CHINA
Hengan orders three large new PMs

Metso is to supply two complete Advantage DCT 200 tissue production lines to Hengan International Group in China, while A Celli will supply another machine.

One of the Metso lines will be delivered to Hunan Hengan Living Paper Products in Changde City, Hunan province. The other is destined for Shandong Hengan Paper in Weifang City, Shandong province. The lines will be started up in December 2009 and in July 2010. The market value of a single tissue production line of this type is in the range of €15-20 million, depending on the scope of the delivery and the production output.

Metso's delivery comprises two tissue production lines with stock preparation equipment and an Advantage DCT 200 tissue machine including an OptiFlo multi-layer headbox, Metso yankee cylinder, Advantage AirCap hood, Advantage WetDust dust management system and an Advantage SoftReel reel. The delivery also features Metso's new, patented Advantage ViscoNip pressing technology.

Both production lines are optimized to save energy and to enhance final product quality. The delivery includes an extensive automation package with metsoDNA machine and process controls, PaperIQ Select scanner and quality controls, as well as an IQDilutionPro Lite basis weight profiling system.

With a width of 5.6 m and an operating speed of 1900 m/min, the new lines will add another 120,000 tons/yr of facial, toilet and towel grades to Hengan International Group's total production. The raw material for the new lines will be virgin pulp.

In 2006 and 2008, Metso has successfully started up two similar Advantage DCT 200 tissue lines at the company's Anhai mill in Fujian province.

Hengan International Group, whose shares are listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, is a fast-growing Chinese consumer product company with a nationwide sales and distribution network. The company's turnover in 2007 was HK$5.7 billion (approx €520 million); it employs 16,000 people.

The Group has also ordered a new 5.6 m machine from A Celli. The new machine, which will run at 2000 m/min, is expected to make 60,000 tons/yr of tissue when it starts up. The new capacity will in total take the group's annual capacity to over 400,000 tons.

Quality attendance at Tissue World Shanghai

Vinda plans new ¥600 million mill in China

Vinda International Holdings Limited has reached a conditional agreement with the Anshan City People's Government in Liaoning Province to build a ¥600 million (about $100 million) mill in the city's Industrial Development Zone of Anshan Dadaowan. It will make 20,000 tons/yr of tissue in the first phase, which will represent an investment of ¥200 million. This will rise to 60,000 tons/yr, according to a report in Infocast.

The city has offered concessions over a series of taxes, fees and levies to Vinda, including certain rebates of valued added tax and enterprise income tax during an initial period of operation of the manufacturing facility. It has agreed to rent 11 ha of land to Vinda for about ¥1 million/ha.

Vinda uses 100% virgin pulp as furnish to produce high-grade paper towel and is the largest mill in sales of towel products throughout China. The company created sales revenue of some ¥1.2 billion in 2004 and will have capacity of over 320,000 tons/yr when all current projects are completed.

Nanning Phoenix tests tissue PM in Guangxi

China's Nanning Phoenix Pulp & Paper has kicked off mechanical tests on a 20,000 ton/yr tissue paper machine at its mill in Nanning city, Guangxi province. Trial runs proper were set to begin at the end of 2008.

The BF-12-type PM was supplied by Japan's Kawanoe Zoki. The 3.4 m wide unit has a design speed of 1,000 m/min. The plant already housed a BF-10 tissue machine with a capacity of 10,000 tons/yr from the same supplier, as well as 11 small tissue PMs with a combined capacity of 15,000 tons/yr. News from RISI (www.risiinfo.com)

YFY goes commercial on new Beijing PM

Yueng Foong Yu (YFY) Family Paper (Beijing), has brought a new tissue machine on stream at its new mill located in Beijing area, China. Trial runs began at the end of November, earlier than expected. Since 11 December the company has been producing salable paper.

PMP Group supplied a 2.4 m wide crescent former Intelli-Tissue(tm) 1500 machine with a maximum operating speed of 1500 m/min and capacity of 1500 tons/month. PMP's scope of supply covered stock preparation equipment, entire tissue machine including auxiliary systems such as electrical and mechanical drives, oil lubrication system, steam and condensate as well as machine controls and instrumentation. The TM produces tissue in a basis weight range of 13-31.3 g/m² for conversion into facial tissue, toilet rolls and kitchen towels . This current project, part of YFY's investment program, is designed to achieve a combination of reasonable investment costs and high productivity.

Taiwan's Yuen Foong Yu Paper Manufacturing (YFY) has started installation work for an 18,000 ton/yr tissue paper machine at its mill in Beijing, China. Trial runs are slated for November, with commercial production set to follow one month later. Construction work at the mill site was put on hold in July ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

The 2.4 m wide crescent former machine, which will have a maximum operating speed of 1500 m/min, is being supplied by PMP Group. The unit will be able to produce virgin tissue paper in a basis weight range of 13-31.3 g/m², for converting into facial tissue, toilet rolls and kitchen towels.

YFY's Beijing facility already houses converting equipment with a capacity of 12,000 tons/yr, which is currently fed with tissue paper from the firm's mill in Kunshan city, Jiangsu province, also in China. After the new PM starts up, the Beijing plant will use paper from that instead.