Henttalanmäki area south of the existing mill site. The area currently has a general plan in force and it is mainly owned by Metsä Fibre, a part of Metsä Group. n

Äänekoski Mill Site

Toscotec Introduces New Shoe Press Generation Design for Tissue TT NextPress delivers a stable after-press dryness rate of more than 47% on a tissue line operating above 2,000 mpm speed. This dryness level ensures a substantial reduction of energy consumption, as the Yankee and the hoods use significantly less thermal energy to complete the paper drying process. June 3, 2021

oscotec has launched the new generation design of its shoe press TT NextPress, featuring superior drying performances and energy savings, resulting from R&D activities in cooperation with Voith.

Superior Dewatering Delivers Higher Dryness A new shoe shape has been introduced to enhance the nip width and increase the peak pressure at the nip outlet, reshaping the outward pressure into a steeper curve. This eliminates the risk of paper re-wetting at the exit of the nip, and increases sheet dryness, without affecting the belt's life. TT NextPress

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N•E•W•S Continuous Nip Control for Maximum Reliability Machine operators can now visualize on the DCS (Distributed Control System) the actual nip pressure of TT NextPress in real time. The operator can regulate the nip pressure at which the TT NextPress is loaded onto the Yankee resulting from both a theoretical and empirical system, as the nip pressure is calculated based on the shoe press loading system and also measured by the load cells installed on the press mechanical stop.

Higher Precision: The Perfect Fit for Rebuilds In rebuilds, the installation of a shoe press on an old-style cast iron Yankee can compromise the lifetime of both the felt and the belt. Toscotec has designed a dedicated solution on the TT NextPress consisting of multiple independent pressure zones, up to 14 in total, of which 12 are located on the edges. This design ensures a perfect fit between the shoe and the Yankee deformation, and maximizes the clothing lifetime.

Improved Safety and Yankee Protection TT NextPress nip pressure lines are fitted with a pressure accumulator pre-charged with nitrogen, which is installed

inside the belt as close as possible to the loading pistons. The accumulators absorb instantaneous overloads or pressure increases on the line due to the presence of external elements or paper wads in the nip area. This eliminates the risk of any possible damage to the Yankee dryer. The new TT NextPress builds on the features of its previous version which have been widely appreciated by tissue producers around the globe. These include:

Ÿ the hydraulic loading system, which ensures top pressure uniformity and reliability

Ÿ the extreme flexibility offered by the shoe tilting regulation during operations

Ÿ the maximization of the belt lifetime both through the continuous digital monitoring of the heads position with regular lateral movements of the belt, and through the sleeve tensioning device actuated by hydraulic cylinders, which delivers a constant and adjustable stretching force Toscotec, together with Voith, has sold more than 60 shoe presses for tissue machines all over the world. n

Access to Affordable Clean Energy Will be the Make-Or-Break Factor for Successful Green and Digital Transition May 5, 2021

he European Commission has adopted its revamped industrial strategy focusing on the lessons learned from the COVID 19 crisis. Cepi wishes to assist the European Commission in the development of transition pathways across relevant industrial ecosystems. “The European paper industry has embraced the green and digital transition already. We are investing and ready to invest even more. Today's promise by the European Commission to support regulatory stability and predictability and the business case for the green and digital transitions are essential for these investments to continue in Europe”, said Jori Ringman, Cepi Director General. The new European Commission initiative can boost Made in Europe-industries. With our growing number of biorefineries, the pulp and paper industry is deeply connected with a number of the 14 already identified ecosystems. We support the Commission's reiterated pledge to gain a better understanding of the conditions required for a successful green and digital transformation. All industrial ecosystems will need to accelerate emission reduction. Therefore, as many industry sectors as possible should be included in the co-creation process to define the enabling policy frameworks. Such an actionable plan must

Clean Energy Transition

facilitate access to affordable clean energy. Enabling actions can also trigger investments in low-carbon technologies. Jori Ringman, Cepi Director General, commented “Access to affordable clean energy will be the make-or-break factor for many industries, including ours, in the energy transition. It also easily is the most cost-effective way to accelerate green transition.” Cepi supports the European Commission's plan to promote renewable Power Purchase Agreements as a tool to decrease the costs of renewable electricity and, similarly, gas. We will

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N•E•W•S continue contributing to the development of the Energy and Industry Geography Lab and working with prosumer models for clean energy. The 'Fit-for-55' package will further determine the future of many European industrial ecosystems. While ensuring continued effective carbon leakage protection for our sector,

the new policy measures will be essential to accelerate investments in the transition. Revitalizing the EU's single market project, safeguarding of international competitiveness and policies for open and fair access to export markets are important for the pulp and paper industry as a net-exporting sector. n

ANDRITZ Successfully Starts up P-RC APMP Fiberline at Dezhou Taiding in China The new P-RC APMP fiberline is already delivering the first highly promising operational results as to fiber quality and energy savings. June 18, 2021

NDRITZ has successfully started up the new chemithermomechanical pulping systems at Dezhou Taiding New Material Science and Technology, Shandong, China. The new P-RC APMP (Pre-Conditioning Refiner Chemical Alkaline Peroxide Mechanical Pulp) fiberline features a capacity of 400 t/d and processes poplar as raw material. The fiber produced is being used on the company's own paper machines for P&W (printing and writing paper) and board grades. ANDRITZ installed the key components for the entire mechanical fiberline, ranging from chip washing to the final pulp washing and dewatering press as well as provided engineering, training as well as supervision of the mechanical installation, commissioning and start-up. n

ANDRITZ P-RC APMP Fiberline

BTG to Launch its Latest Mutek Charge Measurement Device This 6th generation PCD (PCD-06) provides enhanced features including a new and compact design, faster measurement, a larger state of the art display, and easier handling. June 28, 2021

he PCD (Particle Charge Detector) provides valuable information on the charge of colloidal dissolved substances in an aqueous solution. Reliable measurement of charge and insights into how different materials are interacting, enables the optimization of various industrial processes including wet end chemistry in paper making. The first BTG PCD was created in the mid-1980s and since the initial launch, over 5000 units have been sold throughout the world. BTG remains a leader in charge measurement. BTG offers a full portfolio of solutions related to charge management, including laboratory and online versions. BTG's process experts provide valuable support to maximize the value of these technologies in optimization. Other well recognized BTG instruments used in charge measurement include SZP (zeta potential) and SPC (the on-line version of the PCD). n

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BTG's Mutek Charge Measurement Device

N•E•W•S

Valmet Delivers Recycled Fiber Lines for Umka Cardboard Mill Rebuild in Serbia The order was included in Valmet's orders received in the first quarter of 2021. June 21, 2021

almet will supply recycled fiber lines to the Umka Cardboard Mill rebuild in Serbia. The order is a continuation of Valmet's board machine rebuilds delivery, which will be started up during the second half of 2021. The main target of the rebuild is to increase the customer's production capacity and improve end-product quality. The recycled fiber lines are scheduled to start-up during the first half of 2022. Valmet's delivery will include substantial changes to the recycled fiber lines for Umka's paper machine PM 1. These include an Old Corrugated Containers (OCC) line with reject handling and a rebuild of two Deinked Pulp (DIP) lines. n

OCC Lines

Smurfit Kappa Acquires Peruvian Packaging Firm for Undisclosed Sum Smurfit Kappa said the acquisition will open opportunities for it to enhance the business through improved operating systems, procurement arrangements and design and innovation capability. June 4, 2021

murfit Kappa has completed the acquisition of Cartones del Pacifico, a leading paper-based packaging company in Peru, for an undisclosed amount. Cartones del Pacifico, which employs 386 staff, is one of the leading paper-based packaging businesses in Peru. The acquisition expands Smurfit Kappa's footprint in Latin America, where it already has operations in 12 countries. n

Cartones del Pacifico

Nippon Paper Acquires Portion of Elopak, Expands its Presence in European Market The Japanese paper manufacturing company has acquired a portion of Elopak, as a Cornerstone investor in Elopak's initial public offering on the Oslo Børs. June 22, 2021

ippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. has announced that it has acquired a portion of the issued ordinary share capital of Elopak ASA, a Norway-based liquid paper packaging company

operating in Europe and North America, as a Cornerstone investor in Elopak's initial public offering on the Oslo Børs. Nippon Paper has positioned the five businesses of packaging, household paper and healthcare, chemicals, energy, and wood

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N•E•W•S as growth areas. In the packaging field in particular, paper is being reevaluated as an environmentally friendly material. As a total system supplier, our Paper-Pak Division has been striving to further expand its value chain by securing an integrated system from base paper to processing, and has also sought opportunities for business expansion through capital investment and M&A in Japan and overseas. Elopak is a leading global supplier of carton packaging and filling equipment for liquid food, catering to both the fresh and ambient markets. The company's iconic Pure-Pak® cartons are designed with the environment, food safety and convenience in mind. Using renewable, recyclable and sustainably sourced materials, Elopak provides innovative packaging solutions that offer a natural and convenient alternative to plastic bottles and which fit with a low carbon circular economy. Elopak and Nippon Paper have been deepening their relationship for more than 30 years, starting in 1989 and most recently signed a new product licensing agreement in March 2016 that allows Nippon Paper to manufacture and sell certain Pure-Pak® products in Japan. Under Nippon Paper's corporate slogan “Shaping the future

Elopak's iconic Pure-Pak®

with trees”, Nippon Paper's corporate philosophy has been to contribute to the creation of a decarbonized society by sustainable and effective use of wood resources, and to the development of a more affluent lifestyle and culture for people around the world. Elopak has also pledged to create sustainable packaging solutions which empower consumers to make environmentally conscious choices. n

Kemira Increases Prices of AKD Technologies in APAC region The decision to increase prices was taken keeping in mind the significant rise in cost of raw materials, logistics, energy etc. June 22, 2021

emira, a global chemicals company serving customers in the pulp and paper industry, announces price increases for AKD technologies in the Asia Pacific region. The adjustment will be effective immediately or as contracts allow and as follows:

Ÿ FennoWax AKD wax 5-15% Ÿ FennoSize AKD emulsion 5-15% The decision is triggered by continuous, significant cost increase for all key raw materials, energy and logistics, as well as new export regulatory compliance requirements. Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for

Kemira

water intensive industries. Its major focus is on pulp & paper, water treatment and oil & gas. n

ANDRITZ to Rebuild Board Machine at Mayr-Melnhof Karton in Austria The international technology group will rebuild the board machine at the mill in Austria. June 23, 2021

NDRITZ has received an order from Mayr-Melnhof Karton, Austria, to rebuild its KM3 at the mill in Frohnleiten. The aim of the rebuild is to increase production as well as improve quality and the ecological footprint. Start-up is scheduled for 2023.

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The scope of supply comprises rebuild of the wire section, including major modifications to the approach flow systems with new pumps, upgrade of three existing headboxes and the hybrid former, as well as a new 2-layer PrimeFlow AT headbox with the latest state-of-the art dilution water CD profiling for better high-end product quality.

N•E•W•S The order also includes new press section with two PrimePress X shoe presses for gentle, energy-efficient dewatering and bulk savings at higher dryness, rebuild of the pre-dryer section with PrimeRun web stabilizers for improved runability, upgrade of two under-machine pulpers in the area of the press and predryer section, complete adaptation of the automation system to accommodate the scope of supply, machine clothings for the complete scope of supply and assembly, start-up and production assistance. The board machine KM3 has a design speed of 800 m/min and a wire width of 5 m. It produces folding boxboard (chromo duplex quality) with 230–450 GSM. ANDRITZ will also adapt the automation system of the stock preparation lines for board machines KM2 and KM3 in Frohnleiten. The upgraded automation system will enable high equipment availability as well as fast and easy operation and

Image: ANDRITZ

maintenance. The modifications will be made in several stages, with final completion planned for 2022. n

Valmet Completes Acquisitions of EWK Umwelttechnik and ECP Group EWK Umwelttechnik and ECP Group will be included in Valmet's financial reporting for the first time in Valmet's third quarter financial reporting 2021. July 2, 2021

almet has completed the acquisition of EWK Umwelttechnik GmbH and ECP Group Oy following the agreements that were announced on June 10. EWK Umwelttechnik is a German company manufacturing and supplying air emission control systems and after-installation services. ECP Group is a manufacturer and maintainer of electrostatic precipitators (ESP), focusing on power plants and pulp and paper industry, in Finland. The acquired business of EWK Umwelttechnik becomes a part o f Va l m e t ' s P u l p a n d e n e r g y b u s i n e s s l i n e . E W K Umwelttechnik's offering of emission control technologies includes electrostatic precipitators, wet absorbers, catalytic and heat recovery systems, and wastewater purification products. The company serves multiple customer segments, including wood-based panelboard, glass, mineral wool, and steel industries. The net sales of EWK Umwelttechnik were approximately EUR 22 million in 2020. The company employs approximately 50 employees mainly in Kaiserslautern, Germany. As of July 1, 2021, ECP Group is known as Valmet Environment Oy. The acquired business will be integrated into Valmet EMEA organization, to enhance energy and recovery services. The

Valmet

offering acquired from ECP Group consists of manufacturing and modernizing electrostatic precipitators as well as providing services, such as inspections, annual maintenance, spare parts and performance improvements. The net sales of ECP Group were approximately EUR 6 million in 2020. The company, founded in 2002, is headquartered in Vantaa, Finland, and employs around 20 employees. n

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N•E•W•S

Sony Develops Sustainable Paper Material From Recycled Paper, Bamboo and Sugarcane Sony continues to promote packaging that reduces plastics through initiatives toward the 'elimination of plastic packaging from newly-designed small products' set in its medium-term environmental targets 'green management 2025'. June 18, 2021

ony has developed a sustainable and eco-friendly packaging material made from bamboo, sugarcane fiber, and post-consumer recycled paper. Sony's cases, outer box, inner box, and protective pads can be made entirely from“original mixed materials”, which is recyclable, durable, and long-lasting material — a paper material produced without plastic or dye. By changing the mixing analogy, its body can be transformed into multiple shapes ensuring a wide variety of uses, while incorporating characters in the design can be embossed, avoiading the use of ink. Sony has developed this material for the packaging of WF1000XM4 headphones, while the company aims to use it in the future for a wider range of products. The original blended material utilizes bamboo that is cultivated in three mountains in the Guizhou province, China, and is a different type of this one that serves as a food source for pandas. Only the necessary amount is sorted and cut down to ensure the entire bamboo mountains preserving a sustainable growing cycle and reducing the impact on nature.

Paper made of original mixed material

Bamboo, as well as sugarcane, is a plant with a short growth cycle. The original blended material uses only the pomace of sugarcane that is leftover in the process of producing sugar and cultivated in fields within a radius of 100 km of Nakhon Sawan, Thailand. Furthermore, the strength of the material is increased by combining the recycled paper with bamboo and sugarcane fiber, while the paper provides it with a unique organic look. n

Unicharm Launches Regenerated Pulp Packaging in Indonesia Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries data show that the Southeast Asian country is the world's second-largest contributor of plastic pollutants in the ocean, generating 6.4 million tons a year. June 14, 2021

ajor Japanese hygiene products maker Unicharm Corp. has started selling in Indonesia sanitary pads and face masks in eco-friendly regenerated pulp packaging. As reported in a leading daily, Unicharm's local subsidiary, PT. Uni-Charm Indonesia Tbk, launched the products packaged in fully recycled pulp earlier this month via online stores and at selected hypermarkets and supermarkets in the country in limited volumes. “Charm Safe Night 350mm” priced at 24,400 rupiah (USD 1.71) and "Unicharm Mask Protect Pollution" priced at 24,900 rupiah (USD 1.74) are the first Unicharm group products to use 100 percent regenerated pulp packaging.

The overall volume of plastics used in the limited editions has been cut by 14.4 percent and 16.7 percent, respectively, it added.

The use of plastics has been cut by about 70 percent in the packages for the pads and 80 percent in those for the masks compared with conventional packaging, Unicharm said.

The items were brought to market in an effort to boost environmental awareness around World Environment Day on June 5, in a country dealing with a number of environmental issues. n

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Unicharm

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PAPER MART

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Event Calendar 21-23, September 2021

Tissue World Dusseldorf, Germany www.tissueworld.com

13-15, October 2021

MIAC Lucca, Italy www.miac.info/en

23-25, October 2021

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Vol.: 22 / No.: 01

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

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

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