Tissue World Magazine

(News from RISI) – Production is up and running on a new tissue machine in Portugal.

Fortissue Produção de Papel, which is part of the Suavecel group, started production at its mill in Viana do Castelo in late March.

The new machine can produce 120tpd of tissue for household and sanitary use. Its startup created 35 jobs.

Fortissue brought the new machine online later than originally planned due to energy supply issues.

The firm confirmed articles in the local press according to which the high-voltage line that was to supply the mill was not installed on time.

“The startup needed to be postponed by two months compared to the initial program because of the delay in the supply of energy. We had to interrupt the installation process,” mill director André Silva was quoted in the local press as saying.

Fortissue’s Euro 30m investment project originally provided for the installation of two paper machines and the creation of 180 jobs.

However, the realisation of the second phase reportedly depends on market conditions and the economic development.