Valmet delivers an energy-efficient evaporation line to Altri’s Biotek mill in Portugal
Valmet has been selected to supply a new energy-efficient evaporation line to Altri’s Biotek mill in Portugal. This delivery forms part of Altri’s EUR 75 million investment to convert the Biotek mill from kraft pulp to dissolving pulp production for the textile industry. The new evaporation line will significantly enhance the mill’s energy and water efficiency, supporting Altri’s strategic expansion project.
“Changing production from kraft pulp to dissolving pulp will enable the Biotek mill to take a strategic step into renewable textile fiber markets. At Valmet, we are proud to deliver lifecycle value to our customers, helping them meet the challenges of tomorrow by upgrading existing mills and addressing global circularity requirements. Our extensive process expertise, combined with innovative technologies, allows us to provide energy- and water-efficient solutions for mill conversions. We look forward to a successful and efficient collaboration with the Altri team,” stated Sami Riekkola, Executive Vice President, Pulp, Energy and Circularity, Valmet.
“The evaporation line will incorporate the latest technology, offering significant steam savings through a 7-effect design and generating clean condensates for reuse within the mill. Additionally, the combination of Valmet Tube and Tubel evaporators ensures long lifetime, high availability and reliable performance,” explained Karin Bengtsson, Product Sales Manager, Valmet.
The typical value for an order of this size and scope ranges between EUR 25 and 30 million. Start-up of the new evaporation line is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.
Valmet’s scope of delivery includes a new 7-effect Valmet Evaporation Line with a design capacity of 350 tons of evaporated water per hour, producing heavy liquor at 75% dry solids. The delivery covers engineering, procurement and installation of the complete evaporation system.
The new line features Valmet Tube and Tubel Evaporators, ensuring high operational availability, long service life and excellent condensate segregation. It will also include Valmet Condensate Handling technology to produce clean condensate, reducing the mill’s freshwater consumption and improving overall sustainability performance.
About Altri
Altri S.A. is one of Europe’s leading producers of eucalyptus fibers, specializing in sustainable forest management and renewable energy generation. The company operates three pulp mills in Portugal — Celbi, Biotek, and Caima — with a combined annual capacity of approximately 1.2 million tons of market cellulose pulp. The Biotek mill currently produces bleached eucalyptus pulp with an annual capacity exceeding 260,000 tonnes. Altri is listed on Euronext Lisbon and is a member of the PSI index.
