More efficiency, less energy: PKV modernizes paper machine 4
As part of its strategy programme, PKV is modernising and renewing an important part of its paper machine 4 in February. 500 external fitters will be involved in this work.
Varel. This rebuild is the largest project at Papier- und Kartonfabrik Varel (PKV) in 2020: engineers have been planning for this for more than two and a half years. The wire and press section of paper machine 4, and thus about one third of the entire line, will be replaced in February. The machine will be shut down for more than a month for the rebuild.
The wire and press section is the part of the machine where a mixture of waste paper fibres and water is combined to form a solid web and dewatered by high pressure. The better this dewatering works, the less energy (in the form of steam) the machine needs in the subsequent drying section to dry the paper further. A major goal of the rebuild is therefore a higher dry content after the press section, for which PKV is using completely new machine parts. In the end, less energy is consumed.
Another major goal of the rebuild is to expand the width of the machine. This additional width has its advantages: it makes it possible to cut the web completely and without loss to standard dimensions later on, which have meanwhile become established in further processing. The machine can therefore produce a little more paper with additional width, but above all there is significantly less waste. In total, the PM4 rebuild will increase the production capacity of the established Jade White Classic and Jade Kraft grades by 20 percent to 360,000 tons under the overall PKV permit. PKV customers produce high-quality corrugated board from these grades.
During the conversion, a total of around 500 external fitters will be working at the plant. PKV has set up a temporary parking lot for these fitters on the opposite side of Hellmut-Barthel-Straße. In order to ensure work safety as well as possible during this temporary construction phase, PKV, in consultation with the town of Varel, is having a traffic light installed on demand at the crossing point to the plant entrance from January 13 until around mid-March.
Especially during rush hours (06:00 to 08:00 and 18:00 to 20:00) fitters can use this traffic light to cross the road safely. The PKV itself has already partly equalized these peak times by differently agreed work start dates. Nevertheless, the traffic lights may cause waiting times for motorists on Helmuth-Barthel-Straße. PKV asks for your understanding in view of the safety of its employees.
The crossing point is fundamentally ill-suited for a traffic light, as PKV has also pointed out in connection with the planned sports park. However, during the rebuild period of paper machine 4, the number of truck transports at this location decreases significantly due to the corresponding decrease in production during this period. This will relieve this traffic area for the time of the reconstruction.
The rebuild can also lead to temporarily increased noise levels, especially in the first two weeks of February, when existing machine parts are being dismantled. PKV asks its neighbours in particular for their understanding in this regard and has taken various organisational steps to avoid a higher noise level as far as possible.
The Papier- und Kartonfabrik Varel (PKV) will develop its mill to a production capacity of one million tons of corrugated board papers as well as cardboard in the coming years. The raw material is and remains recycled waste paper. At the same time, PKV is investing massively in energy efficiency. To strengthen and modernize the site, the company is currently implementing a seven-year strategy program with a total volume of around 280 million euros.