Valmet to Deliver Coating Section Upgrade with Electric Heated Air Dryers to Stora Enso Imatra Mills

Dec. 21, 2022 - Valmet announced that it will upgrade the coating section of Board Machine 5 at Stora Enso Imatra Mills, Tainionkoski in Finland. In addition to electric heated OptiDry Coat air dryers, the upgrade includes a drying capacity increase in the coating section, a new wire loop to the existing dryer group and automation.

The upgrade will bring energy savings and reduce emissions, Valmet said.

The value of the order will not be disclosed, however the value of deliveries of this type is usually around EUR 5-8 million, Valmet added.

The installations are planned to start in the fourth quarter 2023.

"The delivery helps the customer to take another step forward on their path to a CO2 free future. By replacing the old gas heated dryers by modern electric heated air dryers, the customer can reduce energy consumption for the existing board grades and ensure higher production capacity," said Kimmo Vehmas, Senior Mill Sales Manager, EMEA, Valmet. "The new wire loop will create an additional draw point for the web and allows controlled operating in the modified area. This will bring more safety in tail threading and minimize oil leakages."

Valmet noted that the increasing energy prices and the uncertainty of natural gas availability are driving mills to convert from gas to electricity operation.

Stora Enso Imatra Mills

Stora Enso Imatra mills in southeastern Finland consists of two production units — Kaukopää and Tainionkoski — that produce pulp and consumer packaging board. The annual capacity is 1,200,000 tonnes of consumer packaging board, 1,300,000 tonnes of pulp and 455,000 tonnes of polymer coating.

Imatra Mills is one of the largest mills producing consumer packaging board in the world, with over 90% of its production exported to Europe, Southeast Asia and other continents.

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. The company's technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. To learn more, visit: www.valmet.com.

SOURCE: Valmet