Pulp production
Pulp cooking
Pulp production is one of the leading aspects of the company's activity. At the moment, the volume of the market pulp produced by mills in Koryazhma, Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk amounts to 65% of total market pulp production in Russia. The annual targeted programs are dedicated to improvement of various stages in the technological process of pulp production at the company's mills — from preparation of raw wood to packing of finished products. This approach results in increase of the products' quality, reduction of production costs and reduced impact on the environment. Moreover, considerable annual investments go directly into sewage treatment, dehydration and incineration of excess biological sludge.
In 2000, for the first time since the post-reform Russia, a modern system of ECF hardwood kraft pulp bleaching with a stage of oxygen alkali extraction and use of hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen at the alkaline washing stage was implemented at the Kotlas Pulp an Paper Mill (currently, the Branch of Ilim Group in Koryazhma). Cessation of the use of molecular chlorine and hypochlorite helped to increase the quality of bleached pulp, reduce the amount of organic chlorine compounds coming to waste water treatment facilities of the bleaching plant more than threefold and completely eliminate the formation of chloroform. The above contributed to improve the environment and reduce waste water treatment costs.
The mills are reducing consumption of fresh water and purchased energy supply both on the basis of the power-saving measures and increase of own heat production. For the purpose of incineration of practically all organic-containing waste, the company's bark boilers are converted to the use of the boiling layer technique.
Such an improvement of the technological processes has allowed for achievement of flows rated capacity and attainment of manufacturing efficiency. However, the technological concept itself based on the technical possibilities of 1960-70s, does not provide for a further increase in productivity nowadays and is an obstacle for further improvement of the environment. Hence, the company's growth strategy is closely connected with technical re-equipment of production facilities and implies large-scale investments over $2 billion over a seven-year period. This will help to improve quality parameters of pulp produced, increase pulp production volumes and continue to minimize the company's impact on the environment.