International technology Group ANDRITZ , Austria, reports that it has successfully completed the supply and ramp-up of a new digester for Brazilian pulp and paper producer Suzano. The continuous digester, installed at Suzano's mill in Suzano city, São Paulo state, started up in May 2015 and replaces existing batch digesters as well as a continuous digester, thus further reducing production costs. It is designed to increase the mill’s output of bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp by 33,000 metric tpy, to a total of 550,000 metric tpy.  

 

"The learning curve for the new digester went really well and after 10 days we already reached nominal capacity," said José Alexandre de Morais, Suzano’s industrial director. The investment project was executed precisely as planned with no loss of production. All of the connections to the new digester were made during a regular maintenance shutdown planned for the mill.

 

The equipment supplied by ANDRITZ helps to further improve pulp quality while at the same time cooking yield is increased, thus leading to lower wood consumption. Due to the improved bleachability, bleaching chemical consumption is decreased. In addition, the new technology reduces natural gas consumption at the mill. The investment was considered important by Suzano to modernize equipment installed in the 1970s.