At the beginning of the year, Norske Skog announced plans for a significant investment in a new TMP (thermomechanical pulping) line at the Skogn mill.
A TMP line, in simple terms, consists of several refiners that turn wood chips into wood fibres using pressure and energy. After the wood fibres have been diluted with water and washed, they are ready to be stored in towers before they go to the paper machine and become high-quality newsprint paper.
The new TMP line replaces recycled fibres. The availability of recycled fibres has declined in recent years while procurement and transportation costs have increased. This is due to a reduced consumption of printing paper and an increased demand for recycled fibres in the growing packaging market.
By building the new TMP line at Skogn, Norske Skog ensures that they can produce on all machines without recycled fibres. Additionally, transitioning away from recycled fibres will result in less ash from the boilers, lower fossil CO2 emissions, and reduced NOx emissions into the air.
The project is important for the Skogn mill for several reasons. It positively impacts various environmental parameters, reduces production costs, and is a significant strategic investment, providing both capacity and quality to explore potential future products. The profitability is also solid, and the project has a relatively short payback period.