Abstract:

The objective is to increase the competitiveness of the European pulp and paper industry (better and more uniform product quality, more cost-efficient production) through a more rational utilisation of European forest resources. Production of newsprint and LWC paper from Norway spruce will be focused on, but the results and methodology may be transferred also to other products and wood species. Wood and fibre properties of Norway spruce will be measured on wood samples from many European regions. Models for prediction of properties will be developed. Pulp will be produced at laboratory and pilot-plant scale, to study the potential of wood with different origins as the raw material for different products. New and better industrial wood raw material assortments will be defined and tested through full-scale trials in mills in different regions. The results will also be applied by a European supplier of process equipment.

Objectives:

The general objectives are improved paper quality and production efficiency through a more selective utilisation of the European wood resources, focusing on Norway spruce and virgin pulp fibres for products based on mechanical pulp.

The specific objectives are:

1. New data on the variability within and between European regions of wood and fibre properties of importance for pulp and paper production, especially for the production of TMP (thermo mechanical pulp) for newsprint and LWC paper.
2. New models for the prediction of these properties within and between trees and stands.
3. New knowledge on the production of TMP from different wood raw material resources, based on refining wood samples with well-defined properties in the laboratory, pilot-plant trials on selected logs and full-scale tests in mills.
4. New industrial wood raw material assortments, with increased potentials for product quality and uniformity and overall production efficiency, considering fibre properties in trees, processability, availability and costs in different regions of Europe.
5. Formation of a basis for future development of market-driven allocation of forest resources to the most suitable mill and product, in relation to the benefits and costs.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Sven-Olof LUNDQVIST / STFI - Swedish Pulp and Paper Research Institute SWEDEN

Participant

• AFOCEL FRANCE
• Martin HERKEL / ANDRITZ AUSTRIA
• Lars WILHELMSSON / Forestry Research Institute of Sweden SkogForsk / SWEDEN
• Per ENGSTRAND / Holmen Paper SWEDEN
• Lorna CASSON / Iggesund Paperboard UNITED KINGDOM
• Norske Skogsindustrier ASA NORWAY
• Jean-Claude CLEUET / Stora Enso Corbehem FRANCE