Valmet to provide biomass products to Arauco
In a recent press release Valmet has announced that it has finalised a contract with Arauco. The contract requires Valmet to deliver pulp drying and baling, a recovery boiler and a biomass boiler for Arauco’s MAPA project.
The delivery will be part of Arauco’s major investment that aims to expand current production capacity and build a new pulp production line at the Arauco Mill in the Bio Bío Region in Chile. Valmet’s distribution of supplies is to be included in its fourth quarter of 2018’s received orders. The value of the order has not been disclosed however Valmet state that a project of this size and scope is typically valued at around €250 to €300 million.
Valmet describes the modernisation and extension of the Arauco Mill as one of the largest in the company’s history. It also says that it is one of the largest pulp investments in the world. The project involves the construction of a new production line which will be named Line 3. Line 3 will have an annual capacity of 1,560,000 tonnes and is estimated to begin operation on 2021.
Senior VP Pulp and Energy for Arauco, Franco Bozzalla explains, “In addition to high quality pulp, the expansion project allows us to continue generating clean and renewable energy from forest biomass, due to the construction of a new biomass boiler. The boiler supplies clean energy to the mills and the surplus electricity will be delivered to the National Electrical Grid.”
The newly built pulp drying line is going to have a daily capacity of 5,000 air dry tonnes (Adt) and consist of two complete drying machines, as well as four high capacity baling lines. With a production capacity of 2,500 tonnes per day and a web width of 8 meters per machine, the pulp drying machines may also be able to increase capacity in the future though debottlenecking.
The tailored boiler island is made of a recovery boiler that has a daily capacity of 6,300 tonnes dry solids (tDS) as well as a fluidised bed power boiler with a 160 MW thermal capacity.
Valmet will also be providing Arauco’s Mill with mill-wide NCG (non-condensable gases) collection and handling solution.
