Rottneros Invests SEK 98 Million in Fossil-Free Energy

Rottneros (Sweden) reports that its board of directors has granted Rottneros Mill a SEK 98 million investment in a new energy and emission efficient biomass boiler. It will replace fossil oil as the energy source used to dry pulp in the mill’s flash dryers. The investment will also lead to large parts of the mill's energy system being rebuilt, which will increase energy efficiency significantly. The detailed planning work has begun and the new biofuel boiler will be completed and put into use around mid-2017.

Rottneros Mill produces two different kinds of high yield pulp for paper producers, CTMP and groundwood pulp, and has for many years used oil to dry the pulp. When the new biomass boiler is completed, the biomass will replace all oil used today, and the mill's energy consumption will thus be entirely fossil-free. The new biomass boiler has around 18 MW of power generation capacity and will replace an older biomass boiler. Supplier of the new boiler will be selected in the near future.

"When we're now investing in a new biofuel boiler, we will also optimize and rebuild our energy system at the mill. It will result in significant energy efficiency improvements and environmental benefits in terms of lower emission levels. The extent of the savings is at least SEK 25 million per year, said Olle Dahlin, CEO of Rottneros Mill.

The capacity-increasing investments Rottneros Mill has previously been granted, within the framework of the Group's strategic development and action plan Agenda 500, in combination with the new biofuel boiler, will solidify Rottneros Mill's position as a world-class producer of CTMP and groundwood, noted Per Lundeen, president and CEO of Rottneros AB.