Sappi Europe, a major producer of coated fine paper, recently announced the successful completion of the second phase of a three-part modernisation project at its Gratkorn Mill in Austria.
This multimillion-euro investment strengthens Sappi’s position in the global market and ensures the long-term sustainability of its flagship Magno paper range.
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The Gratkorn Mill is the heart of Sappi’s Magno paper production. Magno is a high-quality coated woodfree paper used for premium publications such as art catalogues, books, and magazines.
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Phase two of the project focused on collaborating with industry leaders such as Honeywell and Siemens to improve process visibility and control.
This translates to better monitoring for operators, resulting in more stable system performance and higher production uptime.
The upgraded systems at the Gratkorn Mill are now on a single automation platform, reducing hardware needs. This simplification leads to cost savings on spare parts and maintenance services.
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By GlobalData“This investment demonstrates Sappi’s belief in the strength and power of printed media and paper-based solutions, driving its constant investment into its production location to secure the portfolio for the long term,” said Rens Huijnen, product manager of Sappi Europe.
The next phase of the modernisation project, scheduled for completion in 2025, will tackle sourcing replacement parts for ageing equipment.
Sappi’s diverse product range
Sappi’s Gratkorn Mill has seen significant investment in recent years, expanding its product portfolio beyond graphic papers. The mill also produces a variety of label papers.
In 2021, Sappi introduced Parade Label Pro, a versatile wet-glue label paper ideal for various applications, including labels for bottles and jars.
This was followed by Parade Face SG in 2022, a high-performance paper for self-adhesive labels across multiple sectors.
Later this year, Sappi plans to launch Parade Label WS, a wet-strength and alkali-resistant wet-glue label paper, catering to the growing demand in the beverage and food industries.
Sustainability efforts
Sappi Europe remains committed to its sustainability goals.
These include responsible water management, increasing renewable energy usage by 11% and reducing total energy consumption by 5%, and significant reductions in waste and greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
The company said it has made significant progress towards these goals. Investments in renewing the hydroelectric power plant at the Gratkorn Mill increased its hydroelectric generation by nearly 10%.
Additionally, the complete switch from a coal boiler to a multifuel boiler in 2022 resulted in a carbon dioxide emission reduction of more than 30%, along with sharp reductions in dust and nitrous oxide emissions.
