Pulp

VIENNA, Austria, April 2, 2020 (Press Release) -
• Customer-centric approach using paper where possible and plastic when useful

• Science-based targets to reduce GHG emissions 34% by 2025 and 72% by 2050

• 100% certified or controlled wood fibre sources

Leading global packaging and paper group Mondi released its interactive 2019 Sustainable Development report last week. The report illustrates how Mondi is meeting rising demand for sustainable packaging using paper where possible, plastic when useful. It also covers a number of other interesting topics such as how Mondi is tackling climate change, reducing emissions, and integrating responsible forest management and water stewardship practices.

Sustainable development is firmly at the heart of the Group’s strategy, with its Growing Responsibly model fundamental to the business’ long-term success.  Gladys Naylor, Group Head of Sustainable Development at Mondi, said: “We take a holistic approach to support our customers in making conscious decisions about packaging. This starts from the beginning of the value chain, with sourcing our materials, through to manufacturing and the product itself, and its end-of-life. As a leading business in the European paper industry, we have an important role in the advancement of sustainable forestry, essential in the transition to a low-carbon and circular future.”

Mondi sets the standard for responsible forestry in its global operations and its forests, which are located in Russia and South Africa and are 100% FSC certified. 72% of wood procured by the Group is FSC or PEFCTM certified, and the remainder complies requirements for Controlled Wood, ensuring responsible sourcing and transparency across the supply chain.

Mondi’s efforts in the transition to a low-carbon economy are supported by the adoption of science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. The targets cover more than 95% of Mondi’s total Scope 1 and 2 emissions and are an important step in supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action. The updated targets commit the company to:

• Reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions per tonne of saleable production 34% by 2025 and 72% by 2050
• Reduce scope 2 emissions 39% per MWh by 2025 and 86% by 2050

Partnerships are central to the Group’s approach to achieving positive change at scale. Mondi set its science-based targets in collaboration with WWF’s Climate Savers programme and works with a number of multi-stakeholder platforms and scientific institutions, including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Forest Solutions Group and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’ Natural Capital Impact Group. Mondi is a signatory of The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, pledging a minimum of 25% recycled content incorporated across its plastic packaging by 2025. It has already made progress against this, leading a pre-competitive partnership Project Proof to design and prototype a plastic-based flexible packaging solution that can be recycled at scale for the circular economy with 20% post-consumer waste.

Mondi’s sustainability performance has been recognised by a number of external ratings and indices including, CDP (Advanced Reporter), FTSE4Good, MSCI (rating AAA) and Sustainalytics (ranked #2 in the sector).

About Mondi

Mondi is a global leader in packaging and paper, delighting its customers and consumers with innovative packaging and paper solutions that are sustainable by design. Our business is fully integrated across the packaging and paper value chain – from managing forests and producing pulp, paper and plastic films, to developing and manufacturing effective industrial and consumer packaging solutions. Sustainability is embedded in everything we do. In 2019, Mondi had revenues of €7.27 billion and underlying EBITDA of €1.66 billion.

Mondi has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (MNDI), and a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (MNP). Mondi is a FTSE 100 constituent, and has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series since 2008 and the FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index Series since 2007.

About Mondi’s Growing Responsibly Model

Mondi’s Growing Responsibly model is the framework through which the company responds to sustainability challenges and opportunities and addresses societal challenges, including contributing to the UN SDGs and other global initiatives. It comprises 10 Action Areas and 16 public commitments running to the end of 2020, along with an updated carbon emissions commitment that runs to 2050.

ESPOO, Finland, March 31, 2020 (Press Release) -Valmet introduces a renewed Valmet IQ Quality Management System for pulp, tissue, paper, board, and converting industries. The renewed system lets papermakers optimize quality through the entire value chain from fiber to finished product, enabling improved process performance and increased savings through the process.

The quality management system takes a step towards an autonomous mill

The renewed Valmet IQ Quality Management System utilizes Valmet’s latest innovations and expertise on pulp and paper quality management. It integrates the quality management of the entire production process and is a step towards an autonomous mill. The new capabilities of Valmet IQ increase the degree of automation and reduce the human role in the process.

“Valmet IQ extends from traditional quality controls to the retention and refining online optimization with wet end analyzers. The new moisture management solution optimizes the drying process from the wire-former section through the press and dryer section to the end of the reel. It will stabilize the process and improve the performance even further,” says Marko Toskala, Director, Quality Management Systems from Valmet.

Valmet IQ consists of all the devices and applications needed to monitor and optimize both process performance and end-product quality: scanners, measurements, profilers, machine vision, and quality control applications.

The new quality scanner family is redesigned for even more demanding production environments. All Valmet IQ scanners now consist of stainless-steel exterior, enhanced diagnostics, and a new flexible sensor platform. New IQ Dryness and IQ Multipoint measurements reveal the true dryness development from the headbox to the reel. The IQ family is completed by the most advanced machine vision system on the market, enabling faster detection of even smaller quality defects. The renewed Valmet IQ is compatible with the previous generations. All Valmet IQ products are developed and manufactured in Finland.

The new Valmet IQ is also compatible with the recently introduced Valmet DNA User Interface, the new web-based user interface of the Valmet DNA automation system. The new structured user interface guides the operators to focus on the situation critical information and make the right decisions instantly – helping to optimize quality faster.

Automatic optimization saves raw materials, chemicals and energy

Valmet IQ connects seamlessly with Valmet’s industrial internet (VII) solutions. With the cloud-based solution, the quality data moves from paper mills to converting, automating the optimization of the entire value chain. Similarly, paper producers can utilize feedback directly from the converting process while optimizing production performance and costs.

“Our customers have moved from reactive to data-driven quality management and witnessed significantly more stable production quality and decreased amount of broke. The automatic optimization of the entire value-chain has increased the production performance while simultaneously saving raw materials, chemicals, and energy”, Toskala continues.

About Valmet’s Quality Management Systems

Valmet has been at the forefront of developing digital solutions for its customers since the 1960s. In 1979, Valmet became the second company in the world to launch a distributed control system (DCS) for process automation, and the company’s first Quality Control System (QCS) was introduced in the 1990s. Today, the advanced Valmet IQ Quality Management System ensures optimal quality for over 2,000 pulp, tissue, board, and paper production mills around the world.

VALMET

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.

Valmet's net sales in 2019 were approximately EUR 3.5 billion. Our more than 13,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

STOCKHOLM, March 26, 2020 (Press Release) -Norske Skog Saugbrugs Paper Mill will invest a total of NOK 165 million ($15.6 million) in energy-efficient measures at the plant in Halden, Norway. AFRY has signed a contract for detailed engineering of the plant.

The plant has already created one of the world's most energy-efficient processes for the production of thematic mechanical pulp (TMP) used for magazine paper. These measures will take the company another step towards an even lower energy consumption.

“We want to create a ground-breaking low energy consumption in our fibre production. Saugbrugs will be the benchmark for the industry and with these energy measures, we also want to create good overall profitability at the mill”, says Kjell-Arve Kure, Managing Director of Norske Skog Saugbrugs.

AFRY has already contributed in the pre-study of the technical solutions with its expertise in energy and paper machines and will now be responsible for the detail engineering for process, mechanical, electrical, instrument, building, project and construction management during the implementation phase.

“We are very proud to be part of creating one of the world’s most energy-efficient paper mills and look forward to starting the work immediately”, says Jon Julsen, Director Process Industries, Norway in AFRY.

AFRY is an international engineering, design and advisory company. We support our clients to progress in sustainability and digitalisation.

We are 17,000 devoted experts within the fields of infrastructure, industry and energy, operating across the world to create sustainable solutions for future generations.