UPM Shotton starts up world's largest RCF line.

UPM SHOTTON STARTS UP WORLD'S LARGEST RCF LINE. UPM Shotton's recycled fiber plant RCF3 in North Wales, UK started up on November 11th 2003, completing the newsprint mill's conversion from thermomechanical pulp to 100% recovered fiber (RCF). Apart from reducing raw material costs, the switchover project, known as "100% Shotton," has reduced the mill's over-all energy consumption. Shotton's investment has increased the UK's recycling capacity by a remarkable 30% which in turn will significantly boost the country's environmental objective of reducing the 5 million metric tons of paper and board so far sent to landfill each year. "100% Shotton" is now capable of processing the recovered paper from 4 million additional households. The Shotton project is an example of Voith Paper's Process Line Package (PLP) concept, including automation.

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Timo Heinonen, Shotton's Project Director commented: "The start-up was very successful thanks to good design and extensive testing of processes and equipment. Time required from first group start to full production was only 1 hour" Heinonen added that this was the first time Voith Paper and UPM had signed a detail engineering contract for a major project. Voith engineered the complete RCF3 plant, which is designed for 810 BDMTPD and is the largest single RCF line in the world. Voith also supplied the key plant components, including cleaning, fine screening and flotation systems. A millwide water management study was provided at the same time. (Shown in photo, below left: Voith flotation deinking system.)