Ittihad International Investment in UAE to Install Valmet Fine Paper Line

Valmet, Finland, will supply a fine paper line for Ittihad International Investment L.L.C. in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The new greenfield production line (PM 1) with a wide automation package will be producing high-quality printing and writing paper grades for the growing domestic markets and the Middle East and North Africa region. Startup of the machine is scheduled for the end of 2018.

The value of the order was not disclosed. But according to Valmet, the value of an order of this type is typically around EUR 45-70 million.

 

The order was placed by China Light Industry International Engineering Co., an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction work) company, which will be responsible for the complete turnkey delivery of the mill site.

 

 

"Ittihad enters the papermaking business for the first time with this new OptiConcept M machine. By guiding and supporting from the very beginning of the sales process, Valmet wanted to ease Ittihad in the complex investment puzzle. We were also able to display well our papermaking concept with good references. The OptiConcept M line enables high productivity and resource efficiency, excellent quality, and low operating cost," said Antero Kunnari, sales director, Valmet. 

Valmet's delivery includes a complete fine papermaking line from a stock preparation line and headbox to a reel followed by a parent roll cart and two winders. The delivery includes also a wide scope of automation. The selected technology and automation improve runnability, quality, and the cost, material, and energy efficiency. It is possible to lower basis weight while still maintaining stiffness and opacity, which results in raw material savings. 

The 7,100 mm wide (wire) paper machine will produce uncoated woodfree paper (WFU) grades. The design speed of the machine will be 1,700 m/min. with a daily capacity of 1,200 metric tons.

Established in 2008, Ittihad International Investment group governs several companies in the Middle East. Ittihad Paper Mill (IPM) is the first printing and writing paper production facility in the area of the Gulf Cooperation Council. IPM is located on a 230,000 sq. meter plot in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) and is the largest producer of printing and writing paper in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, covering around 10% of the MENA market. 

China Light Industry International Engineering Co., Ltd. (CLIEC) was founded in January 1953. CLIEC has provided engineering design, consulting, and project general contracting services for more than 5,000 medium and large scale projects in China and more than 60 medium, and large scaled projects abroad in more than 20 countries.