Paper Mart Emagazine Oct-Nov Issue 2022

Genus Paper & Boards, a part of

the Kailash Group of Companies, is a key manufacturer of kraft paper and paperboards with a production capacity of more than 450,000 TPA. Equipped with modern paper machines, their production units make premium quality packaging paper from recovered & virgin fiber through sustainable sources. In the recent past, the Company has made a number of notable developments – the acquisition of NS Papers, and has on boarded industry veteran Mr. JP Narain for its overall business transformation at Genus. In an interview with Paper

“We emphasise on upgrading our technologies, improving our machines, and bringing more value-added products… Genus aspires to be ahead of its competitors with an enhanced team in the future.”

Mr. Kailash Chandra Agarwal, MD & CEO, Genus Paper & Boards Limited

Mart, Mr. Kailash Chandra Agarwal, MD & CEO, Genus Paper & Boards Limited, sheds light on the company, its specialisations, milestones, and key capabilities. Further, he describes the product portfolio in detail, acquisition of NS Papers, and an outlook on the Indian pulp & paper industry.

Paper Mart: Could you present a brief overview of Genus Paper & Boards along with its crucial milestones?

Kailash Chandra Agarwal: Kailash Chandra Agarwal: A division of the eminent Kailash Group of Companies, Genus Paper & Boards Ltd. has a production capacity of more than 450,000 TPA. Our facilities are located at Moradabad and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Equipped with five state-of-the-art paper machines, our production units make premium quality packaging paper from recovered as well as virgin fiber through sustainable sources. Recycled waste paper is a biodegradable and eco-friendly alternative to virgin pulp and plastics, when combined with sustainable forestry this method is the key to a progressive future for the planet.

Our product segments and respective capacities are:

¡ Carton Board: We have a capacity of 500 MT and we specialise in producing carton boards from 200 GSM to 400 GSM with both recycled & virgin fiber.

¡ Container Board: With a capacity of 500 MT, we specialise in manufacturing container board kraft from 100 GSM to 400 GSM with a BF range from 18 to 40.

¡ Speciality Kraft and Board: As a unique segment, we specialise in kraft paper with a production capacity of 300 MT per day which we produce from 60 GSM to 120 GSM with BF range from 25 to 40.

Genus is looking forward to being a complete packaging supplier for all

industrial needs which include cartonboards, containerboards, and speciality kraft boards.

PM: Please shed some light on the crucial milestones of the company.

KCA: The agro-based kraft manufacturing unit in Moradabad, set up in 1976 by DSM Group Agro, was closed down due to some issues. We took over the unit in 2001 and revamped it. When we started the unit, the production capacity was 18,000 TPA. In 2003, we put a 3MW turbine for captive power generation and in 2006; we put another unit for making high BF virgin kraft with imported raw material with a capacity of around 50,000 TPA. We put in another turbine in 2007 for power generation. In 2010, we decided to use recycled paper completely and shut down agro-based operations. Recently, we acquired NS Paper Ltd., Muzaffarnagar which had three machines. With a total capacity of 450,000 TPA, the group is, at present, well-positioned in the Indian paper industry. In the near future, Genus wants to be a single-stop shop for all packaging needs.

PM: Share a few thoughts on what it takes to stand out from the crowd.

KCA: If you talk about the packaging grades, Genus is among the top paper manufacturers. We believe that 'quality is king' and we need to constantly upgrade it if we have to move ahead of time. We use the virgin pulp and the best grades of recycled paper for our production. In a competitive market, one cannot survive without efficiency. Hence, besides quality, we also emphasise on upgrading our technologies, improving our machines, and bringing more value-added products to the market. We have totally changed the facilities in the mill we recently acquired in Muzaffarnagar. We have invested in machinery for pulp making section and focused on automation. Moving forward, Genus aspires to be ahead of

its competitors with an enhanced team in the future.

PM: Describe the infrastructure, the manufacturing capabilities, and the machinery installed at your facility.

KCA: Genus Paper & Boards Ltd. was started in 2001 with the inauguration of its primary unit at Moradabad. This facility laid the foundation for the company and is the catalyst for all business feats we have achieved in our journey so far. Equipped with two state-of-the-art paper machines, the company is capable of producing fluting medium, liner board, and assured HRCT (high ring crush test) kraft up to 35 BF.

Our second unit in Muzaffarnagar started operations at the beginning of 2022. Similar to the Moradabad facility, the plant is wellequipped with three state-of-the-art paper machines. Today, the factory uses imported and Indian waste paper as well as responsibly sourced virgin fiber as raw material to produce cartonboards, containerboards, and speciality value added kraft paper and boards. A modern paper mill, the Muzaffarnagar unit is equipped with a modern ETP, Simplex Sheeters, Valmet's QCS, ABB DCS, Siemens DCS, and more.

PM: Please tell us about the product portfolio of Genus Paper & Boards along with its USPs.

KCA: We produce different types of carton boards, container boards, and speciality kraft boards.

1) Carton Boards

¡

Genus Grey Back Board (HWC) (Range: 230 to 450 GSM)

Genus grey back is a top-coated paperboard with virgin hardwood pulp top layer which gives the best surface properties and superior print results. Its refined recycled pulp offers best-in-class physical properties. Being suitable for high-speed printing

“

Since we are expanding our horizons and looking for our business expansion, it is of utmost importance that implementation of all strategic as well as operational processes in our organisation take place so that our business touches the next orbit. Mr. JP Narain would be leading this transformation at Genus.

”

and packaging industry requirements, it is used across multiple industries such as FMCG, liquor, footwear and garment. It is also used for making notebook covers.

¡

Genus White Back Board (Range: 230 to 450 GSM)

Genus white back board is bladeon-blade coated with virgin hardwood pulp on the top and bottom layers which provides superior stiffness and good printing results. An ideal white back board for remarkable quality box making applications and used in various sectors including pharmaceutical, food & beverage, FMCG, liquor, garment and cosmetics

¡

Genus (HB- HS) (HWC) Grey Back (Range: 230 to 450 GSM)

Genus High Bulk – High Stiffness Board is a highly engineered product developed for high-speed filling line, with a focus on lightening the box and providing economic competitiveness with excellent printing and superior strength properties. It is used in many industries such as garments, footwear, and FMCG.

¡ White Top Kraft Liner – Coated White top kraft liner is equipped with higher folding endurance and stiffness. It is good for printing applications as the smoothness and printability are higher on the front side.

2) Containerboard

1. Genus Eco Liner

¡

Genus Eco Liner is an engineered cluster of containerboard economically designed to fulfill the strength of the corrugated boards. It is made out of state-ofthe-art machinery and process, delivered after stringent quality checks.

¡ Genus Prime Liner

Genus Prime Liner is an engineered product out of recycled fiber to cater to the brand prerequisite of corrugated packaging. Both burst factor and ring crush are combined with excellent corrugator runnability and very good printability. It has stable and sustainable strength under various climate conditions.

¡ Genus Royal White Top Liner

Genus Royal White Top Liner is a concocted product to fulfil branding needs through high-end packaging. It is constructed as virgin bleached kraft pulp top ply and high-grade secondary fiber bottom ply.

¡ Genus Royal Virgin Top Liner

Genus Royal Virgin Top Liner is constructed as virgin unbleached kraft pulp top ply and high-grade secondary fiber bottom ply. It is made through state-of-the-art machinery and process to ensure supreme strength, run ability at corrugation and printability.

¡ Genus Royal Korean Kraft Liner

Genus Royal Korean shade, a multilayer liner board constructed through cutting-edge processes and technology at

Genus, has enhanced printability and surface finish. It has high ring crush test values and a stated burst factor within the bunch. Its unique shade of top layer promotes your brand from the box.

¡ Assured HRCT Liner and Fluting Medium

Assured RCT liner is a multi-ply sheet made with recycled fiber for high-strength, lightweight corrugated applications. It is designated to provide assured crush resistance.

3) Speciality Kraft & Board

¡ Genus Carry bag

paper

Genus carry bag paper is a technically advanced product that meets strength and converting performance for a wide range of bag applications. It offers outstanding resistance to tearing, moisture, stress, and punching.

¡ Genus Grocery Bag paper

Genus grocery bag paper has a very consistent appearance and stable properties ensuring strength. It provides excellent resistance to tearing, moisture, stress, and punching.

¡ Genus E-Commerce Bag paper With excellent run ability, resistance and homogenous appearance, Genus e-commerce bag paper is designed for meeting all the strength properties.

PM: In the recent past, Genus Paper & Boards acquired NS Papers. How has this acquisition been beneficial for you?

KCA: As we are well aware that having greater economic power can lead to higher market share, more influence over customers, and reduced competitive threat. The strategic acquisition with NS Papers helped us to acquire, an industry leadership position in recycle segment, along with this it had

given us a wide range of product mix portfolios which made us an overall & complete packaging manufacturer so that we can cater to all industrial packaging segments. Being a form of inorganic growth, acquisitions provide a faster way to enter new markets and product categories.

PM: How do you look at fiber security?

KCA: Fiber security will surely be a challenge for the industry. News is doing the rounds that there might be changes in the import and export rules in Europe. However, I believe that in the future, there would be incremental fiber availability in India and we might not have to depend on imports. The industry might have to rely more on agro-fibers or virgin fibers so as to reduce the dependency on recycled fibers.

PM: What are your expansion plans with regard to developing new products and penetrating new markets?

KCA: We are dedicating our production line to speciality products which will be catering to single-use plastic substitution needs. This line will be specialised in manufacturing products having GSM from 60 to 120 and having BF from 25 to 40 with virgin pulp as well as recycled fiber.

PM: Since you have recently onboarded Mr. J.P. Narain as Business Transformation Partner –

please share the vision behind this move.

KCA: Mr. JP Narain is a seasoned business professional in the paper industry and he displayed his strategic and execution skills by making a big impact in turning around the business in his previous assignment. He is good in implementation as well as in the execution of all sets of systems and processes of the paper industry, which includes people processes, manufacturing processes, new product development, customer centricity, and sustainability processes.

Since we are expanding our horizons and looking for our business expansion, it is of utmost importance that implementation of all strategic as well as operational processes in our organisation take place so that our business touches the next orbit. Mr. JP Narain would be leading this transformation at Genus.

PM: Tell us about your energy and water conservation practices and other sustainability efforts.

KCA: Environment is extremely important to us. Both units strongly drive sustainability processes and we are quite efficient in energy and water usage in out both units. Our Moradabad unit has zero water discharge and not even a single drop of water releasing out. We have a captive generation power plant in both units and use the majority of agro residual fuel to generate energy. In terms of raw materials, we are using recycled paper and paper products for our production and it is the driving circular economy that is essential to drive sustainability in any business. Our Muzzafarnagar unit is getting stabilise and we are implementing water as well as energy conservation processes to make it more viable and efficient.

PM: How do you look at this current scenario of the packaging sector and where do you see the

market going in the coming times?

KCA: The current scenario is not very promising for any type of industry because we are facing a global recession. Due to inflation, all the economies – bigger as well as smaller – are in trouble. The Russia-Ukraine war is another big challenge.

If any of the industries are affected, the packaging sector will surely face the consequences. However, I am hopeful that the situation will improve in a couple of months. The government is totally focused on the removal of single-use plastic, and that will certainly increase the volumes of packaging. India is a growing country – we talk about a 7-8 percent CAGR growth level. If that type of growth comes, packaging will certainly have a huge requirement.

PM: What is your outlook on the Indian pulp & paper industry?

KCA: The Indian pulp & paper industry has seen a roller coaster ride journey in the last three years. At present, it is difficult to comment on the percentage, the industry is growing, because the last two years were badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. If we speak about recycle kraft and board segments, the industry is passing through a tough phase due to low demand in the market. Other segments especially in the white category are doing well and expected to do well in the future, considering the international pulp prices. This segment especially brown can do well, if we innovate a new product line, as a substitute for singleuse plastic in the market.

“

We are using recycled paper and paper products for our production and it is the driving circular economy that is essential to drive sustainability in any business. ”

“

Moving forward, Genus aspires to be ahead of its competitors with an enhanced team in the future. ”

Phone: +91 40 6658 3451 www.paperone.com • indiapaper@aprilasia.com

AIE Fiber Resource and Trading (India) Private Limited 3rd Floor, Megana Towers, Ayyappa Society Road, Madhapur, Hyderabad - 500 081, Telangana, India.

:

Emphasizing Upon Sustainability to Build Longstanding Partnerships in the Industry

“Fibertec is associated with the biodegradable as well as bioenergy sectors and these two sectors are the true reflection of the sustainability processes.”

Fibertec, a group of profession-

als and technocrats, strives to become a one-stop & end-toend solution provider by undertaking turnkey projects while exhibiting a strong presence in the biodegradable and bioenergy sectors. In an exclusive conversation with Paper Mart, Mr. JP Narain, Founder & CEO, Fibertec, talks about delivering turnkey projects, partnership with Genus Paper and Boards, some key projects, the importance of sustainability, and gives his outlook on the Indian pulp & paper industry.

Paper Mart: Could you present a brief overview of Fibertec along with its crucial milestones?

JP Narain: Fibertec is taking step forward to become a highly admired technology-led engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company in India. We have established our expertise in providing sustainable solutions in the execution of industrial infrastructure projects while also demonstrating a strong presence in biodegradable and bio energy sectors.

We leverage our domain knowledge across various business segments to address the shift to provide end-toend solutions in project execution on a turnkey basis and to achieve business transformation. With a wide array of offerings covering the entire lifecycle of a project, Fibertec offers

Mr. JP Narain, Founder & CEO, Fibertec

and partners for services like engineering, construction, commissioning, procurement, operations, and maintenance, thereby, becoming a one-stop end-to-end service provider.

We deliver projects on a timely basis using world-class project management techniques with the highest standards of safety and sustainability.

We broadly highlight on the evolution of technology along with techno economics-based detailed project reports. With a complete due diligence in terms of vendor and equipment selection, we design quality products (plant) with all engineering drawings. We commission the plant as per design specifications by deploying experienced agencies at the site.

We are committed to achieve the bestrated output of all the equipment, we deliver the final product as per the specifications designed in the project along with desired efficiencies to our clients.

Business Transformation

To bring overall transformation to business, we conduct Technical Audit and Gap analysis, which enable us to design the strategy for:

¡ Process improvisation;

¡ Effective people management processes;

¡ Significant reduction in the conversion cost by work on process efficiencies;

¡ Understanding market needs which leads to new product development; and

¡ Attending customers concerns in real-time to achieve customer centricity and customer satisfaction.

Notable milestones:

Fibertec's growth validates its bright future, brimming with possibilities, and full of promise to power the future as a pioneer of technological innovations. The company's growing global footprint is complemented by considerable efforts. Moving ahead, Fibertec strives to further enhance its interna-

tional presence for its future growth, by providing technical and conversant solutions to business needs.

PM: What is the vision & mission of your company?

JPN: In essence, the vision of the company is to become one-stop and end-to-end solution provider in the biodegradable and bio energy sector for their project execution and profitability enhancement.

The key mission of the company is to: a) Plan and work with a customercentric approach.

b) Operating assets and executing projects at benchmark level through technology & innovation.

c) To achieve sustainable growth with a focus on profitability and market leadership.

d) To create an empowered workforce driven by passion and purpose.

PM: You have recently joined Genus Paper & Boards as Business Transformation Partner. Kindly share the objective of this role and your strategy for the same.

JPN: We have recently joined hands with Genus Paper & Boards Ltd. (GBPL). Fibertec has the potential to greatly improve integration within the organization. We ensure to provide the technical expertise to GBPL which could be placed within the real and current concerns of the business for value creation. Fibertec maximises the timely deployment of the functions' skills and expertise within a shared understanding of business priorities. We have developed our framework identifying three distinct roles –Business Value Creator, Policy Implementer, and Business Specialist.

Therefore, Business Partnering requires a high degree of relational mastery, business acumen, independence of thought and action to drive profitability with the following initiatives.

Business Value Creator – With a deep insight and being “savvy” around how the organisation makes profit and

creates value, Fibertec understands and contributes to the very “core” of the business to achieve the set financial targets.

Policy Implementer – Fibertec brings compliance to functional policies in an effective manner in order to build commitment rather than resistance. We drive sustainable and ethical results beyond blind adherence to process.

Business Specialist – Fibertec has a team of core functional expertise and we continually strive to deepen the specialization, and leverage it in service of business outcomes.

PM: Could you shed light on some of the important tissue and duplex board projects undertaken by you? What are your upcoming projects in these segments?

JPN: Recently, Fibertec has undertaken a project of tissue plant with the capacity of 65 MTPD. This is an international client project to be executed on a turnkey basis. Our core team is working on the same. We bought this plant from one of the best technology partners and Fibertec is completely managing the entire project right from the ground preparation to final commissioning of the plant. We are also responsible for the operation of this plant.

Another bioenergy project which Fibertec had signed is a 120KLD ethanol project which will be commissioned in the western part of the country.

There are a few other projects which are under discussion and duplex board is one of them.

PM: What kind of effective modifications do you suggest in old paper/kraft machines to make them more productive and processefficient?

JPN: I have spent a very little time in this vertical but I believe that old Kraft / paper machines need proper engineering balancing along with proper asset care processes.

In my opinion, by revisiting proper engineering design calculations, along with a right kind asset care processes, could leads to good efficiencies & productivity both. However, it should be noted that the results depend on a case-to-case basis because there could be old machines which are quite well-managed.

PM: Tell us about your sustainability efforts along with some of the ecological products you help the companies to produce. How important is Environmental, Social, and Governance analysis for any company?

JPN: Sustainability (ESG) is the key driver for the growth of any organisation. Nowadays, consumers, as well as investors, are more cautious about the sustainability processes of any organisation according to which they give ratings to the organisation and their products/services.

Fibertec is associated with the biodegradable as well as bioenergy

sectors and these two sectors are the true reflection of the sustainability processes. These two sectors have a strong purpose to drive, care for the planet, and care for people. Along with these two pillars, they are driving the third pillar, i.e., the profit for the organisation.

PM: How do you help the companies in driving customer centricity in the market?

JPN: To drive customer centricity, Fibertec is focussing on the following processes:

a) OTIF of the organization.

b) Introducing new products.

c) Resolving customers' issues (customer/channel partners) as per the agreed timelines.

d) Measuring customer satisfaction through NPS or market study.

PM: What is your outlook on the Indian pulp & paper industry?

JPN: During and post-COVID, the

Vietnam-Based Minhan Paper Orders

from ANDRITZ

October8,2022

Minhan Paper Joint Stock Company has ordered a complete OCC line for its mill in Van Lam, Hung Yen Province, Vietnam from the leading international technology groupANDRITZ.

The scope of the order is the complete OCC line – from pulping to approach flow – including fiber recovery and also broke and rejects handling. Also, ANDRITZ will install many of its innovative Prime stock preparation products, such as a PrimeSolve LC system for optimum slushing at the lowest fiber loss and efficientrejectremoval.

PrimeScreens X with new PrimeRotors will enable highly efficient screening and fractionation at significantly lower energy consumption. The new OCC line will have a capacity of 700 TPD and process a mixture of AOCC and LOCC as raw material to produce testliner and medium-weight board. The scope of supply also comprises the auxiliary equipment, detailed engineering as well as supervision of erection, commissioning,andstart-up.

pulp and paper industry has gone through extremely low and extremely high market sentiments. Fortunately, now, the industry is getting stabilised, as disruptions due to global logistics, high coal costs, and high input prices are settling gradually and international logistics cost has also come down drastically. Simultaneously, the balancing of material availability is also taking place.

In India, I am anticipating good growth especially in the tissue, packaging as well as in writing & printing segments. As the pulp prices in the international markets are not cooling, it results in a higher manufacturing cost for all paper products in the international market. The above trend will restrict the import of all three said segments, hence, it will stabilise the domestic demand as against the domestic manufacturing capacity. If in the future, the pulp prices cool down, then the scenario will be different. Overall, all these three verticals will stabilise and will show stable growth in the domestic market.

NEWS •••

This order further strengthens ANDRITZ's leading position in the Asian board production sector, with 30 OCC lines supplied tocustomersinSouth-EastAsiasince2005.

Minhan Paper Joint Stock Company, established in 2020, focusses on the manufacture of corrugated paper, paperboard, andcontainerboard.n

Orient Paper & Industries: Embracing Sustainable Growth

Incorporated in 1939, Orient Paper

& Industries Ltd. is a multiproduct company headquartered in Kolkata. The company is the leading tissue paper manufacturer in India. It produces a wide range of writing, printing, industrial, and speciality papers, paper products, and boards. An eco-friendly enterprise, Orient Paper & Industries is known for its reforestation and other restorative measures. Paper Mart interviewed Mr. Ashwin J. Laddha, Managing Director & CEO of Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. (OPIL), to know more about the company and its sustainability efforts.

Paper Mart: Could you please give us a brief outline of Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. (OPIL)?

Ashwin J. Laddha: Orient Paper and

Industries Ltd. is an iconic Indian company in the pulp & paper segment. We have been in existence for over 86 years and we have many firsts to our credit. Since its inception, our focus has always been on holistic development from the community to the value chain. We have been practicing Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) for the last eight decades.

Orient is an institution and I am very happy as well as proud to be a part of it. We are focusing on how is Orient going to look when it becomes a hundredyear-old company. That is quite exciting for us because we are going to be a part of the team which is going to create history and cross this milestone.

PM: Describe the product portfolio of the company. Is there any new

Mr. Ashwin J. Laddha, Managing Director & CEO of Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. (OPIL)

“Sustainability is a big agenda and the paper industry can play a major role… As a responsible organization, our approach is to take everyone together and grow together sustainably.”

development with respect to the product offerings?

AJL: Currently, our focus is on creating products in the health and hygiene segment, developing a sustainable substitute for plastic, and being a niche player in the education sector. These are the three broad categories where we have our presence, and we're quite focused on gaining even more depth in all these categories. We are going to add more products, which will be more value-added in nature. We want to help the value chain grow responsibly and profitably.

PM: Going forward, what opportunities do you see in the hygiene segment and what kind of steps are you taking?

AJL: Health and hygiene is a growth segment, and I think that's a permanent reset, which has happened. Fortunately for us, we were the pioneers to introduce virgin tissues in India. We are looking at debottlenecking our capacity and our second step would be to gain more depth and expand the capacities in that space.

PM: It has been a while since you joined Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. as the CEO. How has been your journey and what are you looking forward to in this role?

AJL: In Orient Paper & Industries Ltd., I took the charge on 14 January 2022 and have been there for over two and a half quarters. Our focus was to have a 360-degree approach to create a roadmap for Orient which includes components such as people, process, technology, digitalization, revisiting our product mix and marketing mix and reengaging with our longstanding partners from the market to the vendor ecosystem.

We are looking forward to growing sustainably and responsibly, taking everyone together, and are very excited about the journey ahead.

Before joining Orient, I was in the textile industry, which again, is a very mature industry having timid growth over

years. The approach we took there was to look at possibilities to unlock value, outcome of our exhaustive work across the value chain was achieving consistent growth for eight years which was three times the rate of industry growth. Similarly, in the paper industry, we are looking at the possibilities, and I feel there are huge growth opportunities for us. Sustainability is a big agenda and the paper industry can play a major role in that, specifically, in soil conservation and afforestation. We have a huge responsibility to empower the lives of rural India.

Orient Paper has always been sincerely responsible in its business and it is going to be even more responsible in the years to come. As a responsible organization, our approach is to take everyone together and grow together sustainably.

PM: Take us through the opportunities you see in the post-pandemic era for the pulp and paper industry.

AJL: It's a very important reset, which we all have seen in our lifetime. Every such major reset means that we have to take a pause and reflect on what the road ahead looks like and recalibrate our approach. If you don't take these calibrations seriously at the right time, you might lose on to the opportunities.

Pulp & paper is no exception; this is an industry where a few categories or segments in the business have got a permanent reset in terms of not-so-attractive growth looking forward while other categories have got fast-track growth opportunities. Once we understand this broad theme, it is about also reorganising your business model, core competence, and manufacturing capabilities. Either you become stagnant with diminishing growth business, or you relook at the whole future, as in fast-track growth opportunities. We, at Orient, are very excited about the opportunities which lie ahead of us, and we have done the recalibration of our business model.

PM: What challenges do you see ahead? Also, how do you think these challenges can be addressed in the future?

AJL: We have been talking about the VUCA (Vision, Understanding, Clarity, Agility) world for the last 10 years and the pace and intensity of that have increased dramatically because of geopolitical developments. As a business, creating that culture of agility, moving quickly, and having a very strong supply chain, is going to be crucial. That is a big challenge because there are many unknown unknowns; for example, you don't know what would be the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war – there could be a permanent reset on the energy prices. Another example is the supply chain disruptions that are happening because of China's zeroCOVID policy. These are unprecedented challenges that are coming in. Hence, a company needs to create the capability to be more agile for growth.

“

It is about reorganising your business model, core competence, and manufacturing capabilities… We, at Orient, are very excited about the opportunities which lie ahead of us ”

PM: India has always been a pulp deficit country; your thoughts on that?

AJL: There are reasons for that – some are policy-related while others are from an entrepreneurial point of view. However, now parts of the puzzle are falling into place. The government is taking initiatives and policy changes to make it easy for corporates to undertake farm forestry initiatives.

We have some strong focussed integrated paper manufacturing companies that are willing to invest and grow. So I think, if we look back after five years from now, we will see a different picture behind us. India is getting the rhythm back in the paper industry; the policy changes and global dynamics are helping us to move faster. I think it's our moment, we need to make good of that and execute.

PM: What message would you give to your peers and customers in the industry?

AJL: I am incredibly lucky to have peers who have led the business responsibly and set high benchmarks in terms of technology and social development. I'm new in the paper industry and learning from what's happening around me. Our industry has a very positive vibe where everyone is open to sharing their best practices and helping each other unlock their potential. Meanwhile, most of our customers are with us for three to five decades; and that is a wealth of experience & knowledge. I'm happy to be part of such a community and contribute towards its progress.

Subam Papers: Pivoting for Capacity Expansion to Reach 1000 TPD

Subam Papers Pvt. Ltd. is one of

the leaders in adopting new concepts and technology in the manufacturing of recycled liner, fluting medium and kraft boards & duplex boards. Located in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, the company has been prioritising focus towards continual improvement based on specific product quality and end-user application since its inception. In a conversation with Paper Mart, Mr. T. Balakumar, Chairman & Managing Director, Subam Papers Pvt. Ltd. shares the milestones of the company along with its growth plans. Mr. Balakumar has also been appointed as the Chairman of the Development Council for Pulp, Paper & Allied Industries (DCPPAI).

PM: Briefly present an overview of the history, specialisations, and key milestones of Subam Papers Pvt. Ltd.

T. Balakumar: In 1991, a small-scale enterprise, manufacturing paper cones, required as packaging material for the textile sector for winding & packing of yarn, was started by me, as a first-generation entrepreneur, after completing my mechanical engineering degree from PSG College of Technology which is renowned for developing entrepreneurs and CEOs around the world.

After attaining 150 tonnes per month self-consumption of the paperboard for making paper cones, backward integration was undertaken in 1999,

(Right to Left) Mr. Balakumar Thirupathi, CMD, Mr. Varun Rengarajan Venkatraman, Director – Operations, Mrs. Madhumitha Varun, Whole Time Director, and Mrs. Sudha Balakumar, JMD

“India is growing and the growth of the paper industry should also be aligned with the GDP growth… the second phase of expansion will start in 2024 after the first phase of our investment by 2023.”

to start the first core board paper plant with a 5 TPD capacity. Since then, our company has grown every year, increasing the capacity at a CAGR of 25 percent to reach the planned capacity of 1000 TPD in 2023.

For the development of any business, a team of strong technical & management expertise and a thirst for improvement in achieving the targets is quite vital. Our entire technical and management team have the required qualifications and experience to handle the higher production and quality needs of the industry. From supply chain management to customer relationships, our team is quite energetic and focussed to achieve the targets. Being highly dedicated, the employees are dynamic and adept in understanding the challenges of the industry.

Our management team is well-mixed with all kinds of skills, talents, and capabilities. Mrs. Sudha Alagarsamy, JMD, is steering the paper conversion divisions to a swift growth path. All the board members Mr. R. Venkatesh, Mr. P. Balagurunathan, Mr. V. Varun Rengarajan, and Ms. Madhumitha Varun are actively supporting to drive the company's growth towards its vision.

We've been into the manufacturing of core board for paper cones & tubes since 1999, in corrugation medium & test liners 16 BF to 28 BF since 2005, and in the duplex board, 200 GSM to 450 GSM, since 2022, meeting all the packaging paper needs of the customers.

We entered an MOU with the government of Tamil Nadu in 2021, for expanding the paper & paper products industry in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu with an investment of INR 500 crore which will provide employment opportunities to 2000 people. In the first phase, an investment of INR 250 crore has been made and the commissioning of various projects is in progress. We have

installed 4 MW wind energy turbines & 13 MW (DC) capacity solar power generation plant to develop green energy & be carbon neutral.

PM: Please describe the raw material procurement strategies and the technology used in the production.

TB: Our raw material procurement is about 50 percent from domestic sources and 50 percent by imports from Europe & North America. Like every RCF-based paper mill, we also depend mainly on imported recovered paper. The price trends are volatile due to several factors. The volatility has been quite high since 2018. In 2018, the prices dropped heavily, following restrictions by China to import recovered paper to their country. Later, the prices gradually increased after China started buying pulp made out of recovered paper.

The COVID-19 pandemic disturbed the availability of raw materials and increased logistics costs. Hence, the prices increased in 2020 third quarter onwards. Again, because of European export issues, the prices peaked at an all-time high until March 2022, and then suddenly dropped from April 2022 onwards, while Europe opened again for exports. Currently, due to the RussiaUkraine war, the entire supply chain disrupted and the prices have gone down. Hence, the trends and prices are not predictable and the industry has to move along with the tide.

For RCF-based paper industry, logistics cost is the deciding factor to fix the sales realisation. It has become a regional-based industry which is not able to sell beyond a 500-km-radius. In the southern part of India, particularly for Sivakasi, two decades ago, the entire paper used to be bought from northern & western India only. However, today, the possibilities are not there due to the increase in logistics costs.

PM: What is the current market presence of the company – both domestically and globally? Are there any plans to expand your market reach in the future?

TB: The volatility factor is also affecting the finished paper markets in domestic as well as exports. We were globally competitive in 2018 to export more, approximately 30 percent of our production, due to China's policies. Again in 2021, we lost our competency for exports, due to high raise in container logistics costs. Even though logistics cost has been reduced in the last few months in this third quarter of 2022, our competitiveness has still not improved due to the still continuing higher sea freight. Hence, we want to have at least 80 percent market in India itself, on the current trends. In the future, once the reforms are done and India becomes self-reliant on the fiber requirements, we shall have a great advantage for exports due to being located close to the seaport, Tuticorin. The chances for exporting from India are very bright in the future, upon improvement and stabilisation of the world economy.

PM: Has there been any new development at Subam Papers – be it in product development, market expansion, or technological innovations, which you would like to talk about?

TB: For eco-friendly measures and due to the preference for odour-free products by customers, an anaerobic reactor is installed and aerobic treatment is also being strengthened with an investment of INR 20 crore. We are about to commission this shortly. This will also help in improving the runnability of the machine.

We are already producing paper and paperboard in 4 machines, and the fifth machine, which is a used Voith machine imported from Germany, is under erection. This machine is set up with top former, tandem shoe press, and film press for sizing. The machine

is fully automated with DCS & QCS systems. The pulp mill is equipped with a disperser and has facilities to handle purchased pulp also in order to produce very high-strength paper. This machine is capable of operating at 900 mpm speed. Higher BF, 60 to 180 GSM packaging grade papers and carry bag papers are being planned for production in this machine.

As the online shopping industry is growing and the need for paper carry bags is also growing, we expect that the new machine will be capable of meeting the market demands of the segment. We are also expanding our paperproductsdivision for meeting the requirementsof the textileand fireworks industry packaging materials.

PM: With the rise in awareness about sustainability globally, to what extent the Indian pulp & paper industry is making efforts in this regard? Also, how does Subam Papers undertake sustainability in its operations?

TB: The main aspect of the sustainability goal is reuse, and recycling to save energy & reduce pollution. If you consider the paper industry, its raw material sources are renewable & recyclable. The paper industry is one of its kind, which is, sustainable by nature. There are only a few such industries which can be regarded as sustainable.

All the recovered material shall be easily recyclable and nothing is

getting wasted till the end. Even the sludge generated at the last source is also usable for other means in the same industry. The paper industry is one of the industries which are contributing to the circular economy.

The time is changing now with more knowledge and awareness among the public that the paper industry is not a polluting industry. It is renewable, reusable, and recyclable. The entire output of the industry is useful to society. Next to food, medicine and clothes, paper is an important essential commodity, touching the lives of all, every day, and in every aspect. It is eco-friendly and hence, it will survive forever.

PM: How do you look at the future of the Indian paper industry?

TB: As per the data from various sources, the approximate recovery rate of used paper in India is about 50 percent only, whereas the recovery rates in Australia, Japan & other western countries are at the level of 85 percent, 75 percent, & 70 percent respectively. As per the growth achieved by the Indian paper industry in the last 10 years, paper consumption & production has increased from about 10.99 million tonnes in 2010 to 21.36 million tonnes in 2020 with the approximate Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is 7 percent.

If the same CAGR is achieved for the next 10 years (considering that the GDP growth of India would be the

same as the previous decade), the paper requirements of India should be not less than 50 million tonnes by 2032.

In 2020-21, the RCF-based production in India was 16.29 million tonnes, agro-based paper production was about 1.16 million tonnes & woodbased production was 3.91 million tonnes, with total production being 21.36 million tonnes. In this, RCF imports, as raw material, were about 6.5 million tonnes.

To produce the estimated/projected 50 million tonnes required by India in 2032, if we consider the same rate of used paper recovery in India at 50 percent given that we don't increase our wood based & agro based production, the required RCF raw material from western countries would be approximately 22 million tonnes. This would be an increase of 338 percent from the current requirement of 6.5 million tonnes. However, as of 2022, only about 24 million tonnes of RCF would be available from western countries to Asia for net export after their domestic consumption. As Europe is planning for consuming more RCF in the coming years, another 8 million tonnes might be reduced from the availability and the entire Asia will be looking at North America for RCF imports whereas only 16 million tonnes is available for exports to Asia.

The Indian paper industry has been under tremendous pressure due to the

shortage of raw materials. In the next 10 years, the shortage will be widening and we will be forced to import more finished paper from other countries for our domestic needs.

The three aspects required for raw materials are:

¡ Increasing the recovered paper collection from our society from 50 percent level to 75 percent level, i.e. from thecurrent 11 million tonnes to 25 milliontonnesin2032. (considering the growth of domestic consumption)

¡

Improving theutilisationof theagro residues (at least 20 million tonnes of paper to be produced from agro residues).

increasing to INR 30,000 crores, as per projection in 2032.

The agro residue generated in India is about 500 million tonnes per annum. About 100 million tonnes are getting wasted either by burning or by leaving it as it is. If we can start using these agro residues for papermaking along with the improvement of recovered paper collection from 50 percent to 75 percent, then India will have a surplus of raw material. Thus, we will be in a position to export our paper after fulfilling our domestic requirements.

the paper industry should also be aligned with the GDP growth. And as the purchasing power of citizens increases, the per capita consumption would also increase. Hence, we are also geared up to meet the requirements of the nation. As already mentioned, the second phase of the expansions will be started in 2024 after completing the first phase of our investment by 2023.

¡

Framing structures to improve agro forestry (Thereby helping our farmers also on both the aspects of agroresidues&agroforestry).

By achieving this, we would be able to save the forex of INR 10,000 crores at the present level, which might be

Thus, from the status of net importer of paper (considering the import of RCF & all kinds of finished papers), India can become a net exporter of paper soon, so as to reduce its dependence on other countries for our paper requirements in any form.

PM: Thinking about the future, what will be your vision and growth plans for the Company?

TB: India is growing and the growth of

'There isonlyone business in thisworld, that is humanwell-being' – this isa quote by Sadhguru. This isourvisionas well. Apart fromcontributing to the nation through thepaymentof various taxes inaproper manner, wealso focus on thedevelopmentof ourregionand community, envisioning thewell-being of thepeople, through thedevelopment of ourcompany. Many CSR programmes are being implemented inourregion. Wewill becontinuouslygrowing to meet thedemand of the marketand therebycontribute to thesocioeconomicdevelopmentof ourregion and nation.

B&B to Set Up Kraft Paper Mill with Capacity of 7500 Tonnes Per Month

B&B Triplewall Containers Ltd.

Mr. Manish Bothra, Executive Director, In Charge of the Paper Mill Project

is engaged in the manufacturing of corrugated boxes & boards. The company operates in domestic markets with products supplied on a pan-India basis and has over 25 years of experience in this field. B&B is committed to the environment and adheres to the best practices of the industry at an international level. The company has decided to invest in backward integration and set up kraft paper manufacturing with a capacity of 7500 tonnes per month in Pochampalli, Tamil Nadu. In an interview with Paper Mart, Mr. Manish Bothra, Executive Director, In Charge of the Paper Mill Project sheds light on the progress.

Paper Mart: Could you please give us a brief outline of the business journey of B&B Triplewall along with its crucial milestones?

Manish Bothra: B&B provides its customers with a wide variety of products that cater to different needs and often have multiple uses. The confluence of four corrugating families - Mohanlal Agarwal family, KP Agarwal family, Gupta family, and Bothra family has formed B&B Triplewall. What started as a familyowned business is now a publicly listed corporate entity with the public holding about 28 percent of the share in B&B. We opened unit I in 2012 with the capacity to convert 1800 tonnes of paper into boards and boxes in Bengaluru. Unit III was set up in 2017

with the capacity to convert 5000 tonnes per month of paper into boards and boxes in Shoolagiri –Tamil Nadu. In 2022, unit IV was established in Hyderabad, Telangana with the capacity to convert 2500 tonnes per month of paper into boards and boxes. Our upcoming units include:

¡ Unit V (2023) with a capacity to manufacture kraft paper – 7500 tonnes per month in Pochampalli, Tamil Nadu

¡

B&B Colour Carton Pvt. Ltd. (2023) (subsidiary of B&B Triplewall Containers Ltd.) With a capacity of 500 tonnes per month to manufacture Offset Printed Mono and Fluted Cartons in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

PM: Tell us about your product portfolio along with its key strengths and applications.

MB: B&B currently manufactures secondary corrugated cartons at three locations catering to almost all industries. We have the ability to manufacture automatic plant boards from 3-ply to 7-ply. We manufacture small courier shippers to very large shippers and have a very strong infrastructure with the best-in-class machinery and a trained and dedicated workforce. We will be strengthening our portfolio by doing backward integration, i.e. by starting our own kraft paper manufacturing unit to cater high-quality kraft paper to our board and box plants.

Henan
Jingxin
Fabric
Technology
Co.,
Ltd.
,
founded
in
2011,
is
one
professional
manufacturer
and
technical
servicer
of
paper
machine
clothing
and
chemical
products
for
pulp
and
paper
mills.

In
its
paper
machine
clothing
production
base,
factory
has

33000
square
meters
,
annual
production
capacity
can
get
1000000
sqm.
Jingxin
fabricʼs
forming
fabric
all
used
the
German
“Perlon”
brand
high
quality
impomonofilament,
and
Dryer
screen
will
used
Portugal
“Filkemp”
brand
mono-filament.
In
Jingxin,
to
produce
high
quality
products,
we
introduced
the
most
advanced
5
sets
Sweden
TEXO
fully
automatic
rapier
loom,
14.5
meters
hot
setting
machine,
16
meters
German
Jürgens
weaving
machine,
Austrian
WIS
full
automatic
seaming
machine,
etc.

The
core
products
for
paper
machine
clothing
has
Forming
Fabric,
Double
WarpFlat
Wire
Dryer
Fabric,
Single
Warp
Flat
Wire
Dryer
Fabric,
Spiral
Dryer
Fabric,
Plain
Weave
Dryer
Fabric,
Sludge
Dewatering
Fabric,
etc.

We will also be adding to our portfolio by manufacturing offset-printed mono and fluted cartons in our new subsidiary.

PM: Please shed some light on your infrastructure and the key technologies you have in-house.

MB: Currently, we have 3 units in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Unit I at Bangalore, Karnataka is built up with 90000 sq ft of covered area and is equipped with a 1.8 mtr 7 ply automatic boardline and finishing equipment accordingly. Our next unit and corporate office is located just across the border in Tamil Nadu and is one of the single largest capacity plants in India and the first of its kind with the latest technology at par with any American or European plant. This plant has a 220000 sq ft built-up area and is equipped with a 2.2 mtr BHS board line from Germany and with multiple FFGs from Bobst, France for finishing the boards into

boxes. It is a fully automatic plant in the true sense with automation at all levels. This plant can comfortably churn out 5000 MT of boxes per month of any kind from small ecommerce boxes to 4-colour high graphic printed boxes. The third unit has just started operations at Hyderabad and has a built-up area of 115000 sq ft with a 2.2 mtr board line and finishing equipment to match it.

Our biggest strength is that with the equipment at all the plants, we can cater to any industry and make any kind of box from very heavy-duty Triplewall boxes for the solar industry to extremely small boxes for the ecommerce industry to very highquality boxes for the fruit and vegetable sector and for the brand conscious high graphic box consuming customers.

Our in-house training program ensures we always have the best quality of employees who are well

trained as well as motivated to be customer-centric in their approach. Having a sample maker and a fullfledged packaging development team we provide value-added services to our customers in designing their requirements as well as reengineering for cost-cutting. Our biggest strength is the transparent approach with our customers as well as our attitude to adhere to our company values and ethics, come what may.

PM: What are the recent developments at your end? Also, what will be your future plans?

MB: We felt the need to have our own supply of kraft paper as we wanted to capitalise on our knowledge of board and box making by manufacturing kraft paper that is best suited for the modern automatic high-speed corrugators and paper which can add value to our customers. To achieve this, we are going in for our own paper mill

(Left to Right) Mr. Nishant Bothra, CTO; Mr. Manish Bothra, Executive Director; Mr. Sidharth Agarwal, COO; Mr. Manish Kumar Gupta, Chairman and MD; Mr. Alok Agarwal, Executive Director; Mr. Ravi Agarwal, Executive Director and CFO; and Mr. Amit Agarwal, CEO.

which has state-of-the-art machines to be able to achieve our requirements. This mill will have the capability to increase capacity from the current 250MT per day to 400 MT per day. We wanted to add to our portfolio the primary packaging as most of our current customers use the same and also use our knowledge to manufacture offset printed fluted cartons. Our focus is going to be on the microfluted offset printed cartons that have a big gap in terms of organised players with the right infrastructure.

PM: Earlier this year, B&B Triplewall set up a 250 TPD stock preparation line for its Krishnagiri PM. Could you shed some distinct features and advantages of the technology?

MB: We chose Voith – BlueLine OCC Pulping equipment for this. Voith is one of the leading technology and equipment providers for the OCC recycling process. Their 'BlueLine' technology offers the highest cleaning

and refining efficiency with minimum fiber loss. All the other equipment is also state-of-the-art to match the Voith standards in terms of quality and reliability.

PM: What factors led you to invest in backward integration and set up paper manufacturing?

MB: Some of the factors that motivated us to invest in backward integration are:

¡ The need for kraft paper that suits modernhigh-speedcorrugators;

¡ The need to overcome some issues like cracking of paper in the convertingactivities;

¡ The need to overcome bad odour in thepaper;

¡ Theneedtocontrolinventory;

¡ The need to improve the columnar strength of boxes by producing suitablepaper;and

¡ The world over the industry is integrated and this will be the way forwardinIndiatoo.

BillerudKorsnäs Becomes Billerud

PM: Please cast some light on the market footprint and clientele of your company.

MB: We are primarily present in the five southern states of India and cater to the FMCG, garments, automobile, electronics, fruits & vegetables, ecommerce, beverages, toys, solar, white goods, and pharma segments of the industry.

PM: Kindly share your views on the market trends & demand drivers of the pulp & paper industry.

MB: We are just stepping into the pulp and paper industry which is a very mature industry in India. From the little understanding we have, we believe that packaging grades of paper will be the demand drivers. We also see a great future for papers made out of agro waste like bagasse and wheat straw. These grades can be made food grade and will be extensively used for direct contact food packaging. Quality paper is going to be the key in the future.

October14,2022

BillerudKorsnäs has simplified its name to Billerud to cater to its international customers. As a leading supplier of virgin fiber-based paper and packaging materials, the name change is fully in line with the company's strategy to expand into North America and continue driving sustainable growth in global markets. The name has also been changed on the company'swebsite.

”We are now ready to meet the challenges of the future as one company: Billerud. One year ago, a clear strategic plan was drawn up with the aim of achieving profitable and sustainable sales growth until the year 2030 and growing in North America. Today we change the name to Billerud. The name change is a natural step on our strategic journey”, says Mr. Christoph Michalski,PresidentandCEO,Billerud.

The name simplification will be implemented throughout the group starting today. The Company's roots and heritage in the forest and paper industry go back more than 150 years and the companyhashadseveraldifferentnames.

“It is with pride that Billerud will carry its history into the present. What won't change is the fact that we help our customers reduce the climate footprint of both their primary and secondary packaging. For us, product superiority is important and the impressive strength of our papers allows customers to use less packaging, save costs and reduce their carbonfootprint,”saysMr.Michalski.n

The name change to Billerud is in line with the company's strategy to expand into North America and continue driving sustainable growth in global markets.

The name change to Billerud is in line with the company's strategy

Marketing: The Heart of Any Business

Excitingchangesinthepulp&paperindustryhavepavedthewayfornewopportunities. However,forabusinesstosucceed,theproductsmustbeknowntopotentialbuyers.Hence,itis theappropriatetimeforpapermanufacturerstodevelopmarketingstrategiesandusethemto createproductawareness.

Thepulp & paper industry iswitnessing interesting

times. While there has been a rapid decline in the demand for newsprint over the last few years, the packaging segment is doing phenomenally well. Growth in FMCG products like packaged beverages & personal care products, evolving e-commerce sector, and the ban on single-use plastics are some of the major demand drivers. According to the latest report released by Mordor Intelligence, the Indian paper and paperboard packaging market was valued at USD 10.77 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 15.69 billion by 2027, registering a CAGRof 6.63percentduring2022-2027.

Besides the inclination towards online shopping & food delivery, theCOVID-19 pandemichasalsobroughtafocus on cleanliness creating new opportunities for tissue and toilet paper. Even, the facial tissue and kitchen towel market has increased substantially. Anti-viral facial tissue papers and recyclable facial tissue papers are comparativelynewentrantsintheglobaltissuemarket.

Talking about the scenario of the tissue market in India, Mr. Saikat Basu, Head-Marketing & Sales, Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. says, “Health and hygiene segment recovery is partial since institutional buying has still not reached pre-COVID levels (Work from Office yet

to reach full potential) – hence tissuegrowth is moderate. We are designing new products successfully and working in close coordination with key customers. Being a market leader in tissues in India, we plan to develop new categoriesforbothdomesticandexportmarkets.”

Branding Experience for a Successful MarketingEcosystem

All these exciting changes in the industry have paved the way for new opportunities. However, for a business to succeed, theproducts must be known topotential buyers. Hence, it is the appropriate time for paper manufacturers to develop marketing strategies and use them to create product awareness. Marketing helps to boost brand awareness;itprovideslifetoeachandeverydepartmentby tackling an array of functions such as research, advertising, public relations, digital, data analysis, customer service,andcommunications.

“In ourview, brand experience is builtovertime through a series of experiences across the whole life cycle of the relationship. We have to create long-term experiences to makeadifferentiationoveraperiod of time. Also, we need to have a curiosity to hear feedback on an ongoing basis from the customers. Branding is all about creating a sustainable and differentiated experience and ensuring customerdelight,”addedMr.Basu.

DiversifiedCustomerEngagements

Marketing is not only about selling a product orservice, it is also about developing the right product and providing the right kind of support to the customers. Talking about the importance of customer engagement, Mr. Santosh Wakhloo, Executive Director (Marketing), Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Paper Ltd. says, “In the paper and packaging boards industry, the main role of a CMO/ marketing leader is to marry the available technology to theneedsof thecustomers/markets. Theideal fitneedsto be designed. In addition, understanding the evolving customer needs & requirements and offering products & solutions are the essence of it. A keen understanding of the mill's technical capabilities is essential fordeveloping new products and building long-term relationships. Today, the word 'Team' includes the customers too. We need to take all of them together to get the best outcome. Trust, humility and sincerity are important elements for anyleadertobesuccessful.”

Mr.SoumyajitMukherjee,Jt.President(Marketing& Sales), Emami Paper Mills Ltd. added, “Engaging with customers, understanding productquality, and providing good servicesare the three marketing mantras. The more, you are aligned with the customer's requirements, the more are your chances to be successful in your field. Communication is a very important tool for marketing personnel. Providing real-time information regarding new products & service quality will create a difference. A relationship between the customer and the vendor does not happen on the basis of commercials, but an understanding between them. Hence, apart from the business proposal, one should also carry empathy. A salesperson shouldbeasolutionprovidertothecustomer.”

Intertwining empathy and marketing is extremely important. When marketers know their customers, they are able to connect with them on an emotional level and develop a product as per their requirements. This will be a win-win situationforboththebusinessesaswellastheconsumers.

Paper Mart interacted with a few marketing leaders in the paper industry to know their success mantras and the pathwaytosuccessfulbrandexperiences.

TNPL 'Product Quality is the Most Important Aspect of any Business'

The first unit of Tamil Nadu

Newsprint & Paper Ltd. was commissioned in 1985 with an installed capacity of 90,000 TPA of newsprint and fine paper. Over the years, the unit is now equipped with state-of-the-art automation in all modern high-speed paper machines. The company focuses on becoming the number one choice for its customers and providing products at the most affordable and competitive prices, meeting its financial goals and creating a culture of safety and sustainability. In a conversation with Paper Mart, Mr. Santosh Wakhloo, Executive Director (Marketing), Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Paper Ltd. shared that truthful communication, fair dealings, and consistent quality are the best that anyone can do to create customer delight.

Paper Mart: Could you shed some light on the new developments at your company with regard to product development, market growth, and application areas?

Santosh Wakhloo: Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Paper Ltd. (TNPL) has been at the forefront of utilising technology for launching new products as well as environmental conservation. We are one of the few large mills in the country that utilise all three raw materials for making paper namely wood, bagasse, and

Mr. Santosh Wakhloo, Executive Director (Marketing), Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Paper Ltd.

“Today,

waste paper. We have invested heavily in the most modern machines to make the best papers from these raw materials. This year, we have commissioned a 400 TPD pulp mill in our Mondipatti unit. This has led the company to have better control over the input costs and the country to save precious foreign exchange which was being used to import pulp earlier.

We have recently launched a new range of boards suited for book/ notebook cover applications - Aura Shiksha. These boards have excellent stiffness and very high smoothness and have been appreciated by the market. More products for the writing and printing/ cards and carry bag segments like TNPL Shubh have been launched. To take advantage of the trend towards plastic substitution through ecofriendly papers, we have taken trials and have applied for certifications for barrier-coated cup stock boards which can be used to make paper cups without LDPE (plastic) coating and which are fully compostable and biodegradable. We are also leaders in segments like sublimation coating base papers and thermal coating base papers.

PM: How can CMOs/marketing leaders work closely with their teams to build collaboration with customers, product development,

and the entire value chain?

SW: In the paper and packaging boards industry, the main role of a CMO/ marketing leader is to marry the available technology to the needs of the customers/markets. The ideal fit needs to be designed. In addition, understanding the evolving customer needs & requirements and offering products & solutions are the essence of it. A keen understanding of the mill's technical capabilities is essential for developing new products and building long-term relationships. Today, the word 'Team' includes the customers too. We need to take all of them together to get the best outcome. Trust, humility and sincerity are important elements for any leader to be successful.

PM: As a seasoned marketing leader, what are your marketing mantras?

SW: A keen observation power and the ability to empathise and understand the needs of the customer are what I believe in. Delivering your promise is very important. Product quality is the most important aspect of any business.

PM: What, according to you, should be the parameter of quality in the pulp & paper industry?

SW: In our industry, quality has transcended the product. Customers look for product quality as well as

service quality. Regarding product quality, we need to be clear that conformance to quality means that the product delivers as per the specifications. Service quality means giving the same quality every time. Consistency is the keyword!

PM: A few thoughts on what it takes for marketing today to build brand experiences that stand out from the crowd.

SW: Truthful communication, fair dealings, and consistent quality (both product and service) are the best that anyone can do to create customer delight and as a consequence build a superb brand experience.

PM: Please share your views on the current market scenario and the future you foresee. What do you feel CMOs/marketing leaders need to do in today's market to drive impact, given the current dynamics of the pulp & paper industry?

SW: We live in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. Post-COVID-19, the paper industry has gone through cycles of extreme depression and extreme optimism. All supply chains were disrupted and the situation has still not fully normalised. There have been major raw material shortages which have led the mills to change their product mix frequently. Due to all these factors, our customers have also suffered. From periods of virtually no demand, we have gone into periods where the demand was double of production capacity. Keeping customers happy under such circumstances was an impossible task. However, currently, the situation is much better as the material lead times have come down and demand has stabilised. Energy and petroleumbased chemical prices continue to be high. Pulp demand is also high but there is stability in prices. Going forward, I expect the next three months to stabilise with some minor fluctuations in the packaging board's prices.

JK Paper

'Putting the Customer at the Centre of all Marketing Strategies will Define the Success of any Organisation'

JK Paper Ltd. is among the largest

paper manufacturers in India. The Company is respected for its scale, scope and sustainability across market cycles and preferred for its diversified product range delivering complete solutions to demanding customers. In an interview with Paper Mart, Mr. Partha Biswas, Chief Sales & Marketing, JK Paper Ltd. shares that customer centricity & understanding the customer pain points before the competition is what has made JK Paper a market leader in the industry.

Paper Mart: Could you shed some light on the new developments at your company with regard to product development, market growth, and application areas?

Partha Biswas: Our endeavor is to keep on moving into high-growth products. The company is the pioneer of innovation through its continuous research and development initiatives; in this regard, the company has developed new

products, viz- aqueous coated board, Cup Stocks base, Liquid Packaging, JK Copier Plus- Anti-microbial paper, and JK Pac Fresh-food wrapping paper.

On the application front, JK Copier Plus is India's first anti-fungal paper that protects from germs and microbes. JK Pac Fresh is a multipurpose food-grade paper ideal for wrapping everyday meals. It is oil and grease-resistant and keeps food fresh than other wraps like foil. Other key product launches such as liquid packaging and cup stocks are substitutes for plastic. We are one of the first companies to develop aqueous coated board.

PM: How can CMOs/marketing leaders work closely with their teams to build collaboration with customers, product development, and the entire value chain?

PB: The marketing department works day in and day out to closely connect with the customers through various social media platforms, brand promotions on various occasions, new

Mr. Partha Biswas, Chief Sales & Marketing, JK Paper Ltd.

“Customer centricity & understanding the customer pain points before the competition is what has made JK Paper a market leader in the industry.”

product promotions, and loyalty schemes thus gaining customer confidence and their top-of-mind recall.

On this front, the company has promoted JK Paper as a 'sustainable paper solution provider' on various platforms of social media through key campaigns like on, Environment Day, Earth Day, etc. As a part of the company's ongoing effort towards awareness creation for removing paper myth and as brand initiatives, the company undertook outdoor onground activities like:

Ÿ

'Letter to my Super Mom' in which around 1 lakh students were reached, covering 188 schools and 50 cities. The campaign video was promoted on social media channels and was viewed by over 1.6 million people.

PB: We, at JK Paper Ltd., believe in continuous churning through new product development, customer connection and understanding customer needs for maximising customer satisfaction.

In this sense, we develop an in-depth understanding of the trends that will impact future demand, changing consumer behaviour that will impact our category, global factors of demand and supply that will impact the local market and adjacent industries that could impact the industry. Having understood the above, we devise longterm sustainable strategies that will ensure profitable future growth.

PM: Product quality is the most important aspect of any business. What, according to you, should be the parameter of quality in the pulp & paper industry?

PB: In hindsight, the previous financial year was extremely challenging for the economy, on the COVID scare and changing geo-political situations, however, now the Indian economy has completely recovered from the COVID impact and the demand for paper and boards is back to pre-COVID levels. The packaging board segment had a very marginal impact due to COVID and has come up very strongly due to growing demand from the food service segment.

Ÿ

The company participated in the world's biggest paper and paper product exhibition- 'Paperex', held in May, which received a footfall of over 35000 people. JK Paper won the best stall award for overall design and displays.

PB: Consistent product quality sets JK Paper apart from its competitors. We develop products that give optimum output on any machine. In present conditions, we should benchmark our quality against the best of international products to be successful.

On the backdrop of the plastic-topaper initiative, companies in FMCG and Durables segment are also looking at upgrading their packaging from plastic-based to more sustainable paper-based packaging. These trends will continue to fuel strong demand in the packaging board segment over the next few years.

Ÿ

After the successful completion of three seasons of 'AutHer Awards', the company is embarking on the fourth season of AutHer Awards.

We also run various loyalty schemes like 'Bond Forever', and 'JK SuperSitare Premier League' to have direct connections and suitably reward the customers/channel partners.

We are also in direct touch with customers through our salespersons physically available on-field by our retail team. We have expanded our digital reach through the 'JIA chatbot' and direct contact with customers in the B2B space.

PM: As a seasoned marketing leader, what are your marketing mantras?

PM: A few thoughts on what it takes for marketing today to build brand experiences that stand out from the crowd.

PB: Customer centricity & understanding the customer pain points before the competition is what has made JK Paper a market leader in the industry. We have developed innovative marketing plans for last-mile connectivity and customer connection. Today, a person can order paper digitally through our chatbot. We have given the power to the fingertips of the customer.

PM: Please share your views on the current market scenario and the future you foresee. What do you feel CMOs/marketing leaders need to do in today's market to drive impact, given the current dynamics of the pulp & paper industry?

In the writing and printing segment growth of online modes of education will have an adverse impact on the demand for printed reference books. Printed novels and magazines will continue to diminish with the growth in the usage of e-books and magazines. However, the educational books segment is expected to remain stable.

In the ever-evolving scenario of market demand and the impact of the emergence of one global market, putting the customer at the centre of all marketing strategies will define the success of any organisation. Hence, it is important to evolve strategies that can help an organisation to serve customers better, address their pain points and act more as consultants to them instead of being more like salespersons.

Thus, marketing teams must work closely with end customers to come up with solutions that will help the industry to maximise fulfilment of sustainability and environmental responsibility!

OPIL

'Brand Experience is Built over Time through a Series of Experiences'

Orient Paper & Industries

Ltd. (OPIL) believes that resources must be dynamically matched with a strong commitment to excellence in products and processes through a team of dedicated people while ensuring a clean environment for our planet, the earth. In an interview with Paper Mart, Mr. Saikat Basu, HeadMarketing & Sales, Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. shares that branding is all about creating a sustainable and differentiated experience and ensuring customer delight.

Paper Mart: Could you shed some light on the new developments at your company with regard to product development, market growth, and application areas?

Saikat Basu: The Indian paper industry has enjoyed a healthy rebound post-COVID-19 in most segments. While the new National Education Policy (NEP) guidelines have given a lease of life to the writing & printing sector, the packaging sector has also witnessed moderate demand upheaval. The F&B segment is driving growth in products like cupstock. Health and hygiene segment recovery

Mr. Saikat Basu, Head - Marketing & Sales, Orient Paper & Industries Ltd.

“We have to create long-term experiences to make a differentiation over a period of time… Branding is all about creating a sustainable and differentiated experience and ensuring customer delight.”

Robo Jet cleaner is used for cleaning the wire/felts with three jet nozzles to reduce the fresh water consumption with better cleaning of paper clothing on paper machine.

is partial since institutional buying has still not reached pre-COVID levels (Work from Office yet to reach full potential) – hence tissue growth is moderate. We are designing new products successfully and working in close coordination with key customers. Being a market leader in tissues in India, we plan to develop new categories for both domestic and export markets. In the W&P segment, we are focussing on value-added segments like drawing paper, cupstock, etc.

PM: How can CMOs/marketing leaders work closely with their teams to build collaboration with customers, product development, and the entire value chain?

SB: We plan to partner with key users in a value engineering model. There is huge potential in the entire value chain starting from raw material to paper manufacturing to logistics to distribution to retail to conversion to end consumer. Our core philosophy is the proper understanding of the entire value chain and its pain points, and help converters and end users unlock this value. CMOs need to look beyond their limited areas of distribution partners and key customers and delve into the converted products value chain, keeping our distribution system in tandem – so that we as well as our distribution partners can achieve sustainable & scalable business.

PM: As a seasoned marketing leader, what are your marketing mantras?

SB: Mantra 1 is customer obsession. We would like to create value for customers and trade partners in addition to creating value for the company. The stickiness of any customer or product to a particular product/brand can be ensured through this only.

Mantra 2 is looking at the entire value chain instead of one part, having

sustainable, scalable growth across the chain, and also involving our distribution partners. Loyalty is built when there is seamless value creation.

Mantra 3 is nurturing relationships over decades. In OPIL, I feel proud when customers associate with us on a multi-generation level. Dealers also take pride that their grandfathers also were associated with OPM and have a strong sense of loyalty. It is a matter of pride and responsibility for us to nurture and grow together with them.

Mantra 4 is to constantly develop new products and increase the portfolio. That helps organisation to choose a mix during difficult times, and also helps customers to remain under one umbrella for their entire requirements.

Mantra 5 for me is omnichannel placement to reach the customer. The edge this provides over the competition during the lean period is humungous.

PM: Product quality is the most important aspect of any business. What, according to you, should be the parameter of quality in the pulp & paper industry?

SB: Parameters of quality vary with the product type and also with end usage. From a broad perspective, quality can be classified as aesthetic and functional. Also, quality is not a constant; it should marry with the customer's requirements and equipment. A deep understanding of the customer's conversion process is needed to tweak quality parameters relevant to each segment. Lastly, I would add packaging material quality and service quality is also equally relevant to product quality.

PM: A few thoughts on what it takes for marketing today to build brand experiences that stand out from the crowd.

SB: In our view, brand experience is built over time through a series of experiences across the whole life cycle of the relationship. We have to create long-term experiences to make a differentiation over a period of time. Also, we need to have a curiosity to hear feedback on an ongoing basis from the customers. Branding is all about creating a sustainable and differentiated experience and ensuring customer delight.

PM: Please share your views on the current market scenario and the future you foresee. What do you feel CMOs/marketing leaders need to do in today's market to drive impact, given the current dynamics of the pulp & paper industry?

SB: As I said in an earlier query, the Indian paper industry rebounded post-COVID-19 in writing & printing due to NEP, cupstock, and tissues also having tailwinds due to F&B, and various other sectors. A complex geopolitical environment is likely to create air pockets as we move forward. There can be both supplyled and demand-led disruptions. Industrial grades and tissue will have healthy growth in the future, as India still stands nascent in overall consumption in these categories when compared to world consumption averages. In the Writing & Printing sector, growth will remain modest, but a portion of WPP capacities will continue to produce Industrial categories – a significant development that happened during COVID-19 times.

Given the current dynamics, CMOs and marketing leaders need to capitalise on high-growth areas, redesign the product mix to bring value-added products to the portfolio, and focus on engaging closely with customers in the near future. Another main focus area of marketing leaders is to build agility in the entire system – own team, distribution and service partners, customers, mills, etc.

Emami Paper Mills

'Engaging with Customers, Understanding Product Quality and Providing Good Services are the Three Marketing Mantras'

Emami Paper Mills is a modern

paper and paper board manufacturer. The Company is engaged in the manufacture of packaging board, writing & printing paper, and newsprint. It commenced its journey in 1981 and is the only manufacturer of multi-layer coated boards in Eastern India. In an interview with Paper Mart, Mr. Soumyajit Mukherjee, Jt. President (Marketing & Sales), Emami Paper Mills Ltd. shares that creating a value proposition at the customer end is of utmost importance.

Paper Mart: Could you shed some light on the new developments at your company with regard to product development, market growth, and application areas?

Soumyajit Mukherjee: Product development is one of the key business growth strategies. Our company specializes in the manufacture of newsprint, writing and printing paper and multilayer-coated board. Considering the CAGR growth worldwide, we will be definitely looking into growth prospects in the packaging board as well as backward integration for the fiber sources, such as putting up a pulp mill. We have developed pharmaprint paper with a grammage of around 40 GSM that can be used for making pharmaceutical leaflets. We are also developing oil & greaseproof paper and might also come up with an oil & grease-proof

paperboard in the near future. We are strongly looking into how we can work on the bulk, stiffness and other aspects of the packaging board that can help the customers to reduce their cost of packaging and the carbon footprint, which is, currently the need of the hour since global warming has become a major concern.

PM: How can CMOs/marketing leaders work closely with their teams to build collaboration with customers, product development, and the entire value chain?

SM: I think the most important role a marketing team has is to create collaboration for customer satisfaction. Similarly, creating a value proposition at the customer end is of utmost importance. Marketing is not only selling the product you make but also trying to understand the requirements of the customers. We should know what will add value to their business in the future and try to develop the product in similar lines. In order to become a preferred supplier, we should always be aligned with the requirements of the customers. Consistency in quality and supply should be our top agenda. Today, prices are a secondary aspect for any customer; they would always support if they get good quality and service.

PM: As a seasoned marketing leader, what are your marketing mantras?

Mr. Soumyajit Mukherjee, Jt. President (Marketing & Sales), Emami Paper Mills Ltd.

“Over the period of time, product quality has become the number one criterion… We have to benchmark the quality with the best in the world and offer the same to our customers”

SM: Engaging with customers, understanding product quality, and providing good services are the three marketing mantras. The more, you are aligned with the customer's requirements, the more are your chances to be successful in your field.

Communication is a very important tool for marketing personnel. Providing real-time information regarding new products & service quality will create a difference. A relationship between the customer and the vendor does not happen on the basis of commercials, but an understanding between them. Hence, apart from the business proposal, one should also carry empathy. A salesperson should be a solution provider to the customer.

PM: Product quality is the most important aspect of any business. What, according to you, should be the parameter of quality in the pulp & paper industry?

SM: Over the period of time, product quality has become the number one criterion, especially as we fight in the

global market today. Quality is a criterion that cannot be compromised at all. Product quality can make or break your business. We have to benchmark the quality with the best in the world and offer the same to our customers so that they can compete against the international players. Besides quality, service also plays a paramount role in today's business.

PM: A few thoughts on what it takes for marketing today to build brand experiences that stand out from the crowd.

SM: The first thing to consider, while creating a brand, is to know who your audience is, where you want to sell, and what value you want to give to the customers. A brand is not created overnight but over a period of time, based on how you position the product and what value proposition you offer. If the value proposition is consistent over a period of time, a brand is built.

PM: Please share your views on the current market scenario and the future you foresee. What do you

feel CMOs/marketing leaders need to do in today's market to drive impact, given the current dynamics of the pulp & paper industry?

SM: The pulp & paper industry is quite dynamic and is being driven by the international markets quite often, typically Southeast Asia, China, etc. We need to have a very good/competitive source of raw materials. A reliable source of raw materials and a global standard product range would help a product increase its customer base and explore newer markets not only in India but also globally. Flexibility to change product mix ratio based on Market Dynamics is also a want of the market. A marketing team needs to know the target market/customers based on cost economics but also needs to keep a tap on maintaining the market share. Meanwhile, the single-use plastic ban in India has opened up many new avenues for the pulp & paper industry in India and a focused approach on Innovations and Product Development should be done.

Haber: Optimizing Deckle Matching through Kaiznn™

“Deckle optimization in most cases entails spending time and workforce in data collection and analysis… With Kaiznn™, even while stacking up new orders, the deckle matching solution is recalculated to provide multiple options, in a matter of minutes.”

Intelligent integrated deckle

matching software is optimal for paper mills as it provides end-toend support through the integration of the CRM and Production Management System. Kaiznn™ by Haber is a one-ofa-kind, intelligent, and integrated deckle matching software enabling mills to make quicker decisions to optimize their resources. In an interview with Paper Mart, Ms. Tejaswani, Product Manager, Haber, discusses Kaiznn™, Haber's latest product that has been specifically curated towards the pulp & paper industry. She explains how the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product brings forth the benefits of an integrated software system to hone

deckle matching services at paper mills.

Paper Mart: To start with, could you please describe the deckle matching process?

Tejaswani: Deckle Matching is a complex process involving devising a solution that achieves maximum production efficiency, minimum trim loss, and quick turnover of orders. The calculations are complex, with multiple variables being considered and real-time dynamic changes being involved. Based on the current market and production capabilities, there is also a need to ensure that the solution achieves the

Ms. Tejaswani, Product Manager, Haber

best-case scenario for efficiency, trim loss, and turnover.

Our product Kaiznn™ provides the upgrade for the same as it is a first-ofits-kind Deckle Management system with an integrated CRM and Production Management system.

PM: Kindly shed some light on Kaiznn™ and its key features.

T: With Kaiznn™, paper mills can maximize order fulfillment and ensure reduced trim losses. It supports meeting all delivery commitments, maximizes profits, and achieves deckle planning with the best possible outcomes in seconds, helping the mills provide quality customer satisfaction. It also shows real-time information on order and production stages, enabling quick decision-making with actionable insights.

PM: How does the software work?

T: Based on the orders in the pipeline, different job combinations are explored in real-time. The job combinations are compiled for variably sized & weighted orders of a particular GSM range where once the set of orders is finalized by the user, Kaiznn™ checks all the order line items based on the specifications provided and gives multiple solutions for it, considering criteria such as trim loss optimization, order fulfillment, and delivery window.

Kaiznn™ also allows you to experiment with solutions by including stocks, changing the deckle, and cutters, amongst other parameters, to curate solutions according to one's mills' needs.

PM: You mentioned that Kaiznn™ also maximizes order fulfillment. In what way does it do so?

T: Deckle optimization in most cases entails spending time and workforce in

data collection and analysis by the users, thus resulting in lesser resources being allocated towards decision making. With Kaiznn™, even while stacking up new orders, the deckle matching solution is recalculated to provide multiple options, in a matter of minutes. In fact, through Kaiznn™, one of our customers was able to increase their order fulfillment capabilities from 69.92 percent to 75.32 percent, while reducing the period to land on the final solution, from order entry to the result formulation, which took a mere 30 minutes.

PM: How does it help in bringing down production costs?

T: As the algorithm works towards

recommending the best combination of orders, it ensures that most of the material is utilized, and profit is maximized. Its implementation ensures that trim loss can be managed significantly. This is because deckle matching through Kaiznn™ unlike manual matching provides trim loss information as well during solution iteration, which helps the user estimate the trim loss reduction while iterating the solutions themselves. In fact, the same manufacturer also observed a 12.30 percent reduction in average monthly trim loss to reach sub-3 percent levels by using Kaiznn™.

Overall, this resulted in the customer registering 5.45 percent of savings in their inventory.

Valmet Organises Suppliers’ Day to Support Sustainable Operations

Asustainable supply chain is

one of Valmet's focus areas and the company continuously supports its suppliers' sustainability operations. With an aim to ensure its suppliers' readiness for mutual successes in quality, safety, and on-time performance through proactive improvement and continuous innovation, Valmet conducted Suppliers' Day on 19 October 2022 at Hotel Conrad, Pune on the theme 'Sustainable Sourcing Development and Opportunities from Asia Pacific Supplies'.

Innovations, Necessary for Sustainable Development

said, “Sustainability is at the core of Valmet business strategy & operations and the supply chain is not any exception. We have continuously worked for over a decade in improving our supplier operations, mainly related to topics like business ethics, practices, management practices, human and labour regulations, quality management systems, health, safety, and environmental norms. Today is also a unique opportunity for all of us to come together, work together, and make the way forward. We have also been working for the

Mr. Manish Sharma, Director, Asia Pacific Supply Chain, Valmet set the tone for the proceedings and

Theeventthemed'SustainableSourcingDevelopmentandOpportunitiesfromAsiaPacificSupplies' washeldon19October2022atHotelConrad,Pune.

The speakers at the event discussed growth opportunities and the way ahead.

last couple of years on a concept of supplier innovation.”

He added, “We can broadly categorise the expectations into three main categories – performance, engagement, and development. When it comes to performance, we talk about early lead times, quality as per requested norms, and also cost competitiveness. When it comes to engagement, we want our suppliers to work very transparently, and follow the code of conduct and sustainability principles. When it comes to development, we would like our suppliers to work closely with us to develop the supply chain processes and also showcase their interest in ideas and innovations.”

maintain our top line and that comes with the kind of product offering which we have todayprocess technologies, services and automation – where we can be proud of the fact that we are the only pulp & paper technology provider with an end-to-end solution. This provides a unique opportunity to our partners and helps us in retaining the customer confidence and our market share.”

“Our way forward has been defined by mission strategy, continuous improvement and vision. By 'mission', we mean converting renewable resources into sustainable results. And finally, I would just say that our vision is to become a global champion in serving our customers and in moving the industries forward. The trends, which we are looking at, are digitalisation, resource efficiency and consumers who are more conscious about carbon footprints. We invest in R&D that is especially towards leading technologies.” Mr. Petri Paukunnen, Area President, Asia Pacific, Valmet,

shared an insightful message which was presented at the event. The overview of the company was shared by Ms. Silvana Ereno, VP, Finance & Admin, Asia Pacific, Valmet, and Mr. Jani Suomalainen, VP, Supply Chain, Valmet. The presentations were followed by a panel discussion and open house which brought the mill owners and the suppliers to one platform.

Gleaming Future Potential of Industry

Mr. Pawan Agarwal, Managing Director at Naini Papers Ltd. appreciated Valmet for its product and services. Sharing his experience on installing Valmet fiberline at Naini Papers, Mr. Agarwal said, “We were completely at ease from Day 1 and sure that we'll be getting the best quality of pulp out of this fiber line, and that is what exactly happened. There have been a few challenges, but I must admit, Valmet was always forthcoming in accepting those challenges and trying to resolve the issues in the best possible manner.”

Encouraging the suppliers with a tone of optimism, Mr. Agarwal added,

The welcome note was given by Mr. Varun Jain, Director, India Region, Valmet. Giving a broad impression about how Valmet as a company, has been doing for the last few years and, and what is its growth plan going forward, he said, “Over last eight years, Valmet has been growing in terms of order booking/sales. We have been able to almost double our order bookings in the last 7-8 years, from almost 2 billion to around 5.3 billion euro in 2021 which has come, not only through the expansion of our product portfolio but also through our mergers. Valmet has taken many strategic initiatives. Even in the tough times of the pandemic, we had been able to

(Left-Right): Mr. Pawan Agarwal, Managing Director, Naini Papers Ltd., Mr. Varun Jain, Director, India Region, Valmet, and Mr. Ashwin Laddha, Managing Director & CEO of Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. (OPIL)

“Our prime minister repeatedly says that this century belongs to Indian manufacturing. This is a big opportunity for you. We have to think forward. We not only have to reduce our costs but develop our engineering capabilities as well. And that will take us forward in long run in the longer term.”

In his presentation, Mr. Ashwin Laddha, Managing Director & CEO of Orient Paper & Industries Ltd. (OPIL), talked about digitisation and e-commerce as the factors leading to a permanent reset in the pulp & paper industry. “We have to reorganise our business, product mix, and geographical focus and make some new & radical changes. We have to move fast and be agile, innovative, and cost-competitive.”

Talking about how the industry would look three to five years from now, he said, “Besides hard aspects such as digitisation, business model, rethinking revenue, marketing innovation, and very importantly sustainability, there are soft aspects to focus on, like empathy, collaboration, flexibility and agility. These are timeless values, which we have learned from Valmet's 220 years of

experience.” In his concluding remarks, Mr. Laddha said, “It is important to understand the whole value chain to remain relevant. Your individual business can add value such as being customer obsessed and leveraging technology for building competitiveness.”

Investments in Quality for Competence

Ms. Laura Puustjärvi, VP, Sustainability, Valmet discussed the company's sustainability and climate program. Additionally, special workshops were conducted for the suppliers.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Ashok Kumar, Executive Director, Pudumjee Paper Products Ltd. urged the MSME suppliers to continue doing innovations and R&D.“Please

upgrade your quality through your own innovations so that you come up with the expectations of Valmet. This will reduce the total investment we make in putting the plant and machinery. We have the entire infrastructure in place. There may be a difference in the scale of operation; however, unless you have a volume of that level, India may take a few more years to do it. Today, we have many grades of international quality papers. If you talk about writing & printing paper and paperboards, we have a good taste of international quality today and the paper from India is well accepted in the European market and the US market. We have learned how to face competition and it came through innovations,” he said.

Dr. Kumar appreciated the efforts of Valmet in producing high-quality & efficient equipment and pointed out that the industry must spend more money on R&D. “India is developing fast. We have excellent institutes in this country. The infrastructure is much better now. Valmet, with its kind of expertise and commitment to the country, will encourage MSME, which in turn will help Valmet to produce quality material,” he added.

Non-Toxic, Chemical Free Odour Control and Cooking Enhancement ProgrammeA Breakthrough Technology from Proklean

through extensive research to give an excellent ROI on the one hand while drastically cutting hazardous emissions on the other.

One part of the formulation contains a consortium of naturally occurring (“nonGMO”) beneficial microorganisms including thermophilic bacteria that are known to be active even at high temperatures and tough operating conditions. The beneficial microbes in the formulation decompose mercaptans/sulphides, neutralises them, reducing their emissions by over 70% resulting in a virtually odour-free atmosphere.

Cooking is the most critical part of the manufactur-

ing process in the pulp & paper industry as it determines the profitable operation of a paper mill through increased yield and reduced rejections. At the same time, the cooking process also contributes significantly to the pollution load in a pulp mill by way of hazardous gaseous emissions and high loads in the effluent. As air emissions pose a serious health hazard, strict norms on emission control have been introduced.

The current solutions that offer to bring down emissions entail the installation of expensive capital equipment and additionally mills have to incur high operating costs in terms of auxiliary chemical requirements.

It is every pulp mill owner's dream to get the best economic return by running the cooking process efficiently while keeping the emission loads at the lowest levels.

Challenging problems require innovative solutions. If it is innovation, then it is Proklean.

Proklean has been working with innovative Probiotic and biobased technologies for over a decade now. In recent years, Proklean has introduced many products for pulp and paper application under the 'ProCharta', umbrella.

ProCharta delivers the mill owner's dream through its revolutionary technology based on a first-of-its-kind Green Chemistry solution - ProChartaProCook

ProCharta ProCook is a dual formulation developed

The second part of the formulation is a bio-dispersant which disperses the microbial solution uniformly, and improves lignin extraction even while using lower cooking chemicals. Screen rejects are seen to be reduced too and the overall yield is enhanced. All this is achieved without the requirement of expensive capital equipment. The investment in ProCook not only pays for itself but in fact enhances profitability significantly.

ProCook is FDA certified and REACH compliant and has a proven track record of delivering great value to the customers while enhancing the health and safety of the operators.

Case Study

1. A 5-6% reduction in active alkali has resulted in increased screen yield with a marginal increase in kappa number & brightness value.

2. An improved brightness has been observed at the P2 stage even at a reduced active alkali percentage.

3. Hydrogen Sulphide emissions came down by more than 60% resulting in a drastic reduction in odour in the environment.

4.The combination product has resulted in effective cooking keeping the extractives on the lower side even at the lower active alkali consumption.

Proklean’s path-breaking technology provides a sustainable & biodegradable option that enables paper mills to improve their profitability even while enhancing the safety and wellbeing of their employees. The novel technology facilitates mills to mitigate climate change impact and reduce carbon footprint by bringing down emissions drastically.

Alliance International – Bringing Trailblazing Technologies for Different Applications

its principals, the Company undertakes major projects which include supplying new as well as used paper machinery, components for pulp and paper machinery, and rebuilt projects.

Alliance International,

established by a team of professionals from the pulp and paper industry in 2005, is a renowned provider of sophisticated and innovative machinery for the pulp & paper manufacturers. In addition to supplying consumables, components and assemblies, the technology supplier also provides new as well as used/second-hand paper machinery.

Representing notable paper machinery manufacturers of quality and reliable products enables Alliance International to provide cost-effective and avant-garde solutions to their clientele in the industry. Moreover, this also fosters strong relationships with their customers, that is, all the major pulp and paper mills across India and surrounding markets.

With the aim to serve the global customers better and efficiently, the Company has established associate offices in China and Dubai. Driven by

the philosophy that 'Engineering is the heart of the Organization', Alliance emphasizes the significance of quality, cost-effectiveness, and latest technologies. With time, the Company has attained a reputation for providing high-quality, innovative technology, cost-effective solutions, and efficient services in both domestic and overseas markets.

Extensive Range for Different Applications

Delhi-based Alliance International provides a wide range of high-quality Paper Machinery Assemblies and Paper Machinery components. For the 'Paper Machine' section, the Company provides – Headbox, Nozzles, Filter, Suction Boxes & Covers, Shower System, Forming Fabrics, Doctor Blades & Systems, Showers, and Vacuum Blowers. For the 'Press & Dryer Part', Alliance provides Press Rolls, Calendar, Pope Reel, Granite Rolls, Felts & Dryer Screens, Dryers

With the mantra that engineering is the heart of the organization, Alliance International strives to provide competent and advanced machinery and equipment to pulp and paper mills. In collaboration with

Mr. A.S. Aneja, CEO, Alliance International

MG Cylinder, and Pocket Ventilation & Hood.

Furthermore, in the 'Stock Preparation' section, the Company supplies – Pulper, Hot Disperser, High Pressure Screens, Refiners, Centri Cleaners, and High Density Cleaners. In the 'Finishing House' segment, there are solutions including Rewinder, Sheeter, Reel Handling and ASRS Warehouse solutions.

Mutual Synergies

Alliance International, along with its principal companies, has been continually augmenting its operations and presence in the Indian & neighboring markets, in the bid to providing competent machinery and equipment for pulp & paper mills.

To name a few , Alliance International is the Indian representative of China-

based Sichuan Chengfa Paper Machinery Co., Ltd. which manufactures paper machines including –boxboard paper machine, greyboard paper machine, coated duplex board (white card) paper machine, writing & printing paper machine, and all kinds of specialty paper machine.

Being the representative of Dandong Shengxing Paper Machinery Co., Ltd., Alliance brings solutions like dryer cylinder, Yankee cylinder, and press roll for the paper machinery.

Major Projects for Indian Paper Industry

Alliance has undertaken major projects for the Indian market in collaboration with its principal partners at prominent paper mills. For instance, the company supplied a 480 Tonnes Per Day (TPD) coated board machine to

UPM Inaugurates its New Deep Sea Pulp Terminal in the Port of Montevideo

Emami Paper Mills for its Balasore unit, Odisha; a 500 TPD coated board machine for JK Paper (Unit CPM, Songarh, Gujarat), and installed a 500 TPD kraft paper machine at Jodhani Papers in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Additionally, Alliance also supplied a 150 TPD kraft paper machine to Maharashtra-based Kaygaon Paper Mills & Telangana-based Sri Luxmi Tulasi Paper Mill.

Since Alliance is also engaged in rebuilt projects, the Company has undertaken a dryer section rebuilt for ITC PSPD, Bhadrachalam (Telangana) and a complete press part rebuilt at Hardoli Paper Mills, Nagpur (Maharashtra). In addition, the Company provides used/refurbished paper machinery and spare parts which are sourced from Europe. ¢

UPM's

located in the newly developed deep sea port in Montevideo, willhaveanannualoperatingcapacityofover2milliontonnesofpulp.

October7,2022

UPM has officially inaugurated its new pulp terminal in the port of Montevideo, Uruguay, with an investment of about USD 280 million. This is fundamentally a part of UPM's USD 3.47 billion growth investment in Uruguay includes a state-of-the-art pulp mill in Paso de losToros, a new eucalyptus treenurserybesidesinvestmentsinlocalcommunities.

In the words of Mr. Jussi Pesonen, President and CEO, UPM, “This is a significant milestone in our growth project in Uruguay. The new pulp terminal with direct connections from the new pulp mill and to the global markets plays a key role in the growth and competitiveness of UPM's pulp business. The public infrastructure investments to the deep sea port and railway improve the competitiveness of all export sectors in Uruguay.”

The new pulp terminal is located in the newly developed deep sea port in Montevideo. From now onwards, all UPM pulp from Uruguay will be shipped with fully loaded ocean vessels directly from Uruguay. The terminal will operate 24/7 with an annual operating capacity of over 2 million tonnes of pulp and approximately 100 ships per year, creating a 60 percent

increase in the total annual cargo exported from the port of Montevideo. The terminal will employ approximately 100 people, with another 200 people working in the loading and unloadingofcargoships.

The terminal has a large warehouse spanning over 50,000 sq m, a control room, logistics spaces and offices.The new 2.1 million tonne Greenfield eucalyptus pulp mill near Paso de losToros in central Uruguay is scheduled to start production by the end of Q12023.n

new pulp terminal,

Image Source: UPM

Sustainable Board Production with Less CO Emissions and Fibers 2

In the past two years, Nippon Dynawave Packaging has partnered with Valmet on two signature projects that helped to achieve the pulp and board producer's goals. Firstly, the installation and start-up of a Valmet pulp drying and baling line, followed soon after by the installation and start-up of an OptiCalender metal belt calender.

In Longview, Washington,

Nippon Dynawave Packaging (NDP) operates a single-line facility producing liquid packaging boards and market pulp. In September 2016, NDP was formed when Weyerhaeuser sold its liquid packaging board business to Nippon Paper Industries. For more than ten years, Valmet has been a strong partner to NDP, having executed several projects in the mill.

In the past two years, Nippon Dynawave Packaging has partnered with Valmet on two signature projects that helped to achieve the pulp and board producer's goals. First, the installation and start-up of a Valmet pulp drying and baling line, followed soon after by the installation and start-up of an OptiCalender metal belt calender.

Addressing the changing needs of the marketplace While the liquid packaging markets

a limited geographical range and declining customer base, there was a need for a product that could be shipped anywhere in the world. NDP, therefore, decided to invest in a new

(Left to Right) Mr. Aidan McCormick, Pulp Dryer Equipment Manager, NDP, and Mr. Joe Lambie, Project Manager and Team Lead, Valmet, work together on-site.

pulp drying and baling line and a pulper feed system to adjust to the changing market demand.

“The investment will allow the mill to supply a global customer base and give the business additional opportunities we've previously lacked,” says Mr. Andrew Cooper, Vice President, Operations at NDP.

NDP's products play an essential role in delivering fresh liquids to nourish people all over the world. Their board holds fresh liquids for school milk, fruit juices, nectars, coffee and water, and provides packaging for various food service applications. NDP's pulp is used by tissue and towel manufacturers, packaging, and communication paper producers, and even pet bedding manufacturers.

“The new pulp drying and baling line project is the first large greenfield project executed since the acquisition. The project has been both challenging and exciting,” says Mr. Cooper. The project featured Valmet Airborne Dyer and Valmet Baling

technology and included an automatic pulper feed system to ensure the safest possible operating system. With the new system in place, NDP can remain flexible, adapting to the market by choosing the most economical fiber for the moment while still maximizing its pulp production capacity.

able to deliver above and beyond expectations. NDP chose Valmet as a supplier for the metal belt calender after doing extensive pilot work. They made some uncalendered paper and sent it to the Valmet Paper Technology Center in Järvenpää.

“Since the rebuild and start-up of the metal belt calendar, the day-to-day operations are quite simplified,” shares Mr. Perry Brandenburg, Machine Manager, NDP. “The calender is repeatable and seems to be reliable. There are only two parameters that the operators generally work with to adjust the paper quality.”

Brandenburg continues, “The results with the metal belt calender were actually better than with the pilot scale projections, so it has been quite an asset to NDP to make better paper while reducing fiber demand.”

Strong, long-term partnership yields results

Delivering

sustainable board with less CO emissions and 2 fibers

In pursuit of its sustainability goals, NDP succeeded in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using fewer fibers for the same amount of board with Valmet's metal belt calender.

“Putting a metal belt calender on our paper machine allowed us to use less fibers to make the same quality board for our customers, which is really revolutionary to this business,” says Mr. John Carpenter, President, NDP.

While there were some challenges with the installation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was

Nippon Dynawave Packaging has benefitted from Valmet technology through the installation of a pulp drying and baling line and OptiCalender metal belt calender. The equipment has increased flexibility, boosted efficiency, and enhanced quality at the mill in Longview, Washington. The start-up of the Valmet pulp drying and baling line occurred in November 2020, and the OptiCalender metal belt calender started up in December 2021.

“Our expectations in partnering on projects have focused on very high levels of cooperation, communication, responsiveness, technical support, and knowledge,” continues Mr. Cooper. “The size of our business means NDP also always focuses on cost savings and project returns. The solutions presented in this project have generally met all these expectations.” ¢

(Left to Right) Mr. Noboru Morita, Senior Vice President, NDP; Mr. Andrew Cooper, Vice President of Operations, NDP; and Mr. Joe Lambie, Project Manager and Team Lead, Valmet, discuss the current state of the OptiCalender and its success while walking through the Longview, Washington facility.

CPPRI to set up Waste Paper Recycle Promotion Centres in Delhi and Chennai

Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute (CPPRI),

Saharanpur has been awarded a project on setting up of Waste Paper Recycle Promotion Centre (WPRPC) in New Delhi and Chennai. The WPRPC Delhi Centre was inaugurated on October 12, 2022, at Patparganj Industrial Area, New Delhi. This is the extension centre of Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Saharanpur, which will cater to the need of the pulp & paper industry including recycled paper collection and promotion activities. The project has been funded by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, underproject-basedsupporttoCPPRI.

The event was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Mr. T. Balakumar, CMD, Subam Papers Pvt. Ltd. and Chairman of Development Council for Pulp, Paper & Allied Industries (DCPPAI). Reportedly, Mr. Pramod Agarwal, CMD, Rama Paper Mills Ltd. and President, IARPMA, and Dr. Tanweer Alam, Director, Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), were the guestsof honour.

Waste Paper as a Resource

In his speech, Mr. Balakumar extended his best wishes to

CPPRI & DCPPAI for the steps taken to enhance the usefulness of waste paper and said, “Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Shri Nitin Gadkari says, the conversion of knowledge into wealth & waste into wealth is the future. Nothing is Waste. In fact, waste is a resource in the wrong place. Thus, the word 'Waste Paper' is superfluous as it is not useless but a valuable resource. As such the more appropriate word will be 'Recovered Paper'.”

He added that the paper is bio-degradable, compostable and recycled easily; therefore, the utilisation of the recovered paper helps in resource conservation, energy conservation and environmental sustainability. “The systematic and scientific knowledge about the collection, sorting, grading and recyclability will certainly help our paper industry in meeting raw material shortage as well as achieving the future projected paper demand of our country. It is indeed a step forward in making the nation an Atmanirbhar Bharat, a policy initiative of theHon'blePrimeMinisterShriModiJi,”hementioned.

Sharing the statistics, he added, “The domestic paper industry produced 24 million tonnes of paper in the financial year 2020-2021with 4.32 million tonnes of paper contributing 18 percent of total production uses wood chiefly from the social

The WPRPC Delhi Centre was inaugurated on October 12 at Patparganj Industrial Area. Mr. T. Balakumar, CMD, Subam Papers Pvt. Ltd. and Chairman of DCPPAI was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony.

forestry. Agricultural residues like bagasse and wheat straw are used to produce 2.4 million tonne, contributing 10 percent of the total production. 17.28 million tonnes contributing 72 percent share of the total production was produced from recovered paper and or waste paper. The recovered paper presently constitutes the major raw material base for the domestic paper industry. Taking into consideration an average of 80-85 percent yield in the papermaking process; the consumption of recovered paper amounts to 20 million tonnes perannum.

As per the estimates, the present recovery rate in India for waste paper is of the order of more than 50 percent. The recovery rate is fast catching up but is much below as compared to the developed nations like Japan-81 percent, Europe-71.4 percent and the USA-68 percent and is at par with new emerging paper destination South Africa that is at 60 percent. According to industry estimates, the current recovered fiber collection system gives12milliontonnesbacktothepapermills.Theshortfallof 8 milliontonnesisbeingmetbyimports.”

Domestic Collection of Waste Paper: Challenges in the Frontier

Balakumar pointed out that the collection and segregation of waste paper in India are largely unorganised. The supplies of waste paper collected by thousands of waste pickers also include contaminated waste. The Home-to-Home value chain comprises direct collectors from various source points which then sell to the small vendors – where primary sorting of the waste into different categories takes place–and then goes to zonal segregation centres owned by wholesalers, where the waste material gets baled and dispatched to the paper mills. The contractor mechanism is also in place in India, which collects the paper waste from the converters and printers and haditsegregatedandresellstothepapermills.

“The concept of segregation of post-consumer waste is still a challenge. Some corporate houses are trying to address this crucial issue of post-consumer waste management, to ensure systematic collection, segregation and recycling of waste paper. There is a need for more such programs for improving waste paper collection, segregation and utilisation. In this

perspective, setting up of this WPRPC centre is the right step,” headded.

“Recently, the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) has unveiled, the updated version of its European harmonised recyclability test method, developed in collaboration with stakeholders in the entire paper value chain, including specialised testing laboratories. The goal of this exercise is to make all paper packaging recyclable by 2025 and reach a recycling rate of 90 percent by 2030. The updated CEPI harmonised recyclability test method offers a solid basis for this work and allows paper products across Europe to be testedfortheirrecyclabilityinidenticalconditions.”

“According to 2019 statistics available, the waste paper imports in India have jumped 3.5 times of 2011 level. The imports of waste paper in FY 2011 were to the tune of 28.31 billion rupees and reached 91.86 billion rupees in FY 2019. Accordingtoindustryestimates,thishaseasilycrossedthe110 billion rupees-mark, taking into account the rupee devaluation and increase in recovered fiber demand by the industry. It goes to show the dependence of the domestic paper industry on imported waste paper. As a result, the waste paper-based mills often face the dilemma in deciding on selling price due to the high volatility of the imported waste paper cost. It is also proposed RCF-based integrated mother pulp mills may be promoted from various regions of the country which can provide high-quality RCF-based pulp to the paper mills in the country. This will help in reducing the production cost, energy cost and ETP operation cost”, said Mr. Balakumar, adding “I am hopeful, that the WPRPC centre will also be helpful in providing authentic information and data to various stakeholders, specifically on waste price, supply and demand, benchmarks on various aspects related to raw material availability, paper production, and quality along with different geographical areas, SWOT analysis of this sector for further policy/guideline formulation, development of transactionbased recycled fiber price benchmark to help the industry in reducing the volatility and uncertainty in waste paper procurement prices, tracking and understanding market movementsovertimetocorrelatepricechangesandsegmenta-

tion of apparent contract v/s spot to understand market dynamicsandgetinsightintowherethemarketisheaded.”

WPRPC to Enhance Knowledge Pool of the Sector

“ThedataandknowledgebasegeneratedbyWPRPCwillhelp the industry to make fact-based decisions and protect the interest of the sector. The more confidence decision-makers have in the data they use, the more confidence they can have in their decisions. And when decision-makers have more confidence in their decisions, they can take aggressive action, translating to improved performance and profitable growth. The success of this promotion centre shall be depended on the participation of all stakeholders in the value chain including paper traders, waste paper suppliers, paper mills and paper users. Proper strategies and key interventions are required for enhancing waste collection in the country. CPPRI with the collective support and effort by all the stakeholders can make a positive contribution towards increasing the waste paper collection, thus contributing to the government initiative for Atmanirbhar Bharat, in the context of making indigenous fibrous raw material available to the domestic paper manufacturers and saving valuable foreign exchange. WPRPC in

making this initiative a success needs to launch a high-impact awareness campaign to stimulate behaviour change in the public. It should also plan to increase awareness on waste paperrecyclingamongstschoolandschoolchildren.”

Talking about the recent ban on single-use plastic (SUP) and the importance of paper, he expressed that WPRPC and FPTA should now take up the initiative for observing paper recycling day to increase awareness about the increased collectionandutilisationof wastepaper.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Dr. M.K. Gupta, Director, Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute and the leaders of the paper fraternity of India including Mr. Satpal Gupta, MD, Narsingh Dass & Company Pvt. Ltd., Mr. R.C. Rastogi, MD, Khatema Fibres Ltd., and Dr. Madhab Chakraborty, Joint Director, Institute of Packaging (IIP), Dr. B.P. Thapliyal, Secretary General, IARPMA, Mr. Rohit Pandit, Secretary General IPMA, and Mr. Vijay Kumar, Secretary General, INMA. Various senior scientists of CPPRI including Dr. Kawaljeet Singh, Dr. Nitin Endlay, Dr. Sanjay Tyagi, and Mr. Alok Goel also attended the inaugural ceremony. The vote of thanks was given by Dr. Priti Shivhare Lal, scientist of CPPRI and the in-charge of WPRPC Delhi Centre. ¢

ARAUCO Considering Investing USD 3 Billion in 2.5 Million Tonnes Hardwood Pulp Mill

For this investment in the pulp mill, ARAUCO has announced the recent collaboration agreement with the State of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil.

October1,2022

ARAUCO has announced the recent collaboration agreement with the State of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil. This marks the first step towards the construction of a new pulp mill inthiscountry.

Notably, this initiative has been named “Project Sucuriú”. This project is subjected to a number of variables that are currently being assessed. Among them, market conditions, the environmental impact permit, the timber offer assessment, and the approval of the Board of Directors, are considered. If conditions are met, the construction stage of this new plant is expected to beginin2025.

The plant would have a production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of hardwood pulp and would be located 50 km from the area of Inocência, which offers several benefits from a logistics point of view. In fact, there is a high-quality forest region near theplantandtheareafacilitatespulpexportstootherareas.

Image Source: ARAUCO

4evergreen Alliance: Guidance on Improved Collection and Sorting of Fibre-Based Packaging for Recycling

The 'Guidance on the Improved Collection and Sorting of Fibre-Based Packaging for Recycling' – contains a review of the collection and sorting systems across Europe.

assessment of available collection and sorting scenarios. The recommendations given are grounded on a consensus reached through discussions between work stream participants and experts. These guidelines are written based on best practices and are intended to guide the implementation of the future collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure, in order to meet EU legal requirements and realise 4evergreen's aspirational targets including a 90 percent recycling rate for fibre-based packaging.

As such, this Guidance affects all key actors in the (fibrebased) packaging waste value chain (e.g. producers/importers, (local) authorities, waste handlers/collectors, recyclers, NGOs), but is geared towards policymakers and packaging recovery organisations.

Proper Collection Systems to Increase Recycling Rates

4evergreen, a cross-industry alliance, promoting

low-carbon and circular fibre-based packaging, strives to bring together the entire value chain. With the aim of a comprehensive outlook and facilitate the eventual recycling of fibre-based packaging, 4evergreen has endorsed systems that provide adequate sorting at the point of collection. After two years of work, combining the expertise of 24 individuals and validated by a further 75 industry representatives, the 4evergreen alliance released its 'Guidance on the Improved Collection and Sorting of Fibre-Based Packaging for Recycling'. The Guidance is based on inputs received from around 50 participating companies from all relevant industry segments along the value chain.

With 4evergreen's Guidance, pertinent regulatory and institutional frameworks are reviewed and provide an

Here, fibre-based packaging is to be collected in either the regular paper and board stream or the lightweight packaging stream. The 'routes' from collection to recycling at dedicated paper and board mills are also examined, followed by practical recommendations how to improve collection. Likewise, the aspirational goal of 4evergreen is to increase the overall (European) recycling rate of fibre-based packaging to 90 percent by 2030. Collection systems are endorsed where material is sorted into different streams at the source (e.g. households), laying a strong foundation for recycling at suitable paper and board mills.

4evergreen is in support of legislative initiatives that incentivise more investment and the wider participation of all relevant stakeholders in separate collection and post-collection sorting actions aimed at increasing the recycling rate of fibre-based packaging.

This Guidance, and specifically the routes from household collection to recycling, are written as a recommendation for building future collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure. In every respect, 4evergreen also supports alternative infrastructures capable of meeting the recycling rate (sub) targets. The focus needs to be put on household collection, while maintaining high recycling rates for industrial and commercial collection, since the current recycling rates need to be improved to reach an overall recycling rate of 90 percent.

Notably, the collection and sorting set-up guides the different paper grades towards the right recycling process and end use to secure the highest quality and yield of recovered material across different types of recycling mills processing different types of fibre-based materials. Moreover, each paper mill will have its own special recipe and appropriate technical equipment related to the properties of the intended end products.

The highest efficiency and recycling rates will thus be obtained by ensuring that paper mills have access to fibrebased material that is collected and sorted into different feedstock fractions with sufficient quality to create the required recipe for their own products.

Handling of Household Collected Paper and Board

In principle, the household collected paper and board described above is ready for recycling in standard paper

and board mills. As the material is already sorted by households, no further sorting is required. Prior to reaching the mill, the bulk of the material will be pressed into industrial size bales of 'paper for recycling' and checked for quality in dedicated plants. Here again, consumers play a vital role in the (at source) sorting process, and public education is key.

Alternatively, the household collected paper and board can be handled at dedicated (de-inking) sorting lines. This generally splits the stream in two: a de-ink stream (e.g., mainly used newspapers and magazines) which can be consumed by de-inking mills and an OCC stream (e.g. mainly used packaging) which can be consumed in standard paper and board mills. The goal of the alliance is to raise the overall recycling rate of fibre-based packaging while bringing a particular focus on packaging with a lower circularity performance, namely the types used for household, out-of-home, and on-the-go consumption.

The alliance brings together industry representatives from across the fibre-based packaging value-chain, from pulp, paper and board manufacturers and recyclers to packaging producers and converters, including brand owners, retailers and waste management companies. It also comprises non-fibre material suppliers (e.g., adhesives, inks, coatings), technology providers (e.g., machinery, collection, and recycling solutions), and leading research institutes.

Metsä Group Putting Emphasis on a Sustainable Supply Chain

The basic definition of supply chain sustainability

refers to companies' efforts to consider the environment as well as the human impact of their product's journey through the supply chain. This begins with raw materials sourcing to production, storage, and delivery including transportation. As per an article by Metsä Group titled'Sustainablesupplychaininfocus',thegrouppurchases raw materials, products, equipment, and services from around15,000companiesonanannualbasis.

As the group is thoroughly pledged to implement a fully sustainable supply chain in its operations, there is a Supplier Code of Conduct which is to be abided by Metsä's suppliers. About the efforts to strengthen sustainability in the supply chain and guiding the suppliers, Ms. Helena Hartiala, VP, Quality and Operational Excellence from Metsä Group Sourcing & Logistics, remarks, “We are committed to operatingsustainablyandexpectthesamefromourpartners. We want to ensure that our suppliers are committed to our Supplier Code of Conduct, and if required, we encourage them to develop their operations in a more sustainable direction.”

Assessing Sustainability with a Holistic Perspective

Notably, sustainability should be assessed from an outlook which integrates – the environment, society, and economics in the value chain. In this regard, the forest industry group gives prominent importance to organise proper audits of the suppliers with a comprehensive outlook. “We assess and

audit their practices from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. In our assessments, we focus on suppliers that are important to business continuity or who operate in an industry or geographical region which involves potentialrisksconcerningsustainability,”sheadded.

Also, theFinnishgroupiscontinuing itseffortstoensurethat itiswell-informedontheoriginofalltherawmaterialsaswell as the packaging material which is used in the supply of Metsä Group's products. In this undertaking, theirsuppliers' assent to comply with the Supplier Code of Conduct is consequential,whichissignedatthetimeofenteringintothe agreement or renewal of the same. In case a supplier already has a similarcode of conduct in place, the Group considers it to be sufficient evidence of the supplier's commitment to sustainablebusiness.

In a bid to assess the suppliers' sustainability, Metsä Group makes use of assessment questionnaires and audits. In the audits, the focus is on how suppliers handle environmental matters while ensuring quality and safety at work in their operations. In this process, for instance, the auditors also identify the risks regarding forced labour or labour exploitation.

Supporting Suppliers in their Sustainability Journey

Aftertheaudits, if therearefound tobeanyareasof improvementinsuppliers' practices, thegroupputsforthrecommendations and then assesses if/not they've improved their practices. Also, Metsä sets and defines common sustainability objectives with the selected suppliers. For the assistanceof thesuppliers, thegroup hasalso madeavailable itsComplianceandEthicschanneltoreportethicalconcerns.

Furthermore, Metsä Group has shared its strategic 2030 sustainabilityobjectivessoastocarveitspathtoasustainable climate-neutral future. The article 'Sustainable supply chain in focus' is a part of a series of articles, called Choosing Sustainability, which outlines the objectives and describes how the group is actively promoting and putting the stipulationsintothewayitworks.

Finland-headquartered Metsä Group earmarks significant investments every year in scaling up of its efforts in sustainable supply chains. The Group clearly states its aspiration to only collaborate and partner with those who check all the boxes in the sustainability requirements as it aims for a fully sustainable supply chain in 2030.

Sinar Mas to Establish a Paper Production Unit in Maharashtra, With an Investment of INR 20k Crore

For the Sinar Mas' paper production project, 300 acres of land have been earmarked at Dherand in Raigad, Maharashtra.

October27,2022

The Maharashtrastate cabinet committee for industries has

given its nod for the setting up of a paper manufacturing unit by Indonesia-based Sinar Mas. The pulp and paper manufacturing project will entail an investment of INR 20,000 croreinRaigad,adistrictinMaharashtra.

In a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee of the industries department, the Sinar Mas manufacturing project was approved in addition to some other projects. As per the media reports, this investment is the first-ever in India by one of the largestIndonesianconglomerates.

Further, the sub-committee has also decided to extend its incentive package for industries by two years since it could not beutilisedduringthepandemic.

It has been decided that the INR 20k crore will be invested in two phases. 300 acres of land have already been allocated at Dherand in the Raigad district for this project. Moreover, the Maharashtra government has expressed its intent to allot more landasandwhenrequiredforthesaidproject.

Sinar Mas has different subsidiaries for its businesses, including pulp & paper, real estate, financial services, agribusiness,

telecommunications, and mining. In the pulp & paper division, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Sinar Mas' products are marketed in morethan150countriesacrosssixcontinents.n

Indian Pulp & Paper Industry is Witnessing a Period of Rapid Growth and Expansion

In 2021, the Indian pulp & paper market was valued at USD 11.48 Billion and is expected to reach USD 31.41 Billion by 2029.

The 2022 edition of Paperex South India will bring together exhibitors, industry professionals, & targeted visitors to tap into the booming pulp & paper industry in South India.

November1,2022

With domestic demand steadily increasing, as well as a growing manufacturing sector, rising demand for better-quality packagingfromorganisedretailoutletsandanupstreammarket for paper products like tissue paper, filter paper, tea bags, and lightweight online coated paper, this industry is expected to keep growing in India. The value of the print industry in India is expected to go up to almost USD 410 billion by the fiscal year 2024. The Indian packaging market is expected to reach around USD 204.81 billion by 2025, driven by the rising consumer demand for resource-efficient and eco-friendly products across various industries such as food & beverages (F&B),

Paperex South India will take place from 23rd-25th November 2022.

pharmaceuticals & healthcare products (PHC), etc., all of which are currently witnessing tremendous growth across both developedanddevelopingeconomiesincludingIndia.

The investment will be carried out in two phases during the project. Image Source: Sinar Mas

Exports have increased by nearly 80 percent over the previous year, reaching a total of INR 13,963 crore (USD 1.79 billion) in the FY 2021-22. With this growth comes a new focus on both domestic and global demand with substantial investments shiftingtowardsmoreeco-friendlyproductsandtechnology.

Growth being the objective at its core and new market and opportunities at the forefront, the industry was actively exploring a unified business platform with unlimited opportunities for paper & allied industries to have face-to-face interactions, skilled workforce, develop new business opportunities, and attain international growth. Considering all these factors in mind, HYVE India has created the said platform by planning a business event together as Paperex South India, scheduled to take place on 23rd-25th November 2022 in Chennai,India.

Paperex South India 2022 will be the place to be for paper industry executives and professionals. The international exhibition & conference aims to bring together the expert group ofexhibitors,industryprofessionals&targetedvisitorbasetotap intotheboomingpulpandpaperindustryinSouthIndia.

Paperex South India event has become a trusted platform for business transactions. The event is attended by a large gathering of paper manufacturers to explore the new technol-

ogy, machinery, equipment, and raw materials for paper and board manufacturing. Also, the mass audience of paper traders, printers, publishers, converters, and paper packaging companies would get the opportunity to explore the vast varietyofpapersattheshow.

Paperex South India 2022 will also have an exclusive Paper Mills CEO/MD Conclave, which aims to provide a platform for key industry stakeholders. It will also be an opportunity for participants to meet exhibitors, discuss business opportunities and network with each other at an exclusive pavilion called SpecialPaperManufacturersNetworkingPavilion.

Theexhibitionwillhave175leadingexhibitorsfrom7countries including China, India, Nigeria, Sweden, and Ukraine. Additionally, there will be a technical conference on “Indian Paper Industry - Post Pandemic Growth Prospects” by Indian Agro & Recycled Paper Mills Association, and Open Seminar on “Paper, Corrugated Packaging & Printing: Rapid Industrialization &SustainableDevelopment”.

2000+ trade visitors have already registered from 21 countries including; Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the USA,andUzbekistan.n

Kerala Paper Products Initiates Commercial Production of Newsprint

ture newsprint grades of 45 GSM.

November2,2022

Kerala Paper Products Ltd. (KPPL), has initiated the commer-

cial production of newsprint. Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal graced the inauguration ceremony held on the KPPL campus which was presided over by Industries Minister P. Rajeeve.Moreover,ForestMinisterA.K.Saseendran,Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan, MPs Jose K. Mani, Thomas Chazhikkadan, MLAs C.K. Asha, and Mons Joseph along with many dignitaries werealsopresentatthefunction.

At the occasion, Minister Balagopal exclaimed that the acquisition of a public sector unit (PSU) from the central government by a state government is rare, Minister Rajeeve regarded it a historic movement.“There-openingofaclosedPSUishappeningforthe firsttimeinIndianindustrialhistory,”hesaid.

The ministers, along with the people's representatives and many key official representatives, visited the paper mill and the de-inking plant – as published in media reports. Ceremoniously, they also flagged off the vehicle having the firstloadofthepaperproducedatthesite.

It has been so decided that in the first phase, KPPL will manufacture newsprint grades of 45 GSM. In the future, as the plant

gets to be more stable, they will also make newsprint grades of 42 GSM besides writing & printing papers in the range of 52 to 70GSM,aspertheinformationsharedbyaKPPLofficial.

The state government has announced its plans to develop the KPPL into an enterprise with a turnover of INR 3,000 crore. As the third and fourth phases of the plant's developmental work gets concluded, the KPPL will have an annual production capacity of 5 lakh metric tonnes (MTPA) of newsprint. KPPL was earlierknownasHindustanNewsprintLtd.n

In the first phase of commercial production, Kerala Paper Products will manufac-

Representative Image: Spools of White Paper

ITC Introduces TribeKraft – Kraft Paper from 100 Percent Unbleached Virgin Fiber

TribeKraft, ITC's new offering, is specially designed for replacing plastic pouches used in e-commerce deliveries. It can be easily recycled, without any need for additional treatment, making it an eco-friendly alternative.

November2,2022

Over the years, ITC Ltd. – Paperboards & Specialty Papers

Division has developed several new products and variants to meet industry-specific & customers' needs. The latesteditiontoitsportfolioisTribeKraft.

Made from 100 percent unbleached virgin fibers, TribeKraft is specially designed for replacing plastic pouches used in ecommerce deliveries. It can be easily recycled, without any need for additional treatment, making it an eco-friendly option.

TribeKraft comes with high-strength properties; it has an excellentburstfactor,goodtearstrength,hightensilestrength, and good paper elongation. Some of the other features of the productinclude:

Ÿ Excellent printing – suitable for Offset as well as Gravure printing; Ÿ Excellentglueability; Ÿ Suitableforheatsealcoating;and Ÿ CanbeofferedwithFSC®certification.

TribeKraft is available in the GSM range of 68,70, and 80. Some other products introduced under this umbrella include TribeKraft T (50 & 55 GSM) which is used as the base for water-

activated gum tapes and TribeKraft C (82 & 100 GSM), an unbleachedreleasebasepaper.

The product was launched three months after India imposed a ban on single-use plastics (SUPs) to tackle plastic waste and pollution. The ban includes almost 21 SUP items including plasticbags,packagingfilms,andcigarettepackets.n

Stora Enso to Invest EUR 1 Bn for Conversion of Idled Paper Machine to Boost Renewable Packaging Business

Following

October25,2022

Stora Enso has announced its investment plans of about EUR 1 billion for the conversion of the defunct paper machine at the Group's Oulu mill site in Finland into a highvolume consumer board production machine. The plan is in line with the Group's growth strategy in renewable packaging by providing new volume for growing packaging segments. The production on the converted machine is expected to start inearly2025.

After the first machine conversion at the Oulu site in 2021 from paper to kraftliner, the remaining idle paper line will be

converted into a state-of-the-art highly flexible consumer board line for folding box board (FBB) and coated unbleached kraft (CUK). The total production capacity will be 750,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of the consumer board. The target end-use segments are food and beverage packaging, especially frozen and chilled, and dry and fast food, mainly in Europe andNorthAmerica.

“Renewable packaging continues to be our largest strategic growth area. It's also a market that is now, for the first time, growing faster than plastics-based alternatives. Through this conversion we can build on existing assets for quick and cost-

ITC TribeKraft Range

effective time-to-market compared to other investment alternatives. This puts us in a strong position to drive revenue growth and build market share,”says Stora Enso's President and CEOMs.AnnicaBresky.

The investment of EUR 1 billion will be infused during 2022-

2025. The said plan is designed to meet the profitability target of the Packaging Materials division: operational return on operating capital (ROOC) of 20 percent. The annual sales are expectedtobeaboutEUR800million.

“This investment represents a step change in the European market and will develop our Oulu unit into a mega site, improving profitability and competitiveness for both our consumer board and containerboard offerings. The converted line will be the most cost-competitive FBB machine in Europe, also enabling us to optimise production at other sites to unlock further growth,”says Mr. Hannu Kasurinen, EVP and Head of the PackagingMaterialsdivision.

Further, the conversion is in tandem with Stora Enso's sustainability targets. It will support circularity by enhancing the recycling performance of the Packaging Materials division's product portfolio. After this, the Oulu site's total scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions will remain at a low level as they were already reduced by 80 percent during the first conversion in 2021.Aftertheinvestment,theGroup'smarketpulppositionwill bereducedbyapproximately250,000tonnesannually.n

Hard-Hitting Impact of Russia-Ukraine War on Indian Paper Industry, Imports Prices Rising

November2,2022

The Ukraine-Russia war has created an indelible impact on communities, economics, and the environment. This ongoing war has severely affected the global supply chains which have made the transportation of products a huge challenge, to say the least. The Indian paper industry – which depends on imports for its waste paper requirements along with other inputs, has been affected so much that there is a two-month waiting period for overseas shipments – as shared inmediareports.

To put this into perspective, according to industry sources, there has been about 43 percent increase in the price of paper due to this delay in the supply of shipments.This challenge has been further aggravated by lockdowns in China. As a matter of fact, before the war started early this year, the price of paper was INR 70,000 per tonne, which has now gone up to INR 1,00,000pertonne,anindustryrepresentativesaid.

The supplies of different kinds of paper including newsprint, maplitho grades, and pulp strands – have been impacted ever since the geopolitical tensions began. This is because these

Before the war, the paper imports which were priced at INR 70,000 per tonne have now increased to INR 1,00,000 per tonne.

grades are primarily imported from China and Europe. Further, the shortage of containers is also a persistent issue due to the ongoingglobalchallenges.n

Stora Enso will invest about EUR 1 billion during 2022-2025.

The Ukraine-Russia war along with other global issues has impacted the global supply chains due to which the transportation of various commodities has been also affected.

Kimberly-Clark to Divest Its Tissue Business in Brazil to Suzano

The acquisition of Kimberly-Clark's tissue assets will increase Suzano's Brazilian tissue operations to a manufacturing capacity of around 280,000 TPA.

October28,2022

Kimberly-Clark has decided to divest its tissue paper operations in Brazil. Suzano SA, the Brazilian pulp maker, has signed a deal to acquire the tissue assets. In a filing, Suzano informed that the main asset in the deal is a tissue production plant located in São Paulo state. The facility has a production capacityofaround130,000TonnesPerAnnum(TPA).

According to the agreement, a new company by Suzano will manage the assets, as well as manufacture and distribute the tissue products, such as paper towels and napkins of KimberlyClark(KCBrazil).Thevalueofthedealhasnotbeendisclosed.

The acquisition will increase the Company's Brazilian tissue operations to a manufacturing capacity of around 280,000TPA. As per the deal, Suzano has also taken over the brand “Neve” along with the rights to use international brands currently managedbyKCBrazil.

Suzano is the world's leading producer of market pulp, with 11 million tonnes of BEKP market pulp capacity. Also, the pulp maker is the leading manufacturer of writing & printing paper in Brazil, as well as paperboard, with a total production capacity of1.4thousandtonnesofpaper.n

Mondi Approves Investment of EUR 400 million in Kraft Paper Machine at Štětí mill, Czech Republic

The investment in the kraft paper machine will meet the growing demand for paper-based flexible packaging. The expansion is part of Mondi's vertically integrated Paper Bags business and is a part of Mondi's EUR 1 billion expansionary capital investment programme for sustainable packaging.

October27,2022

Mondi has approved a EUR 400 million investment in a kraft paper machine at its flagship Štětí mill in the Czech Republic.The investment, which comes within the Group's EUR 1 billion expansionary capital investment for its sustainable packaging business, will cement its leading position in the market.

The expansion will enable Mondi to fulfill the growing demand for paper-based flexible packaging, which is driven by the surge in e-commerce and sustainable packaging. It will also facilitate the growth of the group's range of innovative, sustainablepackaging,andpapersolutions.

The new kraft paper machine will have the capacity to produce about 210,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of sack kraft paper for Mondi's Paper Bags business. It will also optimise the production across the kraft paper portfolio and strengthen its position in speciality kraft paper for a broad range of applications such asfunctionalbarrier papers.

“As a global leader in innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, we are pleased to announce the approval of such an

new kraft machine will produce about 210,000 TPA of sack kraft paper.

important investment. Sustainability is at the heart of all we do and this is a big step forward on our journey to making all our packaging solutions reusable, recyclable or compostable, which is one of our Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) commitments,” says Mr. Thomas Ott, CEO Flexible Packaging, Mondi.n

Image Source: Kimberly-Clark Brasil

The

Paper Excellence Group and Resolute Forest Products to Sell Thunder Bay Pulp & Paper Mill

Paper Excellence's wholly-owned subsidiary Domtar Corporation had signed a contract with Resolute, a global forest products company.

November1,2022

The Paper Excellence Group and Resolute Forest Products

Inc. have expressed their intention to sell Resolute's Thunder Bay pulp & paper mill to further facilitate the regulatoryreviewprocess.

InJulythisyear,thePaperExcellenceGroup,throughitswhollyowned subsidiary Domtar Corporation, signed a contract with Resolute, a global forest products company, to acquire all of the outstandingcommonsharesofResolutestock.

“Today's announcement is a clear demonstration of our commitment to timely complete the acquisition of Resolute,” said Mr. Patrick Loulou, Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer of thePaperExcellenceGroup.

Mr. Remi G. Lalonde, Resolute's President and CEO, stated,“The mill is an exceptional asset. I am confident that the dedicated

In July this year, the Paper Excellence Group signed a contract with Resolute.

and talented team inThunder Bay will have a prosperous future with any company fortunate enough to have them as part of theirorganization.”n

WestRock to Close Down 200,000 TPA Corrugated Medium Business at Minnesota Site in US

WestRock

October7,2022

Georgia, USA-headquartered WestRock Company has announced that it will permanently close the corrugated medium manufacturing operations at its St. Paul, Minnesota, recycled paper mill. However, the manufacturing of coated recycled boards at this location will continue to be in operation.

The corrugated packaging company is committed to improving its return on invested capital as well as maximising the performance of its assets, and the corrugated medium machinery at the St. Paul location would require significant capitalinvestmenttomaintainandimprovegoingforward.The shutdown of these assets will result in the reduction of 200,000 tonnesofannualcorrugatedmediumproduction.

“Shutting down operations and impacting the lives of our employees is a difficult decision to make,” said Mr. David B. Sewell, CEO at WestRock. “As we implement our plans to close the corrugated medium operations in St. Paul, we are incredibly appreciative for the many contributions this team has made.We plan to assist these team members in exploring roles atotherWestRocklocationsandwithoutplacementservices.”

About 130 jobs will be eliminated by this closure. Employees of

WestRock's St. Paul location will receive severance and outplacement assistance in accordance with Company policy andlabourunionagreements.

WestRock partners with our customers to provide sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. Its team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe,Asia,andAustralia.n

is committed to improving its return on invested capital, maximising the performance of its assets and the corrugated medium machinery.

Image Source: WestRock

SCA to Introduce a Dedicated Renewable Energy Reporting Segment

October30,2022

SCA, one of Europe's key producers of renewable energy, makes use of residual and by-products from its forestry activities. The Company has become one of the leading producers of sustainable bioenergy in Europe. Previously, SCA had expressed its intention to continue to grow in the energy sector through investments and organic growth. Moreover, in 2021, SCA informed about its plans to invest along with Finnish energy company St1 in a new biorefinery in Gothenburg for biofuels.

“We see growth opportunities in the renewable energy sector, where we have announced plans to grow our presence in wind power and bio-based energy. Our ambition is that renewable energy will be a long-term value driver for SCA”, says Mr. Ulf Larsson,PresidentandCEO.

The Renewable Energy segment will inform about the production and sale of refined and unrefined biofuels. What's more, the reporting segment will also state the development costsandrevenueslinkedtothewindpowerbusinessandsales ofgreenby-productsfromtheindustryforenergyproduction.

ForestSegment

The Forest segment comprises the supply of raw materials for SCA's forestry activities and the management and felling of privately-owned forest land in northern Sweden and the Baltics. Activities in renewable energy linked to forest land, including wind power leases and the sale of unprocessed biofuels from forest land for energy generationwill be reported in the Forest segment until January 1, 2023, and in the RenewableEnergysegmentthereafter.

Wood

The Wood segment comprises the sawmill business with five sawmills in northern Sweden and wood processing and

distribution. The sales of refined biofuels made from residual products from sawmills, mainly pellets, will be reported under theWood segment until January 1, 2023, and in the Renewable Energysegmentthereafter.

Pulp

The pulp segment includes the production and sale of northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) and chemithermomechanical pulp (CTMP) that are produced at our pulp factory in Östrand, which is also a net producer of green energy andby-productssuchastalloilandturpentine.Sales oftalloil,a by-product of pulp production, will be reported under the RenewableEnergysegmentfrom1January2023.

Containerboard

The Containerboard segment manufactures and sells packaging paper (kraftliner), with production taking place at our integrated paper mills in Obbola and Munksund. The development related to renewable energy will be reported in the RenewableEnergysegmentfromJanuary1,2023. n

Georgia-Pacific to Invest Over USD 425 mn in its Tableware Facility in Jackson, Tennessee

November9,2022

eorgia-Pacific will invest more than USD 425 million in Gestablishing a Dixie facility in Jackson. This will mark the largest single investmentin the city's history. Once operational, the plant will employ more than 200 people and produce well-

known tableware products, including the Dixie® and Dixie Ultra®linesofplatesandbowls.

About the investment, Mr. Fernando Gonzalez, President –Consumer Business at Georgia-Pacific, explains, “Although we have invested to expand existing sites, this is the first new

The new reporting segment – Renewable Energy – will be started on January 1, 2023. The move is aligned with SCA's goal to grow and realise business opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

Image Source: SCA

Dixie® plant the company has built since 1991. This added capacity will help us meet the needs of our customers as consumer demand for high-quality, durable paper plates and bowlscontinuestogrow.”

The 900,000-sq ft facility will be located 241 acres west of

the city. The construction is slated to begin by the end of the year and startup is expected in the summer of 2024. The fully air-conditioned workspace will include a printer, associated plate-forming converting assets, and other key manufacturing technology. Georgia-Pacific directly employs approximately 460 people and operates six facilities inTennessee.

In the words of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, “Companies choose to invest in Tennessee because of our skilled workforce and unmatched business climate. I commend Georgia-Pacific's commitment to creating more than 200 jobs in Jackson so that Tennesseansacrosstheregioncanthrive.”

Currently, Georgia-Pacific's economic impact contributes to 1,430 additional indirect jobs and USD 100 million in labor income, and the capital investment in the state has totalled morethanUSD250millionsince2011. n

Södra is Looking to Add Lignin to a Range of Forest-Based Sustainable Alternatives Range

October14,2022

Södra, the largest forest-owner association in Sweden and

an international forest industry group, produces timber products, pulp and green energy. The association is always on the lookout to develop innovative products from renewable materials. It sources raw materials from 52,000 forest owners' sustainablymanagedforests.

Presently, Södra has become a leading supplier of pulp to customers across the world and is bestowed with a global logistics network. The pulp mills produce both paper pulp for paperproductionanddissolvingpulpforthetextileindustry.

Under the unique OnceMore® process, Södra undertakes the recycling of textile fibers on a large-scale and enables circular flows within the textile industry. Products from the mills also includebiomethanol,talloil,andturpentinemarketedunderthe LiquidForest™brandwhichcontributestotheresponsibleuseof the raw material. This aspiration of making lignin available in large quantities and in consistent quality, is a manifestation of thegoalthatnopartofthetreeshouldbewasted.

As one of the world's largest producers of pulp from forest raw materials, Södra extracts millions of tonnes of lignin from wood annually. However, with its bonding properties, lignin has significantpotentialasasustainablematerial.

Lignin finds application as a binder in the chemical industry and in different types of glue. But much wider use of lignin is possible since its phenolic structure is excellent as a base for chemicals and raw materials that are currently based on fossil materials. Since Lignin has been used as a dispersant for

concrete & plasterboard as well as a binder in road stabilisation and animal feed, the second-generationlignin – the kraft lignin availableinthesolidformwillofferevenmoreapplications.

Mr. Johannes Bogren, Vice President, Södra Cell Bioproducts, said, “A sustainable society needs to find new ways of using natural resources. Around a quarter of a tree consists of lignin which means our pulp mills produce it in large quantities. We always strive to make the best possible use of our forest raw material and lignin has the potential to replace fossil materials

Mr. Viktor Odenbrink, Södra Cell Bioproducts Sales Manager, says, “Research is underway for everything from lightweight automotive components to a sustainable ingredient in road surfacing. We are already talking to several like-minded companies about lignin, but our type of kraft lignin is still a new andlargelyunexploredrawmaterial.”n

Image Source: Georgia-Pacific

andcontributetothegreentransition.”

Södra is seeking to integrate lignin within its range of forest-based materials and seeks partners to develop lignin-based sustainable alternatives to fossil materials.

Image Source:

Södra

Voith: Sustainable Investment Decisions in Daily Stock Preparation Operations

The BlueLine stock preparation portfolio is a part of Voith's sustainability program – “Papermaking for Life”.

November3,2022

Many existing plants benefit from solutions from Voith's leading BlueLine stock preparation portfolio. In the last five years, Voith experts have commissioned more than 30 plants with a total production capacity of 12.8 million tonnes per year. Additionally, the technology group has introduced over 20 new innovative machines in recent years.The developmentof new solutions is part ofVoith's sustainability program–“Papermaking for Life.” Every year, around 100 million euros is invested by Voith in the R&D of impetus-giving innovations that are intended to further increase sustainability and efficiency.

As the leading full-line supplier, the Company's focus is on the individual machine components as much as on the entire stock preparation process. Its BlueLine stock preparation portfolio is used in new plants worldwide. “But upgrading existing plants to our solutions also pays off – both economically and in terms of sustainability and efficiency”, explained Mr. Andreas Heilig, VicePresidentProductsFiberSystemsatVoithPaper.

Mr. Falk Albrecht, Head of Process Technology Fiber Systems at Voith Paper, mentions, among other things, pump energy, which accounts for up to 50 percent of the energy consumption of a stock preparation system. In order to minimise energy consumption, the solutions strive for the highest possible consistency level of the achievable quality parameters with the same technological performance. Savings of between 20 and 30 percent are already possible through this measure. At the same time, great attention is given to low pressure levels. Another product example for increasing energy efficiency is Voith's LowEnergyFlotation technology (LEF). Through its use, energy savings of up to 50 percent can be achieved in the flotationpumps.

Customers also benefit from significantly lower water and energy consumption with the AquaLine water and wastewater management system. The system, developed and optimized by Voith and Meri over many years, treats the process water biologically, reducing the COD and calcium content. This saves fresh water and reduces the consumption of additive materials onthepapermachine.TheAquaLineFlexsystemvariantenables freshwaterconsumptiontobereducedtolessthan5litersperkg of paper produced. With the very technologically advanced AquaLine Zero solution, freshwater consumption is reduced to 1.5litersperkgofpaperproduced.Theuseofbiogasproducedas

customized BlueLine OCC system in Aalen.

a substitute fuel for fossil fuels also led to a CO2 reduction of around10percentinoneGermaninstallation.

In addition, high-performance process components are important in stock preparation, such as modern disc filters. The additional primary clarification is no longer required, which is beneficial in terms of yield, investment costs, and the environment. Significant energy savings can be achieved with the InduraClean heavy-weight cleaning system. As part of the BlueLine stock preparation, Voith presented the system, comprising an improved cleaner bank, the new InduraClean IDC-4, and the optimized InduraClean IDC-5.

The OnView.MassBalance digitalization solution is another example of how sustainability and efficiency are combined in Voith's portfolio. The innovative digital tool displays losses in stock preparationin real-time, allowing the operator to identify optimization opportunities in specific areas at a glance and initiateappropriatecountermeasures.

As part of“Papermaking for Life”, Voith Paper presents versatile technologies and initiatives that lead to more efficient and sustainable processes in papermaking. The emphasis is on the topics of water, energy and fiber savings as well as digitalization, innovations and partnerships as levers for more sustainable production. Another focus is onVoith's own activities at its locationsworldwide.n

Palm's

| Image Source: Voith

Smurfit Kappa to Invest USD 100 Million to Drive Down Emissions in Colombia

The state-of-the-art biomass boiler will be powered by organic residue from the papermaking process. Smurfit Kappa has also installed such boilers at its other sites including the Nervion, Piteå, and Sangüesa paper mills in Europe.

October14,2022

murfitKappa,aworldleaderinpaper-basedpackaging,hasSannounced a large-scale investment of almost USD 100 million in a sustainable biomass boiler that will reduce its global Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO emissions by approximately 6 percent. 2

The ambitious project is the latest example of the circularity that permeates every aspect of the company's operations. Smurfit Kappa has successfully implemented biomass boilers at several other locations including the Nervion, Piteå, and SangüesapapermillsinEurope.

The boiler, which will be constructed at its paper mill inYumbo, Colombia, will replace the fossil fuels currently used with different types of organic waste to generate cleaner energy. The organic waste will be comprised of pine and eucalyptus bark from the company's own forestry plantations, waste from its wood treatment plant, and ashes and sludge generated duringthepaper-manufacturingprocess.

When the new boiler is operational, the mill will significantly reduce the site's fossil fuel usage and deliver significant cost savings.

About the investment in the biomass boiler, Mr. Laurent Sellier, CEO of Smurfit Kappa in the Americas, said, “This investment reinforces our commitment to Colombia, a strategic growth market, and to our sustainability targets.The commissioning of this state-of-the-art biomass boiler is a further material step towards our 2030 and net zero emis-

sions targets and to protecting the environment and creating a greener world.”

In the words of Mr. Alvaro J. Henao, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Colombia,“The construction of this boiler reflects the circularity that is the foundation of our sustainability strategy and runs through all of our operations, as we are finding another use for our own waste. It is also a very important project for the region, as it will contribute to expandingthe use of renewableenergies and is a timely response to the increased global demand for paper.”

The new boiler is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.n

October14,2022

Toscotec has launched TT Hydrogen Burner, a new generation of 100 percent hydrogen-fueled burners designed and tested for Yankee hoods. Within the context of the energy transition from fossil-based to zero-carbon industrial operations, the Company developed this patented innovation to drive the conversion of paper manufacturing to cleanenergy.

TT Hydrogen Burner is an in-line burner featuring precisely controlled combustion and two safe operation modes. In

carbon-free mode it runs on 100 percent hydrogen; in carbonreduction mode, it is fueled by a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen, where the percentage of hydrogen is accepted acrossawiderange.

The performance of the burner is alike the high performance of gas-fired burners, using a carbon-free fuel. In fact, hydrogen combustion does not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The key factor in the overall energy balance is that hydrogen fuel is produced from renewable energy sources. If this is the case, in the future hydrogen may possibly replace

Image Source: Smurfit Kappa

fossil fuels in all thermal processes associated with tissue making, including steam production and air system burners. In terms of its infrastructure, hydrogen can be stored in pressure vessels,orinjectedintotheexistingnaturalgasgrid.

In the words of Mr. Stefano Pecchia, Energy Technology Director at Toscotec, “Tissue producers are asking for technological innovations that will allow them to work in full hydrogen mode. Whether they choose to replace their existing burners or install new tissue lines, tissue producers aim to be ready for when this fuel will be widely available, costcompetitive, and green. In response to this demand, Toscotec has invested in building a dedicated air system test bench to ensure guaranteed results according to the specific operating requirementsofpapermills.”

Since the TT Hydrogen Burner has been successfully tested to operate under the same conditions of airspeed, temperature, and humidity of the actual air system of a tissue machine, it is readyforindustrial-scaleproduction.

TT Hydrogen Burner is suitable for immediate installation. Currently, hydrogen availability for tissue mills is limited, so the

burner can be set to operate by burning hydrogen mixed with natural gas in carbon-reduction mode, or even only natural gas if necessary. When hydrogen becomes readily available, in order to switch to full hydrogen mode, TT Hydrogen Burner simply requires a nozzles replacement, which is a one-day easy procedure. This will guarantee the highest possible combustionefficiencybasedon100percenthydrogengas. n

Sappi Gratkorn Mill to Use Sustainable Fuel at the Mill

By replacing coal with sustainable fuels, Sappi's Gratkorn mill is furthering its climate protectiongoalsandreducingitsgreenhousegasemissionsbyabout30percent.

October14,2022

Sappi has completed the modernisation of the power plant boiler at its production site in Gratkorn, Austria. Now, sustainable fuels like biomass will be utilised in place of coal in the paper machines at Sappi's largest European mill. In the transitional phase, the new state-of-the-art boiler will run on naturalgasandbiomass.

“Our ultimate goal is to use only sustainable and renewable fuels. This will make us more independent in the future, especially in times of gas shortages and uncertainty on the energy market,” explains Mr. Max Oberhumer, Managing DirectorofSappiGratkorn.

By phasing out coal, the Gratkorn mill is strengthening its commitment towards climate protection and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by about 30 percent. Moreover, the project is a top priority on Sappi Europe's sustainability agenda. Sappi has planned an investment of EUR 35 million which shows aclearcommitmenttothesustainabilityofthepapermill.

In July, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) had assented to Sappi's goal of decreasing carbon emissions by 41.5 percent pertonneofproductby2030froma2019baseyear,andthat44 percent of its suppliers will be implementing science-based targets by 2026. The SBTi-approved targets are part of Sappi's much larger global and regional commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sappi has initiated numerous projects to reduce the company's greenhousegasemissions.

Ms. Sarah Price, Director Sustainability

Sappi Europe, says, “Across Europe, we are deriving more value from every tree, byproduct and resource we use. We are dedicated to sustainable forestry, to reducing waste and maximising efficiencies with theresourcesweuse.”

The decarbonisation strategies of Sappi consist of around 80 sustainability-related projects, which are expected to be carried out across the European paper mills by 2025. She explains that their key goal is to reduce emissions of specific greenhouse gases (Scope 1 and 2) by 25 percent by 2025 and to increase the share of renewable energy in Europe to 50 percent (comparedto2019).

Further, at Sappi's Germany-based Alfeld Mill, the evaporation plant for spent black liquor has been expanded, which would increasepulpproductionandgeneratesurplusgreenenergy.n

Toscotec's air system test bench for TT Hydrogen Burner.

at

Sappi's Gratkorn mill

Mexico-Based Papel San Francisco Orders Sixth Tissue Production Line from Valmet

October26,2022

Papel San Francisco has ordered an Advantage DCT 100TS tissue production machine from Valmet for its site in Mexico. The new production line will be installed at the company's mill in Mexicali and the start-up is planned for the first half of 2024. The order is included in Valmet's orders receivedofthethirdquarter2022.

The new tissue-making line will meet the additional capacity requirements of Papel San Francisco for standard tissue products. In the past, Valmet supplied five tissue machines to the company. Four Advantage DCT machines were started up in 2006, 2009, 2018, and 2020. Moreover, Papel San Francisco was the first to start up an Advantage NTT line in 2013, which fulfillsthecompany'sdemandfortexturedtissue.

“In today's business environment it is crucial to consistently operate equipment at maximum productivity and efficiency. Our continued partnership with Valmet has provided us with world class equipment that not only achieves this, but also ensures we have the latest available technology in sustainability standards,” says Dario Palma y Meza Espinoza, OperationalDirector,PapelSanFrancisco.

“It has always been a pleasure to work with the Papel San Francisco team that has been the same for all five machines. Papel San Francisco is dedicated to details and demand

excellence. Valmet is glad to live up to their high expectations and help them continuously improve. We are grateful to be a part of yet another expansion in a strong and trustful relationship,” says Mr. Jan Larsson, Director of Sales, Tissue Mills businessunit,NorthAmerica,Valmet.

The new tissue machine will have a width of 2.8 m and a design speed of 2,200 m/min. It will add 30,000 TPA of tissue paper to PapelSanFrancisco'scurrentproductioncapacities.

The scope of delivery will comprise an Advantage DCT 100TS tissue machine. The machine will be equipped with an OptiFlo headbox and cast alloy Yankee cylinder. The machine will also feature the well-proven Advantage tissue technology including a ViscoNip press, an AirCap hood, and the WetDust dust system.n

Klabin Starts Concentrated Sulfuric Acid Plant Supplied by ANDRITZ

October17,2022

Klabin has successfully started up a sulfuric acid plant supplied by ANDRITZ at its Ortigueira/PR plant in Brazil. The plant is a world-first and has the capacity to produce 150 tonne per day of commercial-grade sulfuric acid from concentrated odourous gases and elemental sulfur. It caters to the pulp production lines at Klabin's Puma Unit and makes the site completely self-sufficient in sulfuric acid by recycling sulfur fromthewastestreams.

The sulfuric acid plant helps Klabin to control the sodium and sulfur (Na/S) balance and also the sulfidity of the mill. In

The new Valmet tissue-making line will allow Papel San Francisco in meeting additional capacity requirements for standard tissue products.

Image Source: Valmet

Klabin's sulfuric acid plant, supplied by ANDRITZ, is part of the ANDRITZ CircleToZero product portfolio that focuses on eliminating unused side streams, creating new added-value products and laying the foundation for zero emissions and zero waste production.

The world's first-ever plant to produce commercial-grade concentrated sulfuric acid at a pulp mill.

addition, lesser sulfate will now be discharged due to the optimised Na/S balance, hence improving the efficiency of input use at the Ortigueira plant. Furthermore, there is no need in future to transport hazardous inputs such as sulfuric acid to the plant and the unit also optimises resources overall, with a large reduction in transportation volume. As the sulfuric acid plant meets stringent air emission limits, the process significantlyimprovestheoverallfootprintoftheOrtigueiramill.

In the words of João Antônio Braga,Klabin's Director of Projects and Engineering, “Operation of the sulfuric acid plant at the Puma Unit, Ortigueira, represents a significant advance in the circularity of the installation. The new plant allows the Puma Unit to be self-sufficient in sulfuric acid, with the additional option of selling any excess production to the market. This innovative technology, a first in this industry worldwide, supports our efforts to optimise productivity and is an important milestone in our ambition to achieve our sustainabilitygoals.”

Klabin's Manager of Projects, Recovery and Utilities, Walter de

Oliveira, adds "The quality parameters are being met and the sulfuric acid is being used successfully in several operations at the plant, replacing the commercial acid we were using before. Besides optimising resources, installation of the plant brings greater independence because we do not have to rely on an externalsupplierforoursulfuricacidneeds.”

The scope of supply included technologies on an EPCC basis for handling elemental sulfur, combustion of sulfur and concentrated non-condensable gases (CNCG) to form sulfur dioxide (SO2), and conversion of sulfur dioxide into concentrated sulfuricacid,aswellasafluegastreatmentsystem.

Sulfuric acid plants are part of the company's CircleToZero initiative, which includes technologies that aim to reduce and/or eliminate waste from pulp mills.This global initiative for pulp and paper customers brings the continuousdevelopment and improvement of existing ANDRITZ technology solutions together with an ambitious, future innovation goal: to eliminate unused side streams, create new value-added products, and establish a foundation for zero emissions and zerowasteproduction.n

SCA Plants 100 Million Carbon Absorbing Trees Annually

The seedlings developed by SCA can be planted on about 50,000 hectares annually, or an area the size of 100,000 football pitches.

Sweden-based SCA is a responsible forest industry organisation which makes exponential efforts in sustainability – planting around 100 million seedlings at SCA's own forest nursery. These seedlings develop into adult carbon dioxide-absorbingtreesandformtheforestsofthefuture.

About these efforts, Mr. Thomas Vestman, Nurseries Director, says,“We grow the forests of the future and really good carbon dioxidetraps.”

SCA has 18 large greenhouses at its nurseries which contain delicate green little seedlings which are carefully monitored. After growing for a few months, the seedlings become prepared to be planted, which further becomes the start of the next generation of forests. Every year, the Company delivers more than 100 million forest seedlings with about 40 percent for planting on our own land and the rest to other forest owners,asinformedbyMr.Vestman.

The seedling production of the organisation is enough for roughly 50,000 hectares a year, or an area the size of 100,000 football pitches. It is also notable that every fourth seedling plantedinSwedencomesfromSCA.

For every cubic metre of stem wood trees grow, they absorb 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Thus, the trees are effective carbon collectors. Depending on the tree species

Every fourth seedling planted in Sweden comes from SCA.

and where trees grow, it takes between 60 and 120 years from one forest generation to the next. At the same time, new trees are constantly being planted that grow quickly and absorb more carbon dioxide. SCA seedlings are refined with classic plant husbandry. Actually, the seedlings are selected from the very best trees which are cross-bred with each other for several generations.

“In this way, we've produced plants that grow quickly and are disease-resistant. They produce forests that grow 25 per cent better than unmanaged forests. This means that they absorb carbon dioxide faster and that we get faster access to more sustainablerawmaterials,” headded.

Notably, the heating of SCA's nursery operations has been made fossil-free. The Bogrundet nursery is heated with pellets from SCA's own sawmill, while the Wifstamon nursery uses districtheatingfromSCA'spulpmillinÖstrand. n

Klabin Introduces PineFluff eXcel Fluff Pulp

October20,2022

Klabin has introduced PineFluff eXcel, which is a fluff pulp made from a mix of short eucalyptus and long pine fibers, which focuses on hygiene products (child and adult diapers, feminine pads, hygienic mats for pets, among others). Revolutionising with the combination of pine and eucalyptus fibers, the new launch expands alternatives of differentiated designs, improving aspects of retention, and distribution of liquids,andbringingsoftnesstothefinalproduct.

In the laboratory, a great potential of the shredded material was also observed, a factor that brings a greater perception of softness to the touch and comfort in the use of the final product. There are also competitive advantages associated with logistical distribution, packaging optimization and lower energyconsumptioninproduction.

Mr. Alexandre Nicolini, Director of Klabin's Pulp Business, explains that the Company constantly invests in research and innovation in order to expand the possibilities for using wood and, consequently, the solutions offered to the market. “The production of softwood pulp, which comes from pine, is a major competitive advantage for Klabin. The development of solutions based on the fiber mix is part of our roadmap, especially as it is a way to maximize the use of each fiber, delivering a product optimized for customer needs and that combines traditional operational performance with differentiatedapplicationproperties”,hesaid.

In line with Klabin's efforts towards innovation, PineFluff eXcel

is an outcome of around five years of research at Klabin's Technology Center, in Telêmaco Borba, Paraná, with support from the commercial, R&D, industrial and technical services to customers. The company was already evaluating, according to the project pipeline, the production of the fiber mix in a single product and identified in the market the demand for complementary alternatives to 100 percent softwood pulp, which woulddelivergoodperformancetotheapplications.

Notably, PineFluff eXcel is being produced at the Puma Unit, in Ortigueira, Paraná. It was designed to reach in the form of a single sheet coil, which can be used in the production of different absorbent products. Klabin has invested in the integration of long and short fiber production lines so as to optimise the production with the project expected to be completedinthefirstquarterof2023.n

Pulpac: Standardised and Commercially Validated Dry Molded Fiber Products Ready for Production

October15,2022

PulPac has a Highway ApplicationProgramin place – which

is a range of standardised and commercially validated applications ready for production by PulPac's licensees. First validations confirm that Dry Molded Fiber cutlery are circular into existing paper-recycling streams, that they biodegrade if misplaced, and have a climate impact that is only a small fraction compared to single-use plastic cutlery (~15 percent). Cutlery, trays, and lids are first out but additional Highway Applicationswillfollow.

Compared to other fiber forming methods, PulPac's Dry Molded Fiber technology uses almost no water, significantly less energy and is up to 10 times faster – offering unit economicsthatcancompetewithplastics.

The PulPac Highway Application Program is spearheaded via an R&D consortium and co-financed by Vinnova's 'Scale-up of Sustainable Industry' initiative. To date, the Highway Application Program has designs ready for protective lids, coffee cup lids, cold drink lids, cutlery, and trays. Additional products with a set design,tooling,material,andbarriersolutionareindevelopment.

Brazil-based Klabin is the only provider of solutions in short and long fibers, the Company achieves a fiber mix that brings benefits such as compaction and retention and distribution of liquids

Klabin Puma unit in Ortigueira, Paraná.

PulPac's Dry Molded Fiber technology uses almost no water, significantly less energy and is up to 10 times faster

“Leading FMCG brands must move from pledges and promises to action – and the packaging industry need to make realworld progress. By creating a range of standardized highly demanded products, that are commercially and environmentally validated, we can help our customers speed up the transition towards sustainable fiber-based packaging and a greener,cleanerworld,”saysMs.SannaFager,ChiefCommercial Officer,PulPac.

“Together with partners, we can present a turn-key production platform, and a range of highly demanded, ready to produce applications with very competitive unit economics and unmatched sustainability features. Next generations deserve new generations of packaging - where sustainability is just a given”sheconcludes.n

Cepi Joins Forces Across the Paper Value Chain and Testing Labs to Update its European Test Method for Paper Recyclability

October 10, 2022

Cepi has introduced the update of its European harmonised recyclability test method. This is developed in collaboration with players from the entire paper value chain, including specialised testing laboratories. Especially, the project was supported by 4evergreen members, who, over a 9-month period, carried out tests that informed the improvements of the method and the development of three technical annexes. The method is particularly relevant to the paper packaging industry.

Many paper packaging solutions already enjoy high recycling rates but are also increasingly fulfilling new functionalities. These need to be considered by brand owners aiming to reach ever-higher performance in terms of circularity and sustainability for their products. Design guidelines and evaluation protocols are developed to support value chain actors in these efforts, with the end goal to make all paper packaging recyclable by 2025 and reach a recycling rate of 90 percent by 2030. The updated Cepi harmonised recyclability test method offers a solid

basis for this work and allows paper products across Europe to be tested for their recyclability in identical conditions.

The testing method allows being emulated in laboratory conditions of the processes taking place at an industrial scale in paper recycling mills its new annexes were developed through intensive work provided by companies involved in 4evergreen. The workstream established a 'reality check' of the method and informed the efforts of testing institutes. 4evergreen is an alliance bringing together the entire fibre-based packaging value chain, including a number of global blue-chip companies. The three new technical annexes include a detailed work description of the test method, a lab report template and a 'decision tree' for the assessment of visual impurities.

4evergreen will soon release a 'recyclability evaluation protocol', which will provide packaging developers with 'pass through' criteria based on the updated recyclability testing method. This will further support the industry in producing fibre-based packaging compatible with a lowcarbon, climate-neutral society.

Cepi has upgraded its recyclability test method.

“To optimise recycling, product design is just as important as the final collection and processing after usage. This is why one needs to be able to involve all value chain actors in the effort of improving recyclability. We hope that this work will support the EU's transition to a resilient, circular economy”, says Mr. Jori Ringman, Director General – Cepi (Confederation of the European Paper Industries).

“The method developed together by the actors gathered by Cepi and 4evergreen provides a comprehensive toolkit to boost recyclability validation across Europe in a harmonised way”, added Mr. Hans Wortman, Chair of the 4evergreen Alliance. n

PulPac's Highway Application Program is aimed at speeding up the transition towards fiber-based packaging.

Cepi's harmonised recyclability test method offers a solid foundation for the target to make all paper packaging recyclable by 2025 and reach a recycling rate of 90 percent by 2030.

Fedrigoni Takes Over Guarro Casas, Boosting its Speciality Papers Business

Fedrigoni's acquisition of Guarro Casas is significant as it will strengthen its speciality papers business due to the specialisation of the latter in the production of fine papers for creative & binding purposes and high-added value finishing for luxury packaging.

Italy-headquartered Fedrigoni has signed an agreement with Arjowiggins for the complete acquisition of Guarro Casas, a Spain-based Company with expertise in the finishing of speciality papers. Guarro Casas is based in Gelida (Barcelona), where it operates a plant with a workforce comprising 140 people.

After this acquisition, Fedrigoni's standing in the speciality papers segment is further strengthened. As a matter of fact, Guarro Casas is highly specialised in the production of fine papers for creative and binding applications and is the market leader in high-added value finishing for luxury packaging, fine bookcovering,andsecurityapplications.

Its high-profile skills in the production and finishing of speciality graphic papers, enrich some market segments in which Fedrigoni already excels at a global level, being able to

develop further synergies: the inclusion of additional knowhow and complementary technologies will allow us to expand our portfolio and to also have a future positive impact on Fedrigoni's Self-Adhesives business unit, with particular referencetothepremiumlabelsegment.n

Stora Enso's Bioplastics Pilot Plant - All Set for Implementation

November 5, 2022

Stora Enso, a globally leading provider of renewable products, is all set to launch a new bioplastics pilot plant in the Flanders region in Belgium. This will bring a new bioplastics production technology and it is ready for implementation at an industrial scale.

In the future, bio-based materials will be crucial for various packaging solutions. In December 2019, the Finland-based Company announced its plans of investing EUR 9 million in the development of a pilot facility enabling the production of bio-plastics.

With the new plant, Stora Enso intends to test FuraCore®, its breakthrough technology to produce furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), which is a major building block of bioplastic PEF (PolyEthylene Furanoate).

The firm has completed the construction of the plant while the commissioning is underway. Now, the initial production is expected to start soon, and after that, things will quickly move towards regular production of FDCA, and PEF with partners.

According to Mr. Dirk den Ouden, VP Emerging Business, the next step is to

ensure everything goes smoothly and to collect data for the next scale-up. As and when samples are available in large quantities, Stora Enso will work with partners and potential customers on validating the FuraCore® products in a range of applications.“We'll soon have our pilot fully up and running, producing material for testing,”says Mr. den Ouden.

The key vision of the pilot plant is to assess the chemical process and provide sample material so as to gain further know-how about market needs and product demands. Firstly, the pilot facility will utilise industrially available sugar (fructose) to produce high-value chemicals and materials for application testing. In the future, the process will be done on sugars extracted from wood and other non-food-based biomass. n

Stora Enso Langerbrugge Site

November2,2022

Image Source: Fedrigoni

The key vision of Stora Enso's pilot plant is to assess the chemical process and provide sample material so as to gain further know-how about market needs.

Solenis to Invest USD 40 Million in R&D Facility Expansion

Delaware-based Solenis will expand its R&D operations with a move to the 100,000 sq ft Building.

October28,2022

Delaware-based Solenis will establish in Wilmington – a USD 40 million research and development expansion. In response to increasing market demand for its sustainabilityfocused products and expertise and with an eye toward longterm growth, Solenis will expand its R&D operations with a move to the 100,000 sq ft Building 713 at Chestnut Run Innovation and Science Park (CRISP). CRISP is a former DuPont campus that MRA Group is developing into a hub for a range of lifesciencesandadvancedchemicalcompanies.

The new CRISP facility will provide Solenis with 20,000 sq ft more lab space than its current R&D center on Ashland's Wilmington campus. In addition to more space, the larger, upgraded site will allow to add up to 46 new highly skilled Delaware jobs — including lab technicians, scientists and R&D supervisors—withinthenextthreeyears.

Headquartered in Wilmington, Solenis has 48 manufacturing facilities and more than 6,400 employees around the world to serve an array of industries in 120 countries. The Company currently employs more than 300 in Delaware, with approximately 185 employees at the Avenue North headquarters and 140employeesatitsAshlandR&Dsite.

“What the MRA Group has done for the CRISP campus is

transformative for our County,”said Mr. Matt Meyer, New Castle County Executive. “The redeveloped campus gives our existing Delaware companies that are expanding a home to grow and thrive.NewCastleCountyisproudtocontinuetobethehomeof Solenis, which provides great jobs in our community producing innovativeandsustainablesolutionsforeverydaylife.”

Mr. John Panichella, CEO, Solenis, remarks,“This investment of moving our Wilmington research center to a contemporary new location, in combination with our recently opened headquarters at Avenue North, allows us to continue to attract, retainandrecruitthehighestcaliberofemployees.”n

Sappi Gratkorn Converts PM9 with Chemical Preparation from GAW Technologies

After the conversion of PM9 by Sappi, label papers for various applications such as bottles and food packaging will also be manufactured on the machine.

November8,2022

Sappi Austria has recently ordered a chemical preparation plantfrom GAWTechnologies GmbH for its Paper Machine 9 (PM9). Up until now, multi-coated fine papers for graphic applicationsweremanufacturedonpapermachine.

From now onwards, label papers for various applications such asbottlesandfoodpackagingwillalsobemanufacturedonthe machine. Since these speciality papers require raw materials and chemicals to be processed in accordance with the highest safety standards, GAW provides technology as well as the assemblyandcommissioningofthehighlycomplexsystem.

The history of collaboration between the two leading companies dates back several decades ago. In 1951, GAW commissioned its first order for Sappi's mill in Gratkorn.After that,there are a number of projects which have been implemented, including Sappi's complete overhaul of its facility with one of the world's largest and state-of-the-art production plants for coatedfinepaper.

GAW technologies Chemical Preparation.

Presently, the Gratkorn mill can be regarded as one of the largest and most modern paper mills in Europe. After this, Sappi will continue to scale up its market position in the segment. The assembly of the first subsections/construction is expected to begin in the spring next year while the commissioningisscheduledforautumn2023.n

Image Source: Solenis