Success is built by people at the Eldorado mill

The Eldorado pulp mill in Tres Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, started up officially on December 12, 2012 at 12:12 p.m. The mill has been performing exceptionally well over the past decade and has been able to increase its production from 1.5 million tonnes per year to 1.8 million tonnes. With such a significant incremental capacity increase, it’s natural that the recovery area, and especially the recovery boiler, has become a bottleneck.

With the aid of optimization and preventive maintenance, the recovery boiler can run for 18 months, with no unplanned shutdowns.

To dive more deeply into how the recovery boiler has been able to meet this challenge, we spoke to Rafael Siqueira, Process Specialist in the Recovery Area at the Eldorado mill, who is responsible especially for the recovery boiler and evaporation operations. “We’re running the boiler at above 99 percent efficiency. Meeting the increased capacity demand is a question of both reliability and performance, and a lot about optimization. But if we’re going to optimize, we first need to standardize.”

It’s all about people

The discussion very quickly turns to people, and how we can enable them to perform at their best. “Technology and equipment have evolved a lot, but it all depends on each one of us,” he says. “At Eldorado, we strongly believe in people’s potential and knowledge. The knowledge we acquire in daily operations is crucial.”

Everyone working for the same goal

Respecting people is truly in Eldorado’s DNA. “Eldorado has a culture of making everyone feel they are part of the result. We’re all part of the process. Everyone, from the board of directors to the factory floor, shares the same goal.” There is a particular attention to detail and there are several garden areas inside the mill gates. “We believe that a well organized and pleasant environment supports us in getting good results.”

Valmet’s digital services, like APCs, contribute a lot to production stabilization.

The mill has more than 5,000 employees. Unlike many mills, 98 percent of the people are Eldorado’s own employees, including canteen staff, janitors, and cleaners. Many of the people working at the mill, including Rafael Siqueira, have been working at the mill since the project phase.

The Eldorado mill prides itself on being one of the most beautiful mills in the world.

“For example, we didn’t hire DCS operators after the project, but the people working on the project – myself included – moved to operations. Whenever new positions open, we seek candidates internally. We really believe in people, and I think this is fundamental to our success. “

On one team with Valmet

Nayelen Aizawa works at the mill as a resident Valmet APC Service Engineer. Her task is to support the mill in using the various digital solutions Valmet delivers to the mill. “It’s very clear that everybody – from both Valmet and Eldorado – is committed to the mill’s performance,” she says. “My task is to follow our APC tools and performance monitoring dashboard and take the findings to the daily meetings. I really enjoy working here – the atmosphere is very positive and respectful. When I started here, everyone was very patient with me and taught me and helped me to understand the process.”

Valmet’s resident APC Service Engineer Nayelen Aizawa (on the left) plays an important role at the mill, supporting data analysis and Eldorado’s operational decisions.

“I see Nayelen as almost an employee of Eldorado. She plays an important role in sitting down with our people, accessing the information, giving her opinion, and helping everyone understand the data,” Siqueira adds.

Digital solutions support people

The key to managing the recovery boiler performance is stability and the avoidance of unplanned disturbances. “Valmet’s digital services like Advanced Process Controls (APCs) contribute a lot to production stabilization. I believe this is the most monitored boiler in the world.” The team emphasizes timely and predictive maintenance, as well as regular soot blowing. “We have to be assertive and quick to identify problems to avoid any negative impacts on boiler performance. I believe the integration of people with technology is the future,” Siqueira says.

Success is shown in numbers

It has been possible to increase boiler capacity by more than 20 percent from the original design capacity by optimizing boiler operation, preventive maintenance, and small upgrades. Additionally, the campaign cycle has increased. “Today we can run the boiler for 18 months without any cleaning intervention. Even after 18 months, the boiler is still clean, and our shutdowns are also shorter than average,” Siqueira notes.