SCA has invested about USD 139 million to set up a new CTMP pulp manufacturing unit in Sweden. The new plant will triple the production capacity of the company to 300,000 TPA and will replace the operations of Ostrand pulp mill. The Ostrand mill will focus on manufacturing of sulphate pulp, for which its current production capacity is 900,000 TPA.
April 04, 2023
SCA has invested close to USD 139 million to set up a new manufacturing plant of CTMP pulp (chemical thermomechanical paper pulp) to triple its capacity from 100,000 TPA to 300,000 TPA. The plant was commissioned at the end of 2022. CTMP is a tailored, bulky pulp that can be used for everything from cardboard to kitchen roll, wherein cardboard is its largest application, with end-products including electronics packaging and juice cartons.
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Ms. Kristina Enander, Director, SCA Pulp, described, “We see demand for CTMP increasing globally and there are several reasons for that. Firstly, CTMP is a cost-effective alternative; it also offers quality advantages. In addition, sustainability is becoming increasingly important to consumers, so interest in climate-smart products is growing. Now our customers can manufacture more climate-smart products, which replace products made from fossil-based materials.”
The company will wind down its existing Östrand pulp factory in Timrå once the operations at the Ortviken industrial site in Sundsvall come fully online. Ms. Enander explained, “We plan to focus entirely on the production of sulphate pulp at Östrand. Just like CTMP, sulphate pulp is an important plastic substitute, especially for packaging. Moving production of CTMP to Ortviken opens up opportunities for the further expansion of sulphate pulp production at Östrand.” Currently, the facility has a capacity of 900,000 TPA for sulphate pulp.
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As the production of sustainable materials at Östrand has grown, the plant has been able to increase its deliveries of other climate-smart products, such as green electricity and district heating. Excess heat from pulp production at Östrand also becomes district heating, which supplies the entire local municipality’s district heating network. A large proportion of the heat also goes to the Sundsvall grid, for which Ortviken also provides a large share of bio-based district heating.
SCA also sells a growing number of green products that are extracted as by-products from pulp production at Östrand, mainly tall oil and turpentine. Tall oil is a renewable raw material for biodiesel, while turpentine is used in the manufacture of cosmetics and as an additive in paint, for example.
