Myllyskoski's new 380,000-tonne/yr uncoated publication papers machine moves closer to startup
September 2007
By Justin Toland, Editor
June 28 2007 was an occasion for Myllykoski Group to pause for breath and celebrate a key milestone on the way to the startup of a new, 380,000-tonne/yr uncoated publication papers machine at Plattling Papier, Bavaria, Germany. The topping out ceremony came less than eight months after Myllykoski broke ground on the project, which was relocated from Opatovice-nad-Labem in the Czech Republic. "There was too much bureaucracy, it was endangering the project," explains vp, operations, Myllykoski Continental, Klemens Gottstein, of the decision to move the new unit to Germany. "The Bavarian authorities were walking their talk. We were able to get a Caterpillar on site six-to-seven months after the permitting process began."
Plattling Papier (for financial reasons, a subsidiary of Rhein Papier) is located in a new machine house on the same site as Myllykoski's MD Papier, some 120 km east of Munich. "We are convinced the location is the very best one," says Gottstein. The Myllykoski Group sees Plattling as its #1 site, he adds: "Most sexy, most profitable, most customer-oriented." The aim is to focus "Very much on the CEE countries -- we are going to serve and service the customer," says Gottstein.
Although PM 1 at Plattling Papier is often referred to as a supercalendered (SC) paper unit, the vp, operations, prefers to describe it as "a multigrade machine", since, as well as standard SC paper, it is designed to produce mainly SC-A and improved newsprint for gravure. "These two grades were the two missing from the Myllykoski portfolio," notes project director, Plattling Papier, Caius Murtola.
"The timing is perfect from our point of view - the market is tightening up, we see that very clearly," comments Gottstein.
Myllykoski is investing some Euro 485 million ($657 million) in the new plant, which will create 120 jobs. MD Papier currently employs 487 people at Plattling, producing 385,000 tonnes/yr of rotogravure and coated publication papers on two machines (PM 10 and PM 11). Plattling Papier needs fewer bodies than MD Papier because structures will be less hierarchical and more flexible, points out Gottstein. "We would like to take this concept over to the existing entity," he adds.
Areas including the woodyard, shipping, logistics, maintenance and water treatment will all be outsourced. Scandinavian Mill Service (SMS) has been awarded a contract to take care of mechanical, electrical, automation and civil maintenance for Plattling Papier. The new mill will share a combined woodyard and debarking line with MD Papier.
Murtola is happy with the way the project is progressing. Some 1,200 people were on site in July, including 300 from main supplier, Metso (which will deliver everything from the debarking gear to the PM and winders to automation). Other equipment suppliers include Andritz, ABB and Demag.
PM 1 is 170 m long, with a maximum trim width at winder of 10.5 m (some 6 cm wider than Stora Enso Kvarnsveden mill's PM 12 in Sweden, notes Murtola proudly). He adds that by selecting this width Myllykoski is, "Preparing for the future: There is no printing machine that can handle 5.2 m rolls -- we heard some rumors that there might be one."
