New project: Brazilian pulp mill centers on energy efficiency

By Control Engineering Staff October 3, 2007

A new pulp mill in Brazil will produce 1.3 million tons/year of bleached pulp from renewable eucalyptus forests. Votorantim Celulose e Papel (VCP) is one of the largest companies in Latin America’s pulp and paper sector, and is building the mill under an asset swap agreement with International Paper. ABB will provide will provide the main automation and process control platform, as well as extensive electrification systems.

Located in the eastern city of Tres Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul, the “Projeto Horizonte,” is being managed by Poyry Empreendimentos Industriais, a company hired for execution of the project construction. Once the mill starts production, it will be transferred to VCP.

ABB’s scope of supply includes automation and electrification systems for the new mill, as well as a 138-kV substation. The automation platform will be based on ABB’s industrial IT system 800xA, which will provide process control along with simulation tools and asset management functions. ABB will also supply medium voltage switchgear, power management and load shedding systems. Intelligent ABB motor control centers will be integrated with the industrial IT system to optimize the effectiveness of electrical equipment in the mill.

“This project reinforces our position as a key supplier of solutions for the pulp and paper market in Brazil,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s process automation division. “By integrating electrical and automation systems on a single platform, we help to ensure quality, productivity and energy efficiency.”

Votorantim Celulose e Papel is one of the largest companies in Latin America’s pulp and paper sector, and the Votorantim Group is one of the largest private industrial conglomerates in the entire region. The company is a leading supplier of coated, carbonless copy, thermal, and other specialized paper types in Brazil. The pulp produced by VCP is made entirely from forests planted with eucalyptus, which is known for its sustainability and the high quality paper it produces.

—Edited by Peter Welander, process industries editor, PWelander@cfemedia.com , Control Engineering Weekly News