WEPA Group Commissions New Tissue Machine at its Piechowice Site in Poland

The WEPA Group, headquartered in Arnsberg/Westphalia, has commissioned a new paper machine at its Piechowice site in Poland, as planned for the 3rd quarter of 2021. Following a year of construction, the first run of paper was produced on 27 September and processed into toilet paper.

With an annual production capacity of 36,000 tons, the plant increases total capacity at the site to 70,000 tons of raw paper per year – which is processed into toilet paper, kitchen paper, paper towels and cleaning rolls, among other products. The site primarily produces for the Professional market in addition to production for the Polish Consumer market.

In line with WEPA’s focus on sustainability and the WEPA Professional strategy, the new paper machine is designed to produce hygiene paper products from 100 percent recovered fiber. With its high energy efficiency, the new AHEAD 2.2S tissue machine sourced from Italian manufacturer Toscotec also significantly contributes to cutting CO2 emissions. This saves resources and optimises cost structures. The new paper machine is state-of-the-art in terms of technology and equipped with a single-layer headbox, a shoe press, a steel drying cylinder, a Toscotec Milltech hood and a vapour and dust extraction system. The unit replaces a previous crepe paper machine dismantled last autumn. In the course of the project, the building in which the new paper machine is now installed was also refurbished. Two new converting systems were commissioned in parallel: an industrial roll line for paper towels and toilet paper and a V-folding line for paper towels.

Martin Krengel, WEPA Group CEO: “Our willingness to invest in state-of-the-art technology that meets the high quality standards we have for our products and contributes to implementing our sustainability targets is an inherent component of our future-oriented corporate strategy. After the successful start-up of our first tissue paper machine in Piechowice in 2017, commissioning the second system further enhances the growth opportunities for our Professional division in this highly promising Eastern European market.”

With this investment, the WEPA Group strengthens its competitive capability as the third largest European manufacturer in the hygiene paper market. With a total of 21 paper machines, the group has a production capacity of approximately 780,000 tons per year.

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