Francisco Razzolini Klabin S. A. Director of Industrial Technology, Innovation, Sustainability and Projects São Paolo, Brazil
For further information, please contact: Anke Hampel anke.hampel@ch.abb.com
At Klabin – a business with more than 120 years of history and a leader in the packaging paper and paper packaging segments in Brazil – environmental conservation lies at the heart of the company culture →01. In fact, some time ago, the company established itself as a world reference in sustainable development – using economic, social and environmental fundamentals as a guide for its business right throughout its supply and production chain →02.
The Klabin Agenda 2030
Reinforcing its commitment to sustainability, the company launched, in 2020, the Klabin Agenda 2030, which has goals based on priority themes to orient performance and growth strategies toward economic development, environmental sustainability and social justice. The Klabin Objectives for Sustainable Development (KODS) form a set of short-, medium- and long-term goals within the Klabin Agenda 2030 that are aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda [1]. These goals prioritize the transparency of environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects that are fundamental to the company and society in general – for example, the use of energy and water, carbon management, availability of wood, waste management and the development of people and communities where the company operates. Compliance with the objectives can be monitored through the ESG panel on the Klabin website [2].
Four decades of collaboration with ABB
Klabin’s investments in the development of new products from renewable sources are substantial →03. The company’s driving force in this area positively influences stakeholders so that they, too, pay attention to the importance of sustainability to the planet’s future. There is no way to go about the advancement of the Klabin Agenda 2030 without the adoption of innovative technologies. Many of the results achieved by Klabin in its quest to offer increasingly sustainable solutions to its customers and to improve operational efficiency in its production processes were made possible by the support of several technology providers that work side by side, delivering tools in line with business needs. One example is the long-standing partnership with ABB, which started in 1980 on the most diverse fronts and in different industrial units, aiming to maximize results and optimize resources through solutions relevant to the reality of the pulp and paper industry.
Quality control with ABB
Klabin has 22 factories in Brazil and one in Argentina, producing cellulose pulp, paper, recycled paper, corrugated containers and industrial bags. Some units operate under the most advanced principles of industrial automation, using modern tools that guarantee process optimization. For example, ABB’s quality control system (QCS) reduces variations in moisture and basis weight in produced paper and cellulose, allowing uniformity and suitable parameter profiles in both the machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD) →04. Precision sensing and tight MD/CD control reduce losses and decrease the consumption of raw materials, water, energy and chemicals. Full ABB service support and continuous updates of the latest control algorithms and sensor technology ensures the highest level of performance is maintained. In short, the QCS is a fundamental element in pulp and paper production that directly contributes to the achievement of sustainability goals.
Distributed control in Klabin
The QCS fits into the plant-wide ABB distributed control system (DCS) in each Klabin factory. The DCS manages, orchestrates and controls the complex production processes via multiple autonomous controllers distributed throughout the network that communicate and coordinate with each other to perform specific tasks. The automatic control mentioned above, working through the DCS, allows high stability and quality in production processes. Any process deviation is automatically detected and examined by experienced ABB technicians, who can access all relevant data. Such full-time, personalized support for Klabin provides stability during operations and gives peace of mind to machine operators. This level of scrutiny means that typical machine uptime is over 99 percent, which makes it possible to produce a ton of packaging paper in an impressive 29 s.
Power distribution and motor control
Klabin also uses ABB electrical energy management and power distribution systems that allow for selectivity in resource allocation, comprehensive monitoring and intelligent management of faults →05-06. For example, in Klabin’s Puma unit at Ortigueira →01, 03, an energy management system (EMS) brings stability to the network that powers the sophisticated automation infrastructure. Operating directly in the power generation plant, the EMS enables efficient use of electrical power and organizes all relevant data under one umbrella to support preventive maintenance teams.
Clean electricity is produced by steam generated by Klabin’s black liquor boilers and biomass, which enables Klabin not only to be energy self-sufficient at the Puma Unit but also to supply over 800,000 MWh annually to Brazil’s power grid – further promoting sustainability. The EMS facilitates the sale of this excess electricity into the grid on a spot basis to obtain the best tariff.
ABB also supplied multidrives, a coupled control system and electric motors at the Puma Unit (one of the most advanced pulp mills in the world), including for the two new paper machines of the Puma II Project →07.
In Telêmaco Borba, in southern Brazil, an ABB electrical and automation system helped Klabin to expand its paperboard production by 50 percent. Liquid packaging board (LPB) is a specialty of this plant and the installation of the equipment helped Klabin become one of the global leaders in products for packaging liquids. Similar ABB power and automation technologies are at work in other Klabin paper mills, collaborating every day to improve production efficiency, thus making it increasingly sustainable →08-10.
Continuously improving sustainability
There are many reasons why the partnership between ABB and Klabin has flourished over the past four decades, moving from a world almost entirely analogue in the last century to the countless possibilities opened up by digitalization and other technologies today. It is noticeable how Klabin moved forward decisively with the support of ABB, abandoning obsolete processes that made sense in the past to seek the innovation and technology essential for advancing sustainable development – especially with regard to the reduction of carbon emissions and the rational and strategic use of raw materials and utilities, such as water and energy.
In 1985, the installation of a new continuous digester for the production of unbleached pulp pioneered Klabin’s use of a DCS, the first step of digitalization. The supplier was ABB. The partnership of more than four decades with ABB demonstrates, through concrete examples, that the green economy is within reach and is a reality. Klabin will continue to invest in cutting-edge innovative technologies for a more sustainable future, with the support of companies that have the same goals.
References
[1] United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” Available: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda#:~:text=We%20resolve%2C%20between%20now%20and,protection%20of%20the%20planet%20and [Accessed March 26, 2023.]
[2] Klabin, “ASG Panel.” Available: https://esg.klabin.com.br/agenda-2030-desempenho-2020-das-metas/ [Accessed March 26, 2023.]
[3] S&P Global, “The Sustainability Yearbook 2023. "Available: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/yearbook/. [Accessed July 2, 2023.]
