Major plant engineering commission for Fimpec in Valmet’s Shotton project
Valmet will deliver Old Corrugated Container (OCC), stock preparation and containerboard lines to Eren Paper’s Shotton Mill in the UK. Fimpec is in charge of plant engineering for the OCC area, stock preparation and machine line, and under separate commissions, engineering for the chemical section’s and the machine line’s small piping.
Fimpec and Valmet have agreed on a comprehensive plant engineering commission concerning OCC, stock preparation and containerboard lines (PM3), which Valmet will deliver to Eren Paper’s Shotton Mill in the UK. Fimpec’s commission covers engineering for four areas.
In the project, Fimpec is in charge of plant engineering for the OCC area, stock preparation and board machine line, and under separate commissions, engineering for the chemical section’s and the machine line’s small piping. The tasks include process, plant, steel structure, automation and process ventilation engineering.
An engineering contract involving thousands of work hours
“This is a major project for Fimpec and it will employ several dozen people in the coming year. At its peak, as many as 50 people will be carrying out engineering tasks. Overall, the project will entail tens of thousands of hours of work,” estimates Director Harri Soininen, who serves as Fimpec’s project manager on the Shotton project.
The engineering work is being carried out in Fimpec’s various locations. While the main focus is on Kouvola, the project also employs engineers in other offices, for instance, in Turku and Jyväskylä.
“We have organised the project with the goal of keeping the engineering organisation clear and efficient. The chemical section and small piping engineering are being carried out as individual projects, naturally taking advantage of synergy benefits. Kai Kuoppa is in charge of the chemical section project, while small piping is headed by Mika Eväsoja. For me, this is an interesting return to a major paper mill project after a long time – and to a familiar mill no less. In the meantime, I have been part of some other pulp mill projects,” recounts Soininen.
A continuation of Valmet’s and Fimpec’s long-term collaboration
The engineering work related to the Shotton project is a continuation of Valmet’s and Fimpec’s long-standing collaboration. Over the past few decades, Fimpec has contributed to plant engineering on several of Valmet’s projects.
“Commissioning plant engineering from Fimpec was a natural continuation of similar projects we have worked on in the past. We have always worked well together,” says Senior Project Manager Petri Aspholm of Valmet.
“From our perspective here at Fimpec, when working on this and past projects, it has been great to witness the engineering synergies that emerge between us. The expertise and knowledge of both parties come together effectively in project development. Good team spirit is another important aspect. Projects are seen through as a team effort,” says Soininen. He further points out that the mill area itself is familiar to Fimpec employees.
“We have been carrying out projects for the Shotton Mill since the 1990s, so we know the area well. That experience is yet another one of our advantages in carrying out this commission,” Soininen says.
UK’s largest and most technologically advanced
The new containerboard line will make Shotton the largest and most technologically advanced paper mill in the UK. The OCC, stock preparation and containerboard line order to be delivered by Valmet includes extensive automation systems, services and IoT solutions. The new containerboard line (PM3) will produce high-quality and speciality board grades and use 100% recycled paper. The mill is scheduled to start up in 2024.
The board machine’s wire width will be over 10 metres, and it will produce testliner and fluting grades with a basis weight range of 70–135 g/m2. The machine’s design speed will be 1,800 m/min and annual capacity approximately 700,000 tonnes.
More information on the Shotton project and the technical details of the delivery can be found in Valmet’s press release, published on 4 May 2022
Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Valmet employs 17,000 professionals.
Established in 1969, Eren Holding is a family run conglomerate headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. It has business interests in paper, packaging, cement, energy, retail and port operations. Eren Paper’s Shotton Mill Limited is part of Eren Holding.
Fimpec is a leading specialist in the field of project management and engineering. We act as project consultants in major investment projects in the industrial and energy industries, and as experts in the real estate and infrastructure sectors. In 2021, our turnover was EUR 30.3 million and we employ more than 350 top experts in Finland and abroad.
