Andhra Paper is one of the largest integrated paper and pulp manufacturers in India. Photo JY Ying on Unsplash
Valmet, a global developer, and supplier of process technologies, automation, and services for the pulp, paper, and energy industries,has been selected to rebuild the cooking, fiberline, and evaporation plant of Andhra Paper’s Rajahmundry unit in India. The delivery is scheduled to take place in December 2023, and the start-up is planned for the first quarter 2024.
The order is included in Valmet’s order received for the fourth quarter of 2022. The value of the order will not be disclosed.
“With this investment, we will be able to improve our cost competitiveness and profitability as well as increase production at our Rajahmundry mill. In line with Andhra Paper’s commitment to sustainable development, the processes will be based on the best available technology and the use of state-of-the-art equipment, such as Valmet TwinRoll press and Valmet Tube Evaporator effect with vent condenser,” says Nageswara Gadde, vice-president, Project, of Andhra Paper Limited.
“Valmet’s excellent references and a continuous drive for technical development convinced Andhra Paper that the solution proposed will help them meet their goals. The aim is to increase the pulp production while reducing the chemical and water consumption and the effluents,” says Varun Jain, director, India region, Valmet.
Valmet’s delivery includes the equipment and process rebuild for cooking, screening, oxygen stage, a new DHT bleaching stage, including TwinRoll wash press and services.
For the evaporation plant rebuild, Valmet will replace the competitor’s existing line with cutting-edge evaporation technology to enable high performancefor evaporation and condensate treatment.
Andhra Paper was established in 1964 and is today one of the largest integrated paper and pulp manufacturers in India. Andhra Paper produces writing, printing, and copier papers for overseas and domestic markets. Production facilities at Rajahmundry and Kadiyam have a total production capacity of 240,000 TPA.
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
