Papel Prensa of Argentina makes recycled paperboard investment

Austria-based papermaking technology provider Andritz has received an order from Papel Prensa S.A. to supply an old corrugated containers (OCC) feedstock preparation line, including a reject handling system, to its mill in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In its initial production phase, the new line will process 180 tons per of OCC collected in the Buenos Aires region, according to Andritz.

“The line's processing capacity can be easily increased through a minor adjustment to configuration to support the expected rise in pulp demand for the production of corrugated paper,” the company says, adding the new line will provide high pulp quality at cost-efficient and resource-saving operation.

“Our goal is to produce top-quality paper while reducing our environmental footprint through the efficient use of energy and natural resources, based on our strategy of promoting circular economy in a sustainable business,” Papel Prensa CEO Diego Colabardini says.

“Andritz’s advanced technology and extensive experience in pulping will help us achieve this goal.”

The technology to be supplied includes: an LC pulping system with a FibreSolve pulper and a de-trashing system designed to ensure superior slushing of the raw material at minimum fiber loss; equipment for the protection cleaning, fractionation and screening stage, including a PrimeScreen X with a newly developed PrimeRotor for high screening efficiency at lower power consumption; a reject handling system featuring a Reject Compactor ReCo to dewater the rejects “to the highest possible dry content.”

Andritz also will assemble and supervise the installation of the system through commissioning and startup, and will offer training. The startup of the new line is expected before the end of 2024.

Andritz says the order “further strengthens” its presence in the South American recycled-content pulp market. Papel Prensa has Argentina's highest paper production volume, making newsprint, printing paper and packaging paper.