Faced with increasing demand for top-quality digital-ready fine papers, APRIL Group is building its third paper mill facility in Pangkalan Kerinci site in Riau Province in Indonesia. The APRIL Group, founded by well-known Indonesian entrepreneur, Sukanto Tanoto, started its pulp and paper business in 1993 with the first plantation and mill established in Kerinci. It is now one of the largest and most technologically advanced pulp and paper producers in the world, and its paper products are exported to 75 countries all over the world.

For this new paper mill facility, known as PM3, APRIL Group will be utilising Valmet’s OptiConcept M as the engineering solution. Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. OptiConcept M is Valmet’s modular board and paper making concept, which enables significant savings in energy, water and raw material usage. Using this machine enhances APRIL Group's commitment to operate the mill on the principles of “lean manufacturing”, which results in efficient practices in the use of energy and water and in minimising emissions.

"This technology investment increases our ability to meet the growing global demand for premium PaperOne products, APRIL Group's flagship paper brand. The deployment will enable new product diversification in response to consumer demand for high-value digital paper products in particular," says Tony Wenas, Managing Director of APRIL Group Indonesia Operations.

Upon commissioning, expected to be in the third quarter of 2016, the state-of-the-art new machine will produce woodfree uncoated paper grades in the basis weight range of 40-120 g/m2, using 100% plantation fibre from existing sources. This new machine will yield approximately 900 tonnes per day, which increases APRIL Group’s production capacity from the existing 820,000 tonnes to 1,150,000 tonnes per year.

Read more about APRIL Group’s Paper Mill Facility from inside-rge.