A milestone chemical pulp project

Valmet supplied the full scope of equipment for cooking, washing, screening, bleaching, and recovery systems.

This 700,000-tonne chemical pulp project is a significant milestone for Shandong Huatai Paper Industry Co., Ltd. (Shandong Huatai), in China. The start-up is the beginning of a new chapter as Huatai transitions from recycled pulp to self-produced chemical pulp. It is a notable step toward sustainable integrated pulp and paper production. By the end of April, the pulp line was producing more than 1,200 air-dried tonnes per day. “This has changed the history of Huatai and taken its development to a new level,” says Sun Changgeng, Huatai’s Vice Project General Manager.

Two of the Valmet TwinRoll Presses were manufactured at Valmet’s Xi’an workshop in China.

Optimizing cost-effectiveness

Valmet and Shangdong Huatai have been partners for more than two decades. Valmet supplied the full scope of equipment for cooking, washing, screening, bleaching, and recovery systems at Shangdong Huatai’s pulp mill.

Valmet’s Chinese-produced TwinRoll presses have excellent performance.

“Valmet is a long-term and reliable partner, and their integrated supply laid a solid foundation for a successful commissioning and the production of high-quality pulp,” says Changgeng.

The new line uses Valmet Continuous Cooking.

The new pulp line uses four TwinRoll presses: two imported from Sweden; two produced at Valmet’s Xi’an workshop in China. This helped Huatai optimize the project’s cost-effectiveness.

A breakthrough project

“This project is a breakthrough for Valmet,” says Igor Felipe Panassol, Vice President of Pulp and Energy, Valmet China. “It has provided Valmet with the opportunity not only to deliver the project but also to complete the technology transfer, develop localization capabilities, and enhance market competitiveness.”

“This project demonstrates that the Valmet TwinRoll Presses produced in China perform excellently in delivery time and quality,” says Wang Hairong, Project Manager at Huatai.

“The Valmet TwinRoll Press quickly reached the designed production capacity and a press discharge consistency of 30 percent, and the tank pressure and torque operation is very stable,” says Guo Tongqing, Project Leader at Huatai.

A highly efficient process

Valmet Continuous Cooking G3 technology ensures stable and uniform cooking temperature and pressure, enabling uniform flow and mixing of the pulp, and more uniform chemical reactions. This ensures the yield, while reducing chemical consumption.

The Valmet Lime Kiln.

“The system has increased the yield by 1 percent compared to other cooking methods. The process retains hemicellulose, reduces chemical consumption, and uses only 18 percent alkali. Heat is also reused, resulting in extremely high thermal cycle efficiency and low steam consumption per tonne of pulp,” Tongqing says.

In the oxygen delignification stage, the pulp mill adopted an innovative dual-tower design. And in the subsequent bleaching process, Advanced Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) bleaching technology means the mill can maintain high efficiency and low chemical consumption, even with fluctuations in raw material quality.

Mutual trust and efficient collaboration

“The pulp line started feeding material on April 12 and produced qualified pulp in just 40 hours,” says Changgeng. “Good coordination between the personnel laid a solid foundation for the project’s successful commissioning.”

The cooperation with Valmet has been excellent.

“The cooperation with Valmet has been excellent,” says Ma Houyue, Project Leader for Shandong Huatai’s caustic soda and power project. Huatai appreciated Valmet’s professional spirit and dedication, strict quality management, comprehensive onsite control, and excellent cross-team collaboration.

Aerial view of Shandong Huatai.

“The technological advantages and superior services Valmet offers have made us realize the power of technology. I give top marks to Valmet’s cooperation!” says Fu Jianwei, Project Leader for Huatai’s Causticizing Furnace Project.

“This close relationship has enabled us to work as one team and complete the project in an extremely short time,” says Panassol.

Cooperation for enhanced competitiveness

Looking ahead, Valmet will continue to help Huatai fully leverage its equipment to achieve flexible switching between hardwood and softwood pulp, promote the efficient recycling of resources and the optimization of production capacity, and enhance the competitiveness of Huatai’s entire value chain. 

Text Dana Zhu, Silvia Xi, Kerstin Eriksson PHOTOS Jun Lu