Pulp Paper & Logistics


INDUSTRY NEWS 5


Paper process sludge turned into fertiliser


A


project to develop a process for converting the sludge generated from pulp and paper


manufacturing operations into fertiliser has been completed by pulp and paper maker UPM and Yara.


Funded by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment under the Raki 2 nutrient recycling programme, the project by the UPM Research Centre in Lappeenranta, Finland, Yara’s Research Station in Vihti, Finland and the Reseach Center in Hanninghof, Germany investigated the possibility of developing a functional and cost-efficient recycled fertiliser in commercial volumes.


During the project, the partnership developed an organomineral fertiliser with moderately good yield results. As the production process turned out to be both technically and financially challenging, no profitable business could be generated from the project. The sludge generated from pulp and paper manufacturing


processes was dried and complemented with mineral nutrients that are easier for the plants to absorb. Finally, the product was pelletised to facilitate transport, storage and spreading. The pot trials conducted in Hanninghof determined how well ryegrass is able to take up the nitrogen and phosphorus derived from sludge, which, in turn, has a substantial effect on the quality and yield of the crop. The results showed that ryegrass was only able to use around 40 per cent of the total nitrogen and phosphorus in sludge, whereas the figures for mineral nitrogen and mineral phosphorus were approximately 80 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.


Field trials conducted at the


Kotkaniemi Research Station showed that the yield from recycled fertiliser was 20 per cent lower compared to mineral fertiliser with an equivalent amount of total nitrogen. The proportion of nitrogen derived from sludge was 20 per cent, at most. In practical field trials, the size and durability of the recycled fertiliser pellets proved to be a challenge for the fertiliser spreaders used today. Further product development is therefore still needed. Timo Räsänen, commercial


director at Yara Suomi, says: “The objective set for our collaboration project was to develop an effective, industrial-scale nutrient solution,


in which recycled fertiliser plays a part in producing clean domestic food profitably with minimum environmental emissions. “Recycled nutrients are part of the nutrient solutions of the future. We will together with UPM utilise the learnings from the project and continue developing the further end-uses for sludge.” Esa Laurinsilta, director of


strategic partnerships at UPM added: “The Raki2 programme has built a strong framework for industrial collaboration, and has sped up the practical research to establish sustainable end-uses for sludge. “We have gained high volumes


of valuable research data that both companies can utilise in the future – either in collaboration or separately – for raw-material processing and product development. Public funding plays an important role in enabling ground-breaking circular-economy projects, and together with Yara, we would like to thank the Finnish Ministry of the Environment for sharing the financial risk with us.”


Paper converter in UK expands with £7.8m loan


UK-based Task Consumer Products, a family-owned paper converter and manufacturer, has purchased a new 80,000sqft site with support from a £7.8 million HSBC loan.


The funding will enable Task to


increase its production capacity by 15,000 tonnes per year, as the new facility creates the opportunity to install further production lines and store a


larger quantity of products. The new premises will be Task


Consumer Products’ second site in Wolverhampton and will initially be used as a storage and warehouse facility, with plans for a new production line to be housed on-site in the near future. The production line will modernise the firm’s manufacturing capabilities, with the implementation of state-of- the-art equipment in the new factory.


Ravi Patel, managing director


of Task Consumer Products, said: “The opening of our second site is an important milestone. Increasing our production and storage capabilities will be vital to the continued growth of our business. I’d like to thank our HSBC UK Relationship Director, Jack Turner, for his continued support throughout this process.”


January/February 2019


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36