The upgrade will have a significant effect on the performance and capacity of the recovery boiler which was originally commissioned in the 1980s.
The project is expected to take one year, with the installation planned for August 2023.
The Valmet delivery consists of key pressure parts such as the superheater replacement, lower furnace rebuild, main steam line and new smelt spout system together with some key auxiliary equipment such as burners, soot blowers and pumps, and a comprehensive spare parts package.
Prior to Mufindi Paper Mills’ investment decision, Valmet carried out a thorough boiler inspection and a pre-engineering study to define the scope and the urgency of the recovery boiler rebuild.
“An extensive rebuild was considered necessary to prolong the lifecycle of the recovery boiler originally manufactured by Tampella, Finland, in 1985. The target is to restore the boiler’s original design load but leave room for a further capacity increase in the coming years. We are excited about the possibility to start a new era in our partnership with Mufindi Paper Mills with this upgrade,” says Marko Nokkala, senior sales manager South Africa, Energy Sales and Service Operations, SEMEA, Valmet.
This is the largest brownfield project for Valmet in the region in over 20 years.
Mufindi Paper Mills manufactures virgin kraft liner and natural sack grades mainly for the African market.
