Stora Enso has announced it is to invest EUR 16 million in pellet production at its Ala sawmill in Sweden. Plans to move equipment from shuttered Kopparfors mill and build new hot water boiler.
Global forest industry major Finland-based Stora Enso has announced plans to invest in pellet production at its Ala sawmill in Sweden. According to a statement the EUR 16 million investment, which will include a new biomass boiler plant is “in line with the group’s strategy to grow in high value added wood products and to focus on integrated production.” Located in Ljusne, on the Baltic Sea coast, the Ala sawmill has a production capacity of 380 000 m3 sawn wood and 45 000 m3 planed goods per annum. Using sawdust as feedstock, the 95 000 tonne-per-annum capacity pellet plant will be integrated with the sawmill production. Start-up is estimated during the second quarter of 2017.
In 2009 the company invested around EUR 14.4 million in a new 160 000 tonne-per-annum pellet plant sited at its Kopparfors pulp mill which it had closed in 2008. Commissioned in November 2009 the pellet plant was to use residues from its Kopparfors and Ala sawmills. However in 2011 both the Kopparfors sawmill and pellet plant were closed with some of the equipment from the pellet plant relocated to other Stora Enso plants.
According to sources three of the original six Andritz presses in Kopparfors will be used for the Ala facility. In a separate statement it was revealed that Finnish boiler manufacturer, KPA Unicon Oy, has been awarded the contract to supply the biomass-fired hot water boiler plant. The 15 MWth boiler plant will utilize bark and wood residues from the sawmill to produce hot water for the dry kilns. A turnkey delivery it includes all process equipment, installations other than civil and foundation works, commissioning and training of the operational personnel. The heart of the new biomass-fired boiler plant is its Biograte combustion technology, especially designed for utilization of wet biomass fuels such as bark. The new biomass boiler plant is scheduled to be in operation in November this year.
Currently Stora Enso has own pellet production capacity totalling 320 000 tonnes at 7 facilities in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Russia and Sweden.
5173/AS
