2 INDUSTRY NEWS


Pulp Paper & Logistics


Pulp and paper industry created 2,000 jobs in Europe last year


N


ine new mills and 2,000 more jobs were created in the European pulp


and paper industry in 2018 and sales increased by 3 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). Benefiting from a healthy


economic environment, CEPI members produced 92.2 million tonnes of paper and board last year, matching the level of production in 2017. Industry data for 2018


confirms the long-standing trend of increased production in packaging, hygiene and speciality paper sectors while graphic paper


continues to decline, following a drop in demand, said CEPI. Carbon dioxide emissions from


operations are steadily falling while the production of paper and board remained stable which, said CEPI, illustrates the significant industry investments in decarbonisation technologies and increased energy efficiency. “We have demonstrated how


the industry is actively taking responsibility in reducing its carbon emissions, as well as playing a leading role in providing bio-based alternatives to carbon-intensive products in our REINVEST 2050 project,” CEPI said in a statement. Exports of paper and board


products are growing, especially


to North America, with 20.6 million tonnes in total, up by 1.1 per cent compared to 2017. Imports grew by 3.3 per cent. Europe remains a net exporter and is the world’s leading exporting region in the world. CEPI said that the industry’s


commitment to the circular economy remains stronger than ever. Paper volumes recycled in European mills for reprocessing are on the increase, keeping the fibres longer in the loop. However, the 2018 recycling


rate – the percentage of the paper and board consumption that has been recycled – declined slightly from 72.4 to 71.6 per cent due to trade flows, such as a significant export erosion of


paper for recycling ( down 6.1 per cent). “The CEPI 2018 Key Statistic


report demonstrates once again that our industry is fast- transforming, creating jobs and believing in its capacity to grow in Europe putting into practice a true circular bio-economy model,” said Jori Ringman, newly- appointed CEPI director general. Other key data in CEPI’s


statistics for 2018 showed that market pulp production was 14.4m tonnes, up by 1.4 per cent, while pulp consumption was 19.8m tonnes, up 4.5 per cent; paper collected for recycling (PFR) totalled 56.7m tonnes, down 0.3 per cent, while paper utilised was 48.8m tonnes.


UPM closes its PM10 machine at Plattling


Finnish-based paper maker UPM has permanently shut down the PM10 paper machine at its UPM Plattling mill in Germany, in a bid to improve its competitiveness in the paper business. The closure reduced capacity for coated mechanical paper in Europe by 155,000 tonnes. The mill in Bavaria manufactures graphic papers and until the shutdown had a total annual capacity of 785,000 tonnes and employed about 590 people. Proposals to close the PM10 line were revealed in April. The line was to be shut down by the middle of July with the loss of 155 jobs. Employee consultation processes have been conducted in line with local legislation and


July/August 2019


site. We are therefore pleased to have led a constructive and fair consultation process to a conclusion which helps diminish the impact of the closure. “We regret this decision but


Ruud van den Berg: “we regret the decision”


are now finalised, said UPM in a statement. Paper production on the remaining machines will continue at the Plattling mill. Commenting on the line closure, Ruud van den Berg,


senior vice president for magazines, merchants and office business at UPM Communication Papers, said: “The recent weeks have not been easy for the employees at our Plattling


remain convinced that it will support the competitiveness of both UPM Communication Papers as well as the remaining assets at the Plattling site in the long run. The discipline and commitment of our employees in Plattling during the process has been remarkable.”


Based in Helsinki, UPM has six businesses: in biorefining, energy, speciality papers, communications, Raflatac and plywood, with annual sales of €10.5 billion.


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