ESPOO, Finland -- Valmet is to deliver a comprehensive fiberline technology upgrade to Lecta's combined pulp and paper mill in Zaragoza, Spain. The upgrade enables a significant capacity increase in pulp production, while reducing operational costs and improving the availability of the fiberline.

The order was included in Valmet's orders received of the first quarter 2024. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The delivery is scheduled for Lecta's annual shutdown in April 2025.

The fiberline upgrade will cover areas such as wood handling, cooking, brown stock screening, washing and oxygen delignification.

"Our fiberline consists of equipment originally installed in 1975 and 1990. Despite having been well-maintained and regularly refurbished, it has reached the end of its lifecycle. We believe that by replacing old equipment with Valmet's new technologies we will improve the efficiency of our process significantly through better availability and reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs," says Primitivo Prados, Mill Manager at Lecta Zaragoza.

"Having successfully cooperated with the Zaragoza mill for a long time, we are happy that Lecta chose Valmet's state-of-the-art wood handling, cooking and fiberline technologies for this upgrade. It is a very important milestone in Valmet's service development in the Iberian Peninsula, and we will do our best to support the Zaragoza mill in obtaining their targets of high productivity, competitiveness and decreased environmental impact," says Eduardo Ruiz Urrutia, Vice President, SEMEA Sales, EMEA Area at Valmet.

Delivery's technical information

Valmet's delivery consists of a comprehensive technology upgrade for the fiberline, including a new log feeding system and a Valmet Chip Cutter for wood handling, a cooking modification with Valmet OptiBin solution and Valmet Chip Pumps, a new screening room, an additional washing stage with a new Valmet TwinRoll Press, and an Oxygen Delignification stage modification.

About the customer

Lecta is a leading European manufacturer and distributor of specialty papers for labels and flexible packaging, coated and uncoated paper for publishing and commercial printing, and other high-value innovative products, such as 100% recyclable and biodegradable functional papers. Lecta operates seven mills in Spain, France and Italy. The mill in Zaragoza, Spain, is a combined pulp and paper mill with a total production capacity of 536,000 tons per year.