Sdra Cell is embarking on a production programme at its Tofte pulp mill in Norway, and is also undertaking a structure study on its logistics side to improve the transportation of pulp into the UK.

Tofte managing director Stein Altern said the programme would push up capacity, and would start in October once the mill had completed a two-week maintenance shutdown.

He was confident the mill would reach its new on-line production target of 385,000 tonnes this year.

Of the 385,000 tonnes, some 230,000 will be softwood and 155,000 tonnes hardwood pulp. Softwood will mainly be used for magazine paper, while hardwood pulp is used in woodfree printing and writing paper, specialities and cardboard.

The structure study, which should be completed early next year, will look at which UK ports will be used to import pulp, and will determine whether a central logistics base should be established, possibly in the Midlands.

Altern said the mills recovery boiler, which suffered a hot water oxidation explosion last year (PrintWeek, 13 October 2000), is to have its electrostatic filters replaced during the maintenance shutdown.

As a result of the explosion, the Swedish recovery boiler committee could use the new limits imposed to control the quality of feed water as industry standards, said Altern.

The 11-week shutdown to repair the boiler cost 5.4m (NOK70m), with some 8,000m of piping being replaced.

Tofte has a current capacity of some 325,000 tonnes. It produces bleached ECF sulphate pulp, softwood and hardwood eucalyptus for the domestic, European and UK markets.

Story by Andy Scott