Tissue World Magazine
Alexandra Stuthridge, Technical Business Manager, BioProducts Institute (BPI)

Japan’s Marutomi Paper has successfully started up a new Steel Yankee dryer.

Due to surging fuel and electricity costs Japanese tissue makers are constantly looking for opportunities to reduce production cost. The company said its new Steel Yankee dryer, jointly supplied by Valmet and Kawanoe Zoki, has exceeded all expectations. Marutomi Paper mill manager said: “Today we can see a significant reduction in energy cost but also a great improvement in product quality. “I could never imagine that a 40 year old machine could perform this well. This rebuild has realized a significant cost reduction and strengthened Marutomi’s competitiveness in the recycled toilet tissue market.”

Marutomi Paper was established in 1955 and currently operates eight mills in Shizuoka, producing top quality toilet paper from recycled pulp. Its PM3 at the Imaizumi mill has produced tissue paper for more than 40 years. Due to aging equipment the efficiency was decreasing and the energy cost for steam and gas escalated. An energy efficiency evaluation, performed by Kawanoe Zoki, resulted in a recommendation to install a Steel Yankee Dryer and replace the gas hood with a canopy hood for exhaust air.

Kawanoe Zoki was contracted for the total engineering while the Steel Yankee Dryer was supplied by previous Metso, currently operating as Valmet. A thermo compressor was installed on the condensate system and the Yankee Crown was optimised. Energy efficiency, which was the main target of the project, has successfully been achieved. Gas cost, which was a big cost factor, is reduced to zero. Consequently, the steam consumption has increased but the energy saving effect greatly exceeds the increase in steam.