10 NO. 33 / 1-2016 Kymi: HIGHER CAPACITY MORE FLEXIBILITY LESS ENERGY

UPM’s recently completed EUR 160 million investment project resulted in about a 25% increase in production at the Kymi mill in . ANDRITZ helped modernize the softwood fiberline and delivered a new pulp drying line. The results are impressive.

With its investment in the KYMI-700 project was chosen to deliver a complete new pulp “Pulp production has exceeded our ex- (the “700” means increasing pulp production drying line and to modernize parts of the pectations and the quality of pulp, which to 700,000 t/d from 530,000), UPM made softwood fi berline. was already excellent, has improved,” says substantial progress torwards its target to Markku Laaksonen, Mill Director. Laaksonen boost its existing 3.3 million tonnes of pulp The ramp-up of all systems, according to has long experience with UPM, including capacity by 10% over the next three years. Tero Ojala, Project Director, has been very working at the Fray Bentos mill in good. “The debarking plant started in June during start-up, and was appointed Kymi’s The Board approved the investment in 2015, the modernization of the softwood Mill Director in 2014. February 2014. Within a couple of weeks, line was completed in August, and the new UPM had negotiated commercial terms and pulp drying line started in September, ahead Achievement within UPM selected suppliers for the project. ANDRITZ of schedule,” Ojala says. The Kymi mill is now among the most mod- NO. 33 / 1-2016 UPM-Kymmene Corporation 11

ern pulp mills in Finland, thanks to this proj- In his speech, Pesonen thanked the proj- The new drying line was installed in an old ect and also a huge investment (EUR 360 ect team and all of the Kymi personnel, machine hall. “Since we were using million) in new chemical recovery systems suppliers, and partners for an excellent an existing building, the layout is tighter in 2008. ANDRITZ delivered the evapora- achievement. “The UPM Kymi pulp mill than we would have preferred,” explains tion and the white liquor plants for that expansion was a success,” Pesonen said. Laaksonen. “During construction, we project. “We reached record-high pulp production had a large operating paper machine on in December.” the other side of the wall. The civil work Finland’s Prime Minister Juha Sipilä offici- required some explosive charges to make ated at the proceedings when the KYMI- Safely navigating modernization way for the new foundations and we were 700 investment project was inaugurated, challenges concerned what the impact would be on along with UPM President and CEO Jussi “The main challenge for us during the project the paper machine. But all the work was Pesonen. Sipilä noted that UPM’s was that we were doing the modernization completed with no stops and no unusual investment supports the govern- in an operating mill,” says Günther Leitner, breaks on the machine – which was quite ment’s goal to establish Finland ANDRITZ Project Manager for the pulp dry- an accomplishment.” as a pioneer in the bioeconomy, ing plant. “Everything we did was alongside circular economy, and clean-tech normal production, and real estate was at “We had an excellent safety record,” Ojala solutions by 2025. a premium.” says. “With 800 people on-site (and 1,500 12 NO. 33 / 1-2016

Twin Wire Former dewatering machine.

during the one-week annual shutdown), it to Jouni Konsti, ANDRITZ Project Manager part of the KYMI-700 investment. “Kymi was quite remarkable that there was only one for the fiberline portion. was able to demolish its old Rauma Repola lost-time accident during the entire project pulp dryer (installed in 1964) which had a – which comprised over 1,000,000 working “The improvements were relatively small maximum capacity of 500 t/d,” says Jari hours. in terms of scope and cost, but the result Vetola, ANDRITZ Senior Sales Manager. has been quite a pleasant surprise,” says “They were definitely limited in pulp dry- Pleasant surprises in the fiberlines Laaksonen of UPM. “We are achieving ing capacity. If the paper machines are ANDRITZ technology and equipment were higher production with less rejects.” down for any reason, it would place a huge used to modernize parts of Kymi’s softwood burden on the pulp drying plant. With the fiberline. There were also small improve- A unique swinging pulp dryer ANDRITZ plant, Kymi can run a combina- ments to the hardwood digester, according The new pulp drying plant was the largest tion of hardwood and softwood pulp to the maximum to keep production flowing smoothly.”

Why ANDRITZ? “The last big investment UPM made with ANDRITZ was at Fray Bentos (see SPECTRUM Issue 17),” Laaksonen says. “We are very familiar with ANDRITZ modern- ized several areas that drying plant, which has been running of the softwood fiber- very well. When it comes to handling long line at Kymi as part of the KYMI-700 fiber pulp at high speeds and production project. levels, no supplier has much experience. We felt that the ANDRITZ solution was the best, even though this would be their first line for a mill that swings between hard- wood and softwood pulps as frequently as we do.”

“These daily swings from softwood to hard- wood pulp are quite unique in the industry,” Leitner confirms. “This requires our equip- NO. 33 / 1-2016 UPM-Kymmene Corporation 13

(L to R): Jari Vetola, ANDRITZ Senior Sales Manager for pulp drying; Tero Ojala, Airborne sheet dryer and cutter/layboy in the new drying plant. UPM Project Director; and Jouni Konsti, ANDRITZ Project Manager for the fiberline.

ment to be quite flexible. There were some tems in a mill that is running,” ANDRITZ “We are Finns, so when we say something challenges in ramping up the plant, but that Commissioning and Start-up Manager is ‘good’ that might mean more in another was mostly due to the very wide operating Johannes Jammernegg says. language,” Laaksonen laughs. “The project window that the mill requires, and not the was brought in on schedule, on budget, fiber source itself.” A Finnish “good” and safely. So, I would say this project with According to Ojala, “The project and col- ANDRITZ has been very good.” The pulp dryer started up on schedule, with laboration went very well. We worked well production runs even a couple of weeks together and succeeded together. The ramp- before the scheduled time. “We had the up was faster than expected, enabling us to normal issues that you have when you dis- reach our targets.” CONTACT Jari Vetola mantle old equipment and install new sys- [email protected]

Tero Ojala, UPM Project Director (left) with Markku Laaksonen, Kymi Mill At the Kymi mill, the company logo is embossed on the wrapper of every pulp bale. The Director. griffin logo (representing the guardian of Northern forests) was designed by Hugo Simberg in 1899 and is the oldest continuous company logo in Finland. Markku Laaksonen, Mill Director holds an embossed logo wrapper.