Valmet to deliver key pulp mill technology and automation for Lenzing’s and Duratex’s joint pulp mill project in Brazil
Valmet will deliver key process islands for Lenzing’s and Duratex’s joint venture named LD Celulose S.A.
The new 500,000 ton/year dissolving pulp mill is located in the cities of Indianópolis and Araguari in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Valmet’s delivery includes a fiber line, a pulp drying and baling line, an evaporation plant, a white liquor plant and a mill-wide automation system. The value of a delivery of this size and scope is typically around EUR 200-250 million.
Valmet’s delivery is part of the Lenzing and Duratex joint venture investment of approximately USD 1.3 bn in the 500,000 tonnes dissolving wood pulp mill where Lenzing holds a 51 percent and Duratex a 49 percent stake. The start-up of the new mill is planned for the first half of 2022 and will create approximately 8,000 direct jobs during the construction phase. When it is ready, LD Celulose S.A. will employ approximately 1,100 people to operate the industrial plant and the plantations that will supply it. The dissolving pulp is a key raw material for manufacturing Lenzing’s wood-based textile and speciality fibers.
“Wood-based cellulosic fibers offer an important contribution to enhance sustainability in the textile industry and this investment is in line with our growth strategy and a key milestone to structurally strengthen our cost leadership position. In planning the new production facility, particular importance was given to sustainability aspects. The plant will be among the most productive and energy-efficient mills in the world,” states Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group.
“LD Celulose S.A. will bring a positive socioeconomic impact throughout the region. We are working with the best environmental practices and with leading companies in the pulp industry, such as Valmet,” emphasizes Luís Künzel, CEO of LD Celulose S.A.
“With our good references in dissolving pulp production technology and strong presence in Brazil we were able to meet the customer’s needs of high quality and energy efficiency as well as supporting high productivity and reliability with our automation solutions. We are happy to be a key partner in delivering a world class mill for Lenzing and Duratex and thus being part of turning renewable raw materials for sustainable textile fibers,” says Bertel Karlstedt, President, Pulp and Energy Business Line, Valmet.
