TIMRA, Sweden,
Dec. 13, 2011
(Press Release) -
"The climate impact of Östrand pulp mill will be reduced by 80% at the same time as we are building a platform for continued growth. This is not only important for Östrand and Timrå, but also for the entire SCA Group."
This was the comment from SCA's CEO Jan Johansson when he, together with Västernorrland County Governor Bo Källstrand, inaugurated SCA's SEK 0.5 billion BioLoop 2011 investment at Östrand pulp mill in Timrå on 13 December.
"This is a fantastic investment and it is exactly this type of initiative that we want to see in a county that is focusing on renewable energy and the development of tomorrow's clean energy solutions," said County Governor Bo Källstrand. "Reducing oil consumption by 17,000 cubic meters and the mill's carbon footprint by 80% not only represents a valuable contribution to the Östrand plant and SCA, but also to the region, Sweden and the world."
"Östrand is SCA's only dedicated pulp plant and an important asset for a Group that is growing and wants to continue to increase the sales of products containing the important raw material of pulp," said Jan Johansson, SCA's CEO. "We want to continue to gradually develop operations at SCA Östrand."
SCA has invested SEK 500m in the Östrand mill's BioLoop 2011 chemical recovery system. The largest portion of the investment comprises a new lime kiln featuring a 125-meter-long rotating kiln where lime mud from the pulp process is burned to produce lime, which is then reused in production. The new lime kiln is fuelled with wood pellets from SCA BioNorr in Härnösand and replaces two oil-fired lime kilns.
The investment enables the Östrand pulp mill to increase production of chlorine-free bleached kraft pulp by 10,000 tonnes per year while reducing emissions of fossil carbon dioxide from kraft pulp production by 80%.
Östrand pulp plant produces 430,000 tonnes of chlorine-free bleached kraft pulp used in the production of publication papers and hygiene products, and 90,000 tonnes of chemical thermo mechanical pulp, CTMP, used in the production of hygiene products and packaging.
