Valmet will supply a new Valmet Defibrator EVO system to the Brazilian company Guararapes. The system will be used for the company's medium density fiberboard (MDF) production as part of its major expansion at Caçador plant in Santa Catarina state. This will give Caçador the largest MDF capacity in a single plant in all of the Americas and raise the group's MDF output. The start-up is scheduled for 2022. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

The defibrator system is the heart of the MDF plant, since the wood chips are mechanically separated there into the fibers, which has a huge influence on both the final product quality and specific energy consumption.

"Guararapes has been needing more MDF capacity for a long time and the pandemic has stimulated the demand even further. The new plant will be installed alongside the existing MDF lines in Caçador, which will give Brazil one of the most modern MDF plants in the world, being both highly productive and sustainable, and including the latest digital technology such as scanners to check the surface quality," says Ricardo Pedroso, the CEO of Guararapes.

Besides the Valmet Defibrator EVO System, a Valmet Steam Separator PV system will also be supplied, which is the first reference in Latin America.

Guararapes manufactures MDF panels and it is one of the largest plywood panel producer in Latin America.