Valmet to supply a plant for next generation dissolving pulp cooking to Sappi in South Africa
Valmet will supply a dissolving pulp cooking demonstration plant to Sappi in South Africa to explore and optimize the extraction of bio-renewable chemicals.
The plant will be close to industrial size and is located at Sappi‘s Ngodwana mill. The demonstration plant will make it possible to study the next generation dissolving cooking process and test new ideas in mill scale. Start-up of the new plant is scheduled for the beginning of 2017.
The order is included in Valmet‘s second quarter 2016 orders received.
In this project Sappi and Valmet will together take the next step in dissolving pulping and explore new revenue possibilities in the dissolving pulp production. These new revenues include possibilities to extract bio-based materials from the cooking plant pre-hydrolysate stream such as sugars and lignin to beneficiate to higher value bio-chemicals.
“This investment in new technology continues to support Sappi’s strategic direction of seeking new bio-based opportunities and at the same time will generate a platform with associated benefits for further increased volumes and quality of dissolving wood pulp,” noted Andrea Rossi, Sappi’s Group Head Technology.
Lars Sjödin about the Ngodwana mill dissolving cooking demo plant
“We are very pleased that Sappi has selected Valmet as the supplier of the Ngodwana mill dissolving cooking demo plant. Our common target is to create the next generation dissolving pulp cooking concept which has the potential to be a game changer for our industry the coming years. The main features with the new concept are higher dissolving pulp quality, lower operating cost and a new optimized hydrolysate revenue stream. This project is in line with our R&D targets to provide advanced technologies and promote the use of renewable material. This will also further strengthen our market leadership position within dissolving pulp technology,” says Lars Sjödin, Director at Valmet’s Fiber Processing business.
