PPI (PULP & PAPER INTERNATIONAL) MAGAZINE: On target for one million tonnes plus

Work is underway on a new liquid packaging board machine and important environmental programs

April 2007
By Graeme Rodden, Editorial Director, Magazines

Founded in 1899, Klabin is already Brazil's largest producer of board, multi-wall containers and bags. And, it is poised to grow even larger. Later this year, the MA-1100 project will start up at its Monte Alegre mill, Parana state, adding 350,000 tonnes/yr of new board capacity. Along with the board machine (BM 9), Klabin is installing a Babcock Power Espana biomass-based power boiler (thus reducing oil use), a bleach plant, a chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) mill using a 100% eucalyptus furnish, and a recovery boiler. In early 2008, a new turbo-generator will start up. The cogen plant will be able to generate 250 tonnes/hr of steam, working at 500°C and 100 bar pressure. Total cost of the project is estimated at $1 billion.

The project will create approximately 1,000 jobs, 250 in the mill (bringing the total headcount to 1,350 people) and 750 in forestry. Up to 4,500 jobs have been created during the construction phase.

Klabin's Monte Alegre mill is in the midst of an extensive expansion / modernization project

With the new machine, the Monte Alegre mill, already Brazil's largest, will be able to produce 1.1 million tonnes/yr of packaging grades. The mill currently operates four kraftliner units and one board machine, BM 7, which, with a capacity of 330,000 tonnes/yr, is Brazil's largest. The new Voith machine is modeled after BM 7.

With a new pulp plant and board machine on the way, having a secure supply of wood and handling it properly is an important issue for Klabin. (see below). The mill currently has two debarking lines (one softwood, one hardwood) where logs (2.4-4 m) are chipped, screened and blown to pile. Monte Alegre uses about 60% eucalyptus and 40% pine in its processes. Metso is supplying a new wood handling system (debarking, chipping, chip and bark handling) for the mill. Capacity will be 350 m3/hr, one of the largest in the world. The new system will bring the mill's wood handling capacity up to 12,000 tonnes/day. Bark and fines from the process are sent to the power boiler.

There are two digesters at the mill: one making 350 tonnes/day of eucalyptus pulp and a high-yield line producing 1,750 tonnes/day of high kappa number pulp. Pulp from the smaller line is destined for the bleachery.

The smaller digester is an Esco model with 2.5-hour retention time. There is a high-pressure feed to the single-vessel digester, which has a cooking zone and a cooling zone. The larger digester came from Kamyr and it will have its capacity boosted to 2,200 tonnes/day in the MA-1100 project. Kvaerner Pulping (now Metso Fiber Karlstad) received the order to upgrade the digester as well as the white liquor plant.

Currently, only 100 tonnes/day of pulp is bleached. The new Metso Paper bleach plant will have a capacity of 600 tonnes/day, with presses in each stage to help reduce chemical consumption. The sequence will be ODht (OP) D and brightness will be 90-91 ISO.

Metso's scope of supply also included a rebuild of the kraftliner washing line where a new wash press will be installed to serve as the final washing stage.

Klabin now imports CTMP from Canada to serve as the middle layer of its 3-ply board. This will be replaced by the new 140,000 tonne/yr (420 tonne/day) CTMP plant from Andritz (including chip washing, impregnation and pulp washing). It will be one of the first CTMP plants to use eucalyptus as the furnish. The order includes a wet-lap system so the Monte Alegre mill can supply other Klabin facilities with CTMP. Andritz will also supply an innovative mechanical vapor recompression system that is used in the evaporation process of CTMP effluent.

The evaporation plant for the kraft pulping system currently has four concentrators and can go up to 82% dry solids. It is a six-effect process. With the upgrade, an extra effect will be added along with a new concentrator and cooling tower. Metso Power (formerly Kvaerner Power) is responsible for the upgrade. Capacity will be increased by 25%.

The addition of a new Metso Fiber Karlstad DLM disc filter for lime mud will boost white liquor capacity from 4,200 m3/day to 6,200 m3/day. A new lime kiln from Metso Fiber will have capacity of 300 tonnes/day.

The new recovery boiler from CBC Indústrias pesadas S.A. will not be as large as the existing one, with a capacity of 1,700 tonnes/day of dry solids compared with the present 2,000-tonne/day unit.

ABB will supply the automation systems based on its Industrial IT System 800xA platform. The company will also provide electrical systems including a 69-kv substation, transformers, refiner motors and protection equipment, process electrification and board machine drives.

Pöyry Forest Industry was selected to provide engineering, procurement and construction management and owner's engineering services. Pöyry was also involved in the conceptual and feasibility phases.

Eyes on the international market

Pride of place in the MA-1100 project will, of course, go to the new board machine. Primarily designed for liquid packaging board (LPB), it will also be able to produce carrier board and folding boxboard. With a design speed of 1,000 m/min, wire width will be 7.3 m and it will produce board in a basis weight range of 170-390 g/m2. Voith's scope of supply includes the stock preparation and approach flow systems, winder, roll transport and wrapping. The advanced technology to be employed in the machine will mean the production will meet exacting international standards for LPB.

Klabin is the only Tetra Pak supplier in Brazil (from BM 7). As well as supplying domestic markets, the mill's liquid packaging board is already shipped to the Far East and the company sees potential in Europe.

The importance of Mother Nature

Forests are all important to Klabin and the company takes great pride in its achievements in this domain. It was the first company in the pulp and paper sector in the Americas to obtain FSC certification. The company started its first contact with the organization in 1995-96 and still feels the FSC has the best and most recognized worldwide certification program. Klabin is also the first company in the world to have FSC certification for its non-timber forest products because of the handling of medicinal plants and chain-of-custody of phytotherapeutics and phytocosmetics in Parana state. The company has 198,000 ha of plantations (pine and eucalyptus) in three Brazilian states: Parana, Santa Catarina and Sao Paulo. It also has 140,000 ha of preserved native forest. Most of this land is around the Monte Alegre mill (Parana state): 127,000 ha of plantation and 91,000 ha of preserved areas. The company is doing extensive genetic research with its wood resources. Its eucalyptus plantations are based on cloning. In 2006, approximately 80% of its land was clonal plantation. Only when it works with smaller landholders are seedlings used. In Parana state, Klabin plants about 65% pine species and 35% eucalyptus. In Santa Catarina, more pine is planted because it has a slightly colder climate (lows of 0°C). Klabin hopes to plant more eucalyptus in Santa Catarina but is looking for the best species, perhaps a hybrid, that can withstand the lower temperatures. Currently, yield from pine is about 35 m3/ha/yr, from eucalyptus, about 50 m3/ha/yr. Klabin also does soil mapping. This helps the company determine the best site for planting trees that will become pulp and sawlogs. Pine and eucalyptus destined for the sawmills mature at 20 years. Thinnings are done twice in that time and the cuttings are sent to the pulp mill. Currently, eucalyptus trees for pulp can be cut at seven years. However, research is being done to see if the maturation process can be shortened to five years, while retaining the fiber properties needed to make high quality pulp. Modern medicine from the forest Outside of its conventional forestry work, Klabin is very active in the field of phytotherapy, the use of non-wood forest products. Started in 1984, the program promotes rational and sustained multiple use of the company's forestlands. Klabin produces about 30 products made from medicinal herbs. Phytotherapy is used in up to 70% of an average of 40,000 health care visits for a target population of 15,000. These products have a 95% efficiency rate at a cost about four times less than conventional medicines. In addition to the medicinal products, Klabin also produces a line of cosmetics/personal care items that have the benefits of the preventive/therapeutic effects of the herbs. Forestry research and environment coordinator Ivone SN Fier with one of the tapirs bred in captivity The fauna as well as the flora As well as the flora, Klabin is also looking after the fauna. It established a breeding unit for wildlife in 1989 near the Monte Alegre mill. The goal is to re-introduce wildlife species that had become extinct in the region or species that are on Brazil's endangered list. A notable success was achieved earlier with the birth of a tapir calf in the breeding unit. Feeding on plants and fruits, the tapir plays an important ecological role, as a seed spreader, contributing to the regeneration and maintenance of natural forests. The breeding unit has seven tapirs and hopes to re-introduce a male and female to the forest soon. The Parana forest area totals 247,000 ha, 37% of which is natural forest reserve. Klabin's philosophy is to follow a mosaic pattern, with plantations interspersed with native woodland, to preserve biodiversity. To ensure that the population understands the importance of the environment, Klabin founded the Caiubi Program of Environmental Education in Parana in 2001. Thus far, the program has reached 88,000 students and 1,700 teachers in seven municipalities in the region.

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