Finland-headed forest industry and energy technology provider Valmet Oyj has announced that it will deliver a complete tissue line including a tissue making line and converting equipment to Suzano Papel e Celulose (Suzano) in Brazil. The order also includes a biomass boiler.
This is Valmet’s first combined order with tissue-making and tissue-converting lines after the acquisition of tissue converting business in late 2023.
The tissue order also includes an extensive automation package, flow control valves, and Valmet Industrial Internet solutions.
It’s an honor to have been chosen by Suzano for this strategic project in Brazil. This is Valmet’s first combined order of tissue machine and tissue-converting equipment. The combination of Valmet’s tissue-making line, converting equipment, mill engineering, automation systems, and flow control is ensuring high product quality while being the most efficient production line on the market today, said Rogerio Berardi, Director of Paper business line, South America, Valmet.
The tissue-making line, converting equipment, and biomass boiler will be installed at the Aracruz mill in Espírito Santo (ES), Brazil.
The target of the investment, announced by Suzano in October 2023, is to meet the Brazilian consumers’ increasing demand for high-quality tissue products with low environmental impact. The start-up is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
Valmet’s state-of-the-art solutions will allow us to expand our tissue products capacity with a new production line in the Aracruz mill. This meets our needs in terms of business strategy, production capacity, cost efficiency, and sustainability. Valmet’s proven technology, combined with the ability to deliver a 100 percent integrated line from tissue machine to conversion, and consistent results in its solutions were important factors in the decision for these new investments and reinforces Suzano’s vision of long-term continuity of the partnership with Valmet, said Jean Moraes, Corporate Engineering Executive at Suzano.
Improved energy and environmental efficiency
The new tissue-making line will have an annual production capacity of 60,000 tonnes. The tissue-making line and converting lines are optimized to save energy and deliver excellent paper properties.
Valmet’s scope of supply comprises a complete tissue production line including Advantage DCT 200 tissue machine with OptiFlo headbox and Yankee cylinder. It will also be featured with the Advantage tissue technology including ViscoNip press, ReDry, AirCap hood with Air system, WetDust systems, and a SoftReel reel.
Valmet will also deliver detailed mill engineering, stock preparation equipment as well as automation, including Valmet DNA Distributed Control System (DCS) with built-in machine condition monitoring, Valmet IQ Quality Control System (QCS), and Softness sensor.
In addition, Valmet will supply its Constellation converting lines, based on four-roll rewinder technology. The delivery also includes Valmet’s flow control solutions and Performance Center services.
With the aim of fulfilling the customer’s requests, Valmet’s converting lines have been selected based on the excellent results in other Suzano’s existing plants, said Daniel Schroeder, Commercial Manager, Latin America of Tissue Converting, Valmet.
Biomass BFB for heat and power
The new Valmet bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) boiler, which is scheduled to start operating in the last quarter of 2025, will use biomass to produce steam, which in turn is used in the cellulose process and the generation of electrical energy.
The new biomass boiler will increase the mill’s energy efficiency, contributing to operational stability.
The main fuels are bark and other wood waste from the mill. The boiler is also designed to combust non-condensable gases (NCGs) and methanol from the pulp mill.
It will also result in significant environmental benefits by reducing particle emissions with Valmet’s electrostatic precipitator (ESP) technology.
Valmet’s mission is to convert renewable resources into sustainable results, and the new biomass boiler in Suzano Aracruz is an excellent example of how our technologies and delivery capacity can take our customers forward in improving efficiency and competitiveness, said Fernando Scucuglia, Director of South America, Pulp and Energy, Valmet.
While the value of the tissue-making line and biomass boiler orders have not been disclosed, such an order is according to Valmet, typically worth around EUR 100 million.
