PM 22 shines for Sun Paper

By Annie Zhu, Associate Editor, Pulp & Paper International magazine

BRUSSELS, Feb. 28, 2009 (Viewpoint) - Shandong International Paper & Sun Coated Paperboard has started up a 400,000-tonne/yr cartonboard machine at a brownfield site in Yanzhou city, Shandong province, China. The new machine, PM 22, is the first in the country able to produce liquid packaging board (LPB).

“We planned to start up on August 28 (2007), but we were ahead of our schedule by 40 days, and began production on July 18. In addition, we started commercial production 45 days later, 35 days ahead our plans,” Ying Guangdong, deputy general manager and chief engineer of Shandong Sun Paper, says proudly.

Ying Guangdong, deputy general manager and chief engineer of Shandong Sun Paper, stands by PM 22’s ValZone

However, the machine is not producing LPB at the current stage in response to weak demand and falling prices in the current market.

“The dairy goods market in China is affected by recent scandals, which has hampered the LPB market,” explains Ying.

More than 20 countries have banned Chinese dairy products after government officials said four infants were killed and 53,000 babies sickened by milk tainted by the industrial chemical melamine, used in making plastics and fertilizer.

China relies on LPB imports and consumes around 250,000 tonnes/yr of the grade. Output on PM 22 was aimed at replacing those imports. Demand is expected to grow in line with the country’s economic strength.

Currently, Sun Paper is producing ivory board and art board, used for packaging a variety of products, such as cigarettes, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and will produce LPB at a later stage.

PM 22 is fed by bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) produced by the mill and also market pulp. “ Mechanical fiber accounts for 40% and market pulp accounts for 60% to feed the unit,” says Ying.

The company is a 50:50 joint venture between US giant International Paper (IP) and Sun Paper. The brownfield site is adjacent to the latter’s plant in Yanzhou.

PM 22 is a 3-ply coated board machine with five coating stations

Production line

Metso Paper supplied the entire production line. The contract was worth about Euro 60 million.

“The cooperation with Metso is very good, and we chose Metso not only because of its good technology, but more because of the good service centers,” says Ying. Ying believes that the mill will also benefit from Metso’s third service center in Zibo that will be in operation in 2009. Currently, Metso has its service centers in Wuxi and Guangzhou.

Metso’s scope of supply included a complete three-ply machine with five coating stations, a ValZone belt calender (the second one in China and the third one in the world), enabling the production of folding boxboard, art board and LPB in a basis weight range of 150-350 g/m². The PM has a wire width of 5.1 m, trim width of 4.58 m, and a design speed of 900 m/min, with a capacity that can exceed 400,000 tonnes/yr.

“PM 22’s design operating speed is 800 m/min, and it reached 847 m/min in early September 2008,” says Ying.

The press section has three nips: first nip, LNP, 200 kN/m; second nip, SymBelt press, 800 kN/m; and the third nip, smooth press, 100 kN/m.

In addition, the SynDry dryer has eight groups in the pre-dryer section and one group in the post-dryer section.

“The advanced features of PM 22 include ValFormer and also ValZone technology,” says Yang De Yu, sales manager, Metso Paper China.

ValFormer technology is designed to raise productivity, increase basis weight range, operate easily, and improve sheet strength and formation, while ValZone technoloy is designed to preserve sheet bulk and save fiber, as well as to improve sheet topography. In addition, the new technology has been is proven to raise production and improve stiffness and printability.

Metso Automation delivered the entire automation system. This includes machine controls (from headbox to reel); a distributed control system (DCS) covering the entire process (stock preparation, short circulation, paper machine process, color kitchen etc); a quality control system (QCS), with three scanners; CD profilers for the dilution headbox for CD weight control, IQ AquaPro for moisture profiling; wet end management (including two KajaaniRM3 and one KajaaniWem for retention controls).

The whole automation system is built on the metsoDNA Platform. “The total automation concept on one technology platform has ensured the highest performance and availability, easier trouble shooting and less maintenance,” says Daniel Wen, senior sales manager, process automation, Metso Automation.

In addition, process know-how on modern fast paper machines has ensured an ontime startup and guaranteed performance while reducing project management costs, adds Wen.

Metso and Sun Paper Group have a long-term business relationship. Previously, Metso Paper supplied two board machines, one paper machine and an off-machine coating line to the Group’s Yanzhou mill.

The Yanzhou mill is powered by a number of 300-MW turbines. The mill uses coal (85%) and biomass (15%) to generate steam. “The Yanzhou mill uses roughly 1 million tonnes/yr of coal,” says Ying.

Water consumption at the mill is around 6 m³/tonne. “The mill’s COD emission is 55-80 mg/L, below the government’s requirement of 100 mg/L for paper mills,” says Ying.

Approximately 85% of the ivory board and art board produced by PM 22 is for the domestic market, while the remaining 15% is for overseas markets, including other Asian countries, the Middle East and America, adds Ying.

PM 22 can produce folding boxboard, liquid packaging board in a basis weight range of 150-350 g/m²

New movement

Sun Paper plans to purchase another paper machine, PM 23, for its mill in Yanzhou city, Shandong province. Metso Paper was contracted to deliver the 350,000 tonne/yr uncoated fine paper machine. Startup is scheduled for the first quarter of 2010. Metso's delivery will include a complete paper machine from headbox to reel, with related automation systems. Metso's delivery will include a complete paper machine from headbox to reel, with related automation systems.

“Though the Chinese market is slowing down at the moment, we think it’s a good time to do the investment when we can enjoy tax rebates for direct investment amid government’s efforts to boost local economy,” says Ying.

In addition, Sun Paper aims to develop 100,000 ha of eucalyptus and acacia plantations in Laos’ southern province of Savannakhet, which borders Thailand to the west and Vietnam to the east.

“Currently, we aim to use labor from Vietnam to cut the wood in the plantations. The wood will be delivered to the Yanzhou mill to produce pulp for the first phase,” says Ying.

In addition, Sun Paper has unveiled plans to establish plantations and a 300,000-tonne/yr bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) pulp mill in Laos, with an initial investment of $197 million.

The firm has submitted the paperwork for the scheme to the governments of both China and Laos for approval. Ying says that the all-clear is expected to be given early in 2009.

The firm plans to build the BHK pulp mill in the province’s Sepon district. The BHK output of the pulp mill would be channeled into Sun Paper’s paper and board production at its plant in Yanzhou city, in an effort to reduce its dependence on market pulp imports.

Besides the new PM 22, the Yanzhou facility already houses a 40,000-tonne/yr BHK pulp line and a 100,000-tonne/yr alkaline peroxide mechanical pulp (APMP) line. Its pulp production is insufficient to feed the 17 paper and board machines at the plant, 14 of which are operated by Sun Paper.

To raise its pulp production, Sun Paper also plans to install another 100,000-tonne/yr mechanical pulp line at the Yanzhou plant, with startup scheduled for May 2009.

Sun Paper also aims to spend RMB 700 million ($102 million) to overhaul the 40,000 tonne/yr BHK pulp line and boost its capacity to around 170,000 tonnes/yr by the end of 2009.

Sun Paper Group

Sun Paper Group owns 19 machines, with Sun Paper operating 16 PMs that have a total capacity of 950,000 tonnes/yr. Two cartonboard machines, PM 17 and PM 18, which have a combined capacity of 425,000 tonnes/yr, are managed in a 50:50 joint venture with International Paper (IP), International Paper Sun Paper Cartonboard.

The group ranks 92nd in PPI’s Top 100 ranking (PPI, September 2008) of the global pulp and paper industry, compared with 84th in 2007.

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