April 2008
By Annie Zhu, Features Editor
India's Abhishek Industries now operates the world's largest straw pulp mill after its expansion project at Barnala in the state of Punjab, around 300 km northwest of Delhi.
Metso Paper supplied the fiber line, with a daily production capacity of 225 tonnes. The value of the order was more than Euro 11 million ($16.9 million).
"Metso has provided us with the best technology in the world and they have provided us a very good customized service", says Rajinder Gupta, founder and also managing director of Abhishek Industries.
"We learnt gradually, how to use the right chemicals, how to make the right mix, how to work on the machine, and how to work on formation, how to size," adds Gupta.
Metso Paper's scope of delivery covers all the main process machinery for the continuous cooking, washing, screening and bleaching of straw pulp.
The selected fiber line features a modern, environmentally sound process, utilizing oxygen delignification, and an O-D-E(OP)-D pulp bleaching sequence. The pulp is used to manufacture printing and writing papers.
Wheat straw accounts for about 60% of the raw material used to produce pulp. The mill also has a wood fiber line with a capacity of 100 tonnes/day using 30% hardwood and 10% softwood as the raw materials.
Rejinder believes that paper made from straw pulp is more economical to use compared with that made from 100% wood pulp. What's more, it is more environmentally friendly. "There is some price advantage to the customer, to the distributor and to the company," says Gupta.
Gupta adds that "You're not cutting down any trees and not using any wood, so to my mind, the market for this kind of paper will be much better, for the people who are going more eco-friendly."
The ECF bleaching can achieve a pulp brightness of 88 ISO. This is the first mill in the world to use ECF bleaching and oxygen delignification on wheat straw pulp.
Gupta explains that the mill can source most of the straw within a radius of 30 km. Farmers usually come at night and bring the straw on trucks," adds Gupta.
The pulp line needs around 600 tonnes of straw daily and the pulp yield rate is approximately 42%.
PM 2
The large (Rupee 6,800 million [$167.68 million]) expansion project included a new 275-tonne/day, printing/writing paper machine that started trial runs in January this year. Commercial production was slated to begin in March.
PM 2, supplied by the French firm Allimand, has a wire width of 5.1 m, a reel width of 4.45 m and a design speed of 1,000 m/min. The unit's output will be in a basis weight range of 45-110 g/m². Allimand hopes this can strengthen its presence in one of the most dynamic markets in the world.
This machine integrates the principal Allimand technological innovations, namely:
- An Allimand "S" Hydraulic Headbox with CD basis weight profile dilution control
- A wire part with Allimand "EcB" Former
- A press section
- A dryer section
- An A-Sizer
- A hard calender
- A reel
- An Allimand winder.
For this order Allimand also supplied the auxiliary equipment, including vapor cowl and ventilation, central lubrication and hydraulic systems, and a vacuum system.
PM 1
The existing 60,000 tonne/yr PM 1 should produce 150,000 tonnes/yr after the start up of this new machine.
The machine was installed in 1993 and was rebuilt in 2006. PM 1, supplied by Machano, has a trim width of 3.31 m, a machine width of 3.7 m and a design speed of 450 m/min. The unit produces printing and writing paper in a basis weight range of 50-90 g/m².
The power boiler is designed as a multi-fuel unit that can use a varied ratio from 0% to 100% for rice husk and coal. A provision has been made to be able to use gas in the future. Currently, the mill uses a fuel ratio of 30% bark or biofuel, and 70% coal.
The mill also has two steam turbines, 9.4 MW and 20 MW respectively, installed in 1998 and 2007, supplied by ABB and Siemens. (The new 20-MW power plant was started on March 20,2008.)
The mill's electrical demand is 550 MWh/day of which it can produce 425 MWh/day. It must purchase the remaining 125 MWh/day.
The recovery power boilers are designed for low emission levels, fewer than 75 mg/Nm3.
The paper is produced for both the domestic and international markets.
International customers include Oxford University Press, Thompson Press, Tata McGraw Hill, National Council of Education Research & Training, etc.
"Last year 10% of the paper were exports, and after adding the new machine, we expect the exports will account for 30% of the total production," says Gupta. Paper was exported mainly to Dubai in 2007.
Gupta expects that if the mill adds another line next to the current mill to produce added value-added paper products, it would have good market potential in the U.S.
Abhishek Industries Limited
Abhishek Industries is owned by the Trident Group, which is one of the largest producers of agro-based paper, the second largest manufacturer of terry towels, and among the top cotton textiles companies in India.
Paper and chemicals contribute 15% to the group's total revenue, according to the company's 2006-7 annual report. Yarn accounts for 36% while terry towels accounts for 49%.
The group won Wal-Mart Supplier of the Year award for the fourth time in 2007.
The company was incorporated in 1990 in the State of Punjab. Trident Group is an employer of more than 9,000 members. Achieving a compound annual growth rate of over 30%, the company is rated one of the fastest growing companies in the country.
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