Mass Media Overview
Segezha Group launches new production in Sokol
18.12.2020 08:29
https://segezha-group.com/
A ceremony to start up a new production of technical powdered lignosulphonates took place on 10 August 2020 at PJSC Sokol PPM (Segezha Group, part of PJSC Sistema). President of Segezha Group Mikhail Shamolin and the Vologda region Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov took part in the ceremony.
The project started last April. It was implemented on schedule; all works were completed on time. The unit capacity is 21 thousand tons p.a. 350 million rubles were invested.
The production process runs continuously, 24/7. The process control was fully automated. Technical powdered lignosulphonates are produced from liquid lignosulphonates. In their turn, these lignosulphonates are by-products of the pulp production process. When they are dried in a special drying unit, natural gas is used as a heating agent. Advanced environmental technologies are used to support the process. The pollution control equipment will filter out 97% of solid particles contained in the heating agent. Additional purification of the heating agent in a bag filter will allow the highest possible parameters to be attained. Given that the drying unit now utilizes pulp production by-products in a more efficient manner, the plant will make another important step towards creating a closed loop production and reduce the impact of the plant on the environment.
New production facility will allow the company to come into the market, including international market, with a high-end product having high added value. Transportation of dry lignosulphonate has some particular advantages compared to liquid lignosulphonate. This factor will be conductive to further growth of the company’s competitiveness. Powdered lignosulphonate can be used for multiple purposes; marketing perspectives are very promising. Lignosulphonates are used for production of black carbon, in the oil industry, foundry engineering, cement production, civil construction, production of particleboards, fiberboards and mineral wood boards as well as in road construction.
For the local community, the successful implementation of the project means that another 20 vacancies will be created and regional fiscal charges will be increasing.
While making his speech at the ceremony, Mikhail Shamolin said: “Let me express my gratitude to regional authorities and personally to Oleg Kuvshinnikov, Governor of the region, for their support and constructive cooperation on the project. Without this, such projects would be impossible. We are running two plants in the region - Sokol WP and Sokol PPM. The decision has been made quite recently on investing three billion rubles into production of cross-laminated timber at Sokol WP. We are expecting the production will have been started by the end of this year. In five months, we have created facilities to produce dry lignosulphonates, these are our further regular investments to turn Sokol PPM, which used to be a loss-maker, into the state-of-the-art, developing plant, where production output is growing and new jobs are emerging. We have great plans for expanding production at the plant. Serious discussions are taking place on the construction of a new paper-making machine with a capacity of 80 thousand tons. If the project is approved - I hope this will happen by the end of this month, - then the unit, being put into operation today, will be the first out of four similar units that we will construct to process by-products of pulp production - liquid lignosulphonate”.
Oleg Kuvshinnikov, the Governor of the Vologda region, noted: “I am glad that new jobs are being created, funds are being allocated for environmental activities and treatment facilities. Here, we see that social responsibility of business is not limited only to making new products, but extends further to mitigating the impact on the environment. I wish the company continued success in its operations and further production of highly demanded products. I hope that the Segezha Group management will continue investing into production development and will not remain complacent”.