European coated fine paper producer Sappi has announced a €61m rebuild at its Alfeld Mill Paper Machine 2 (PM2) in Germany, in a bid to address varying demand for specialty packaging papers.
The PM2 rebuild is said to transform the mill to the production of one-side coated and machine glazed bleached kraft (MGBK) specialty grades.
The rebuild will enable the company add to its portfolio the capacity to produce higher volumes of a wide range of paper and packaging products.
Sappi Europe Specialties sales and marketing director Rosemarie Asquino said PM2 will be converted from the production of coated wood-free graphic arts grade papers to the production of a range of specialty papers.
"Not only will it expand our capacity for producing high-demand speciality packaging materials, but it will reduce our environmental footprint and increase standards compliance," Asquino added.
The products include coated and uncoated papers for flexible packaging, SBS board for luxury boxes, topliner for corrugated packaging, label papers for wet glue applications such as can and jar labels, banderols and wrappers and silicone-based papers for carriers.
Alfeld Mill, which became part of Sappi in 1992, is OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001, EMAS, ISO 9001 certified and has five papermaking machines as well as an integrated pulp plant.
The mill produces totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleached chemical pulp for its own use and its existing combined capacity of coated wood-free, coated and uncoated specialty paper is 330,000t annually.
