Digitalization and automation are crucial for a sustainable future

Imagine a world where the pulp and paper industry is more sustainable and resource-efficient. That’s the future the team at ABB is striving to create with end-to-end solutions. Our goal is to enable papermakers to produce more on-spec paper, efficiently, gaining better control of their operations.

Consider the power of automation and digital solutions. These are not simply technology solutions; they are a means to empower people. With these tools in place, mill operators can make more informed, data-driven decisions. For example, systems like ABB’s Quality Control System (QCS) measure and control the manufacturing process enabling mills to make corrective actions faster, shift production targets, and achieve more consistent performance, all while reducing energy consumption and minimizing waste.

In addition, the traditional way of gathering and testing paper samples is often a labor-intensive, time-consuming process that can lead to inaccuracies. But what if we could change that? With our automated paper testing systems, we’re reducing measurement uncertainty, test variability and increasing the number of samples per paper batch with accurate, repeatable quality reports delivered in minutes, not hours. ABB’s L&W Autoline handles everything from sample preparation to the final reel report, with minimal operator involvement. This means quicker, more accurate measurement and reporting of key paper properties. It also frees up personnel to focus more on quality optimization.

Our Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solutions automate the entire process and are currently running with many of the major paper makers. We even have successful applications in condition monitoring on electrification equipment. In short, we’re not just imagining a more efficient and sustainable future for the pulp and paper industry. We’re building it.

ABB’s commitment to sustainability is steadfast. It is at the heart of our technology and solutions, which are driving real progress, today. In the pulp and paper industry, we are supporting customers to make changes that not only have short term effects but long-term impact.

First and foremost, we are helping customers to produce more on-spec products with less energy, chemical and water consumption with innovation solutions such as our QCS and Advanced Process Control (APC) for pulp production. With these technologies in place, customers are creating less waste, which saves tons of discarded product and wasted energy. Our QCS can deliver an estimated 2% reduction in production losses, which can equate to a reduction of 1,100 tons of Co2e emissions for each machine, each year.

Our teams are also supporting customers to harness renewable energy at their sites and reduce their dependency on fossil fuels. We recently contributed to a major decarbonization effort at Vafos Pulp in Norway, to power its energy-intensive drying process with green electricity rather than fuel oil. Replacing the plant’s nine-megawatt oil-fired boiler with electric heaters will remove 14,000 tons a year of CO2 from its emissions into the atmosphere. Critical to the new plant design, are ten ABB DCT880 power controllers which manage the power supplied to the elements of the air heaters, ensuring efficient and optimized operations, and maintain a steady load that minimizes disruption to the local electricity grid.

For the longer term, we are actively engaged in industry collaborations to reshape the paper production process from the ground up. In March 2021, ABB became a founding member of Modellfabrik Papier, a consortium based in Germany that aims to enable climate-neutral paper production by 2045. Together with some of our customers and competitors we are pursuing research, with one of the focuses on making paper with far less water – itself a vital natural resource – and therefore requiring far less energy than is required for traditional drying. 

Digitalization and automation are crucial for a sustainable future, particularly in the energy-intensive paper industry. However, while the industry aims to achieve climate goals, it must do so while remaining competitive. Digital transformation and integrating IT and OT promises to optimize production and reduce energy consumption. ABB’s global experience with paper mills shows that it’s never too late to start or take the next step on this digital journey.

To achieve real progress in sustainability, mills must progressively leverage data, to augment operator’s capabilities and help mills make better and quicker decisions. As the industry embraces digitalization, the challenge lies in its optimal and secure utilization. The application of data analytics, AI, and machine learning to the increasing production data volume will transform improved visibility into actionable insights. This process enhances operational efficiency across the value chain, leading to superior products and profitability.

We are also exploring how digitalization will help bridge the growing skills gap in the industry by enabling less-experienced operators to operate equipment more effectively and efficiently, all while reducing the need for onsite technical support. Remote support and collaborative operations enable ABB to support customers’ service and maintenance needs with flexibility and a broader support network.

You’ll find technology from ABB at the heart of operations of many modern pulp and paper mills. We provide advanced libraries and software that act as the backbone of these operations, driving them to maximize reliability, productivity, and energy efficiency. But it’s not just about the present. It’s about envisioning the future. It’s a vision of heightened productivity, minimized waste, and safer mills. So, when you think of ABB, see us as more than just a technology provider. We’re a partner, shaping the future of the pulp and paper industry, one mill at a time.