Arctic Paper: Partnership in practice

“It has become quite standard practice to use enzymes in the tissue production process”, explains Ann Burman, Pulp Specialist/Application Manager at Novozymes, the world’s biggest producer and supplier of industrial enzymes. “But enzymes are still not commonly used in many other paper grades, despite their potential to enhance the refining process.”

When wood is left to degrade, the microbes in the fungi and bacteria growing on the wood excrete enzymes which help break down the cellulose, hemi-cellulose and extractives. Novozymes ferments and extracts selected pure enzymes which are fed back into the refining process as a catalyst to make the pulp easier to refine. They can be used repeatedly and are seen as a green and highly cost-effective addition to the process.

“Södra saw that we were refining our pulps too much,” says Mattias Wigelius, Production Manager at Arctic Paper. “The enzymes are another tool in the box, helping us to optimise our refining. In doing so, we save energy and therefore costs, and reduce maintenance. A more refined pulp also gives us enhanced strength properties and we are very pleased with the results so far. We will continue to work together with Södra and Novozymes to see what other advantages we can derive from this optimization process. We have now built a lot of knowledge between the three of us on how to make the most of Södra’s pulp in our processes.”