Mönsterås to stop for essential maintenance

“While we are aware that the the supply of softwood is already tight and it may not seem like ideal timing for our customers, this is something that we have to do for the long-term good of the mill and for legal reasons,” explains Magnus Björkman, Vice President Marketing and Sales, Södra Cell International.   

“We need to ensure the mill remains reliable, its production stable and productivity high,” adds Tobias Runesson, Mönsterås’ Production Manager. “We will do our best to minimize the stoppage time, which is why we will have up to 1,000 contractors per day on site, in addition to Södra’s own staff. Managing this number of people is a challenge in itself, as well as coordinating with Södra’s other mills to minimize customer disruption - which is why we have been planning this shutdown for the last two years.” 

As well as routine maintenance, the shutdown will include replacing parts of the recovery boiler and the high-pressure steam system, as well as installing a new chip bin.  Replacing the chip bin will be one of the most time-consuming projects during the shutdown, according to Runesson: “Preparation for dismantling is happening now and involves crane work, on-site construction and erection of scaffolding, all during full production until the day the mill shuts,” he comments. “In recent years the material in the chip bin and the surrounding system have been showing signs of exhaustion. This has caused a production shutdown several times for maintenance, thereby lowering overall production, which is why we are investing in a new one. With a new chip bin in place we will be better prepared for our future challenges.” 

The mill is scheduled to restart during week 41. Mönsterås has a capcity of 200,000 tpy of hardwood kraft pulp and 550,000 tpy of softwood but is predicted to be slightly under annual capacity in 2018. Although the stoppage will last 14 days, around 19 days of production will be lost in total as a result of the upgrade since the new equipment wil require checking and may not be running at full speed immediately.