EFFICIENT PRODUCTION AT MINIMAL COST


Text: Tuovi Similä Photos: Viljak, Jari Leino


UPM's three Finnish mills produce some 1 million tonnes of long-fibre pulp from pine and spruce and just under 1 million tonnes of short-fibre birch pulp, while the Uruguay mill produces in excess of 1 million tonnes of short-fibre eucalyptus pulp. The different pulp qualities lend different characteristics to the end product: softwood pulp provides strength and hardwood pulp excellent surface characteristics for printing papers, and in addition eucalyptus gives smoothness for tissue papers.

UPM's three Finnish mills produce some 1 million tonnes of long-fibre pulp from pine and spruce and just under 1 million tonnes of short-fibre birch pulp, while the Uruguay mill produces in excess of 1 million tonnes of short-fibre eucalyptus pulp.


UPM's PRODUCTION CAPACITY IS 3.2 MILLION TONNES

Mill
 Bleached hardwood pulp ( tonnes) Bleached softwood pulp ( tonnes)
Fray Bentos 1 100 000  
Kaukas 310 000 430 000
Kymi 365 000 175 000
Pietarsaari 320 000 480 000
Total
 2 095 000 1 085 000

"Some of UPM's Finnish pulp production is integrated, meaning that the pulp is pumped directly from the pulp mill to the paper mill. However, there is capacity for drying part of the pulp produced in the integrated mills. In fact, less than a quarter of all our pulp production is so called slush pulp," explains Sami Saarela, Vice President, Pulp Production.

 

Saarela stresses that the pulp business area has its own distinct business identity and the mills are managed to maximise production and minimise costs. "When you are dealing with an integrated mill, the most cost effective solution is to pump the pulp. But if paper production is non-integrated, we have an obligation to choose the option that makes the most business sense. And that may not automatically be using our own pulp."

 

Sami Saarela,
Vice President, Pulp Production.

 

The core of Biofore

Pulp production is a natural fit with UPM's Biofore philosophy. "We pulp makers, we are the real bioneers," Saarela quips. "Pulp mills have always tried to make complete use of the wood they process. The bark is used to power bioenergy plants and lignin, a by-product of the pulping process can be used for the soda recovery boiler. The pulping chemicals can be recovered and used over and over again. The process also produces turpentine and soft soap, which is then used for tall oil production," Saarela explains.

Another interesting fact is that pulp mills also produce surplus electricity and heat, both of which are forms of bioenergy.