As part of its large-scale investment program involving development of the existing facilities and launch of new capacities, Ilim Group has completed the KLB Line Rebuild Project in Bratsk (Irkutsk Oblast) with CAPEX worth more than USD 120 million. The Mill started checkout and commissioning in October. Implementation of the project should ensure a 50% increase in kraftliner output, namely from 198 thousand tons up to 300 thousand tons per year.
The large-scale upgrade involved the whole KLB production process starting from pulp cooking to finished product packaging. GLV, PMP Group and Andritz were Ilim’s key partners under this project. Upgraded KLB production complies with the standards of the global forest industry leaders in terms of equipment scope, applied technologies and automation level of management and control processes.
“The Bratsk project is a part of the large investment program with a CAPEX exceeding USD 3 billion. Ilim is investing not only in output increase, but also in the quality of our products, cutting-edge automation and digitalization technologies of its operations, global best practices in environment and sustainable forest management, and logistic infrastructure”, emphasized Kseniia Sosnina, Ilim Group CEO. As the Russian P&P leader, Ilim intends to strengthen its positions in the growing Asian market and in the packaging segment in particular through upgrade of its mills in Siberia and construction of a new pulp and paperboard mill in Ust-Ilimsk with a capacity of 600 thousand tons per year. By 2024, Ilim’s aggregate annual output will increase by 40 % to reach 4.4 million tons”.