COMPETENCE IN PAPER

Newsletter

May 2021

From the office

Dear members and friends of ZELLCHEMING,

Exciting times are ahead for all of us. We are working at full speed on our digital projects. You received the invitation to this year's online general meeting on 08 June 2021 by mail last week. In the coming weeks, our technical committees will present their work in recorded interviews and present them at the ZELLCHEMING Virtual Days. The Virtual Days platform is growing. Many companies have already decided to participate and the program is available online now.

ZELLCHEMING Virtual Days: Start of the hot phase in the 2021 federal election year

Annalena Baerbock is the Green Party's candidate for chancellor in the 2021 federal election. For many, she is still a bit of a blank slate. But one thing is certain: This woman is likely to shape German politics after the election in September. She has been the federal chairwoman of BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN since 2018 and a member of the German Bundestag since 2013. Annalena Baerbock studied political science and law in Hamburg and London, worked in Strasbourg and Brussels, and now lives in Brandenburg.

It is not yet clear what Baerbock's nomination will mean for the paper industry. There is a reference to coffee-to-go cups in the election program: according to the party's ideas, these are to be abolished by 2025 in favor of reusable cups.

Anna-Lena Baerbock, candiate for chancellor, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen

One thing is certain: Baerbock is in the process of giving herself a profile as an analyst and pro-European: "I want us not just to scratch the surface, but to go into the depths of the issues. That creates the basis for new solutions," she says in a statement. "Now begins the crucial decade in which the European economy must reinvent itself and embark on the path to a climate-neutral mode of production. Policymakers must now do everything they can to ensure that sustainability becomes a European model for success."

Mona Neubaur, State Chairwoman of the Green Party in North Rhine-Westphalia

We are pleased that we were able to win Mona Neubaur, state chairwoman of the Green Party in North Rhine-Westphalia, for the ZELLCHEMING Virtual Days. She will participate in the panel discussion "Keystone of bioeconomy: paper-, board- and fiber-based products with a future" and answer questions from our industry.

Stop by on June 09 and 10, 2021 - we look forward to seeing you!

Until then stay optimistic and healthy!

Yours,

Petra Hanke

From industry & society

Significant progress in sustainability

The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) has published its biennial Sustainability Progress Report, which highlights progress in seven key areas of sustainability.

ICFPA serves as a forum for global dialogue, coordination and collaboration among 18 pulp, paper, wood and fiber industry associations from 28 countries.

Key advances in sustainability performance indicators include:

• In 2019, 52.6% of wood fiber procured came from certified sustainably managed forests, an increase of 41% (since 2000)   
• Greenhouse gas emissions intensity decreased by 21% (since 2000)
• The energy share of biomass and other renewable fuels increased to 64.9%
  (+ 12% since 2004/2005)
• The intensity of sulfur dioxide emissions from on-site combustion sources decreased by 77% (since 2004/2005)
• Intensity of water consumption decreased by 12.5% (since 2000)
• Investments in health and safety measures led to a 30% reduction in the global accident rate (since 2006/2007), dropping to 2.88 per 100 employees annually
• In 2019, 59.1% of paper and board consumed globally was used by mills to make new products, representing a 12.6% increase in the global recycling rate since 2000

Massive capacity reduction in the graphic paper sector

This is a hard hit for the paper industry: Stora Enso is preparing massive graphic paper capacity closures. The group announced that it plans to permanently close down pulp and paper production at its Kvarnsveden mill in Sweden and its Veitsiluoto mill in Finland. The planned closures would take place during Q3 and directly affect 670 employees in Finland and 440 in Sweden.

“Paper demand in Europe has declined for over a decade. This trend has further accelerated due to the [coronavirus] pandemic, which has led to changes in consumer behavior,” Stora Enso said in a statement. “As a consequence, there is significant overcapacity in the European paper market, which has resulted in historically low-price levels and challenged the cost-competitiveness of many paper mills. Both the Kvarnsveden and Veitsiluoto mills are loss-making, and their profitability is expected to remain unsatisfactory also going forward,” the group added.

The planned mill closures would reduce Stora Enso’s paper production capacity by 35% to 2.6 million tonnes/yr.

From the membership

Innovation from Drewsen Spezialpapiere

Sustainability and environmentally friendly packaging solutions are increasingly influencing our everyday lives. In addition, brand owners, consumers and legislation are demanding a reduction in plastic consumption. Drewsen is one of the companies focusing on developing new grades that can replace plastic. Having already launched new PFAS-free greaseproof papers and paper for the production of paper drinking straws, the company is now following up with a sealable paper under the name Proseal that seals well with ultrasonic or high-speed heat sealing equipment.

According to the manufacturer, the excellent sealability is achieved by a water-based dispersion coating on one side. Due to its excellent properties, Proseal is said to be easily processed in existing packaging production lines. The consistently high quality is said to ensure trouble-free processing and application.

Proseal was developed for ultrasonic or high-speed heat sealing processes

ZELLCHEMING Member Companies

For more than 30 years, Tony Lückenotto of Lückenotto Consulting has been involved in the production and processing of web materials. One offers customers in the DACH region and in BeNeLux rolls and coatings, spreader rolls, tensioning and winding systems, hydraulic cylinders and services from a single source.

Questions to Tony Lückenotto:

• What role does the paper, pulp or fiber-based industry play for you/your company?
   "It is my most important customer group. I am at home in both manufacturing and converting. I also serve customers in, for example, the plastic film industry, general engineering, or even nonwovens, but based on my professional experience, my main focus is on paper and board manufacturing and converting."
• What made you decide to become a member of ZELLCHEMING?
  "I have known the association for a long time. With my former family business (Lüraflex GmbH Gerhard Lückenotto, Neuss), I have already participated as an exhibitor at the Expo in Wiesbaden and before that in Baden-Baden. I was also always present at the Expo as a sales engineer in my work for the company Voith Paper, Heidenheim. Becoming a member of the association is a great opportunity to maintain, intensify and establish new contacts. Contacts only hurt those who don't have them. The association is known for its good networking."
• In what way would you like to contribute to ZELLCHEMING?
  "I would like to contribute my experience and my network, e.g. by actively participating in the individual working groups. I have a lot of know-how around the promotion of web-based materials and have a large network of good contacts, so I am sure I can give the association a positive input."

We welcome the new ZELLCHEMING member:

• Matthias Walter

From the technical committees

Meeting Dates

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the next technical committee meetings will be held virtually:

• Technical Committee Chemical Additives (CHAD) - June 10,2021

Job opportunity

Teamlead Continuous Improvement Manager Pulp (f/m/d)

 The full job description is available here here.

Help shape the success of the Lenzing Group and apply electronically at: http://www.lenzing.com/de/karriere oder by e-mail to Mag. Johann Kogler.

Young Talents Promotion

To Sweden and back

Supported by a grant from the Hellmuth-Müller-Clemm-Foundation Rosario Othen was able to work on his master thesis "Prediction of paperboard properties and their variability based on raw material and process data" in Iggesund at Holmen AB. Mr. Othen was supervised by Hannes Vomhoff, among others.

Mr. Othen was also able to get to know the country and its people during his semester abroad.

At the end of October he and a friend made a smaller road trip: Iggesund - Sundsvall - Skulleberget - Umeå - Hölick - Blacksås Mountain - Järvsö - Hudiksvall - Söderhamn. The highlights for him were ascent and view from Skulleberget, the beautiful towns of Sundsvall and Umeå and the mystical nature around Blacksås Mountain. He even got to see moose there!

Shortly after the Christmas season, Mr. Othen then took a "somewhat longer" road trip. Stops were: Abisko - Kiruna - Luleå - Umeå - Sundsvall - Uppsala - Stockholm. Rosario Othen: "Intention of this trip was to see the legendary northern lights, which unfortunately did not work out. Nevertheless, the nature up in the north of Sweden is something between "fabulously beautiful" to "almost surreal". In Kiruna we spent the night in a camp, which is located directly at a lake. In this lake there is a sauna. The lake was frozen. Sauna plus ice bathing - WOW! The same evening we also went on a husky sledge ride, the sledge was pulled by nine huskies. Comment: A "submontane pulling off" is possible without any problems. This again was a wonderful, probably unique, life experience! I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Hellmuth-Müller-Clemm-Foundation and the ZELLCHEMING Association for providing me with a scholarship to do my final thesis in Sweden."

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