2 INDUSTRY NEWS


Stora Enso invests in wood handling at its Imatra mills


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tora Enso is investing in centralising and modernising the wood handling capacity


at its Imatra mills in Finland. The investment of €80 million will enhance the paper maker’s production capabilities for premium packaging board when completed in the third quarter of 2022.


The Imatra mills produce


premium packaging boards for food, beverage and luxury packaging. The objective of the project is to modernise the wood handling process and centralise it in one of the existing wood yards. The project includes the installation of a new, third debarking line, improvements to chip handling systems, and modifications to the existing wood yard infrastructure. While the modernised wood handling will improve the stability


Stora Enso’s Imatra mills, where there will be investment in wood handling


and efficiency of the process, the more efficient debarking line will reduce water consumption and lower the environmental impact. Hannu Kasurinen, executive vice president in the Packaging Materials division at Stora Enso, commented: “Stora Enso’s packaging materials offering relies on the competitiveness of large and strong integrated mills such as


at Imatra. “Imatra is one of the world’s


largest producers of liquid packaging board serving customers globally. From a long- term perspective, efficient and stable wood handling capacity is fundamental to both pulp and board production.” The Imatra mills, with two


production units Kaukopää and


Tainionkoski, produce premium packaging boards for food, drink and luxury packaging with an annual production capacity of 1,195,000 tonnes. Over the past few years Stora Enso has invested more than €200 million in Imatra. Stora Enso is also optimising its


forest land with the divestment of assets in southern Sweden to the fund Silvestica Green Forest AB. Around 5,200 hectares are


involved in the deal, which will bring in around SEK 940 million (€90 million). The forest areas are distant


geographically from Stora Enso’s other forests, which limits the scale benefits. The forest land divestment has no impact on Stora Enso’s nearby Hylte Mill, which uses other wood supply sources for its production. The land represents less than 0.5 per cent of Stora Enso’s total forest in Sweden.


Granulated lignin production line for Stora Enso’s Sunila Mill


A granulation and packing plant for lignin is being built by Stora Enso, allowing easier packing and handling of the material compared to powder and wet form.


The paper maker regards lignin as one of the key areas for delivering growth in new applications, such as energy storage, binders and carbon fibre. The €14 million granulation plant will be built at Stora Enso’s Sunila Mill in Finland.


January/February 2021


The lignin produced at Sunila Mill, Lineo by Stora Enso, is delivered as a dusty powder or as wet lignin. It is used typically as a phenol replacement in adhesives, as a bio-based natural binder replacing bitumen in asphalt, and in bioplastics. In the future, it could be used as a source of biocarbon in energy storage systems such as batteries for electric vehicles, as bio- based binders in plywood and as material for carbon fibre.


Producing lignin in granulated


form enables more effective handling and packing of the product. This further strengthens Stora Enso’s capabilities in replacing fossil-based raw materials, while supporting a more sustainable supply chain. Markus Mannström, executive vice president of Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division, said: “This investment helps us in providing our customers with a more efficient way of handling


dry lignin and delivering it in bulk containers. In addition to reducing both packaging and transportation costs, packing granulated lignin will be easier and faster compared to the dry powder used today, which requires special equipment.” Stora Enso has been producing lignin industrially at the Sunila Mill since 2015. Annual capacity is 50,000 tonnes, making Stora Enso the largest kraft lignin producer in the world.


Pulp Paper & Logistics


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