Sonae Arauco successfully starts up the world’s first fiberboard industrial scale recycling line – supplied by ANDRITZ

The new line enables efficient transformation of fiberboard recycling material into reusable fibers for the production of new MDF/HDF panels. At the core of this innovation is the ANDRITZ Steam-Ex system, the pretreatment process equipment based on steam explosion, to defiber fiberboard material most effectively. The process equipment enables continuous, energy-efficient operation while ensuring outstandingly low steam consumption. This results in an overall higher level of yield relative to other fiberboard recycling processes.

During commissioning, the ANDRITZ recycling system demonstrated strong performance, producing fibers with the expected quality within a short start-up period. This confirmed the effectiveness of the Steam-Ex based pretreatment process.

“We are proud to implement this innovative recycling line at industrial scale,” said Paulo Pinto de Sousa, Industrial Strategy, Technology & Projects Director at Sonae Arauco. “ANDRITZ proved to be a reliable and agile partner throughout the project – responding quickly to our needs, adapting to the challenges of a brownfield installation, and maintaining a collaborative and professional approach from start to finish.”

Simon Irnleitner, Project Manager at ANDRITZ, added: “This project is a major milestone in our fiber board recycling business, and we are honored to support Sonae Arauco in setting a new industry standard. The successful start-up of this pioneering industrial scale line demonstrated the strength of the ANDRITZ Steam-Ex process equipment and our commitment to sustainable innovation.”

This achievement reinforces Sonae Arauco’s leadership in sustainable wood-based panelboard production and confirms ANDRITZ’s position as a global leader in fiberboard production technology.

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ANDRITZ GROUP
International technology group ANDRITZ provides advanced plants, equipment, services, and digital solutions for a wide range of industries, including pulp and paper, metals, hydropower, environmental, and others. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in Austria, the publicly listed group employs about 30,000 people at 280 locations in over 80 countries.

As a global leader in technology and innovation, ANDRITZ is committed to fostering progress that benefits customers, partners, employees, society, and the environment. The company’s growth is driven by sustainable solutions enabling the green transition, advanced digitalization for highest industrial performance, and comprehensive services that maximize the value of customers’ plants over their entire life cycle. ANDRITZ. FOR GROWTH THAT MATTERS.

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER
ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper provides sustainable technology, automation, and service solutions for the production of all types of pulp, paper, board and tissue. The technologies and services focus on increased production efficiency, lower overall operating costs as well as innovative decarbonization strategies and autonomous plant operation.

The product portfolio also includes boilers for power generation, various nonwoven technologies, and panelboard (MDF) production systems. With waste-to-value recycling, shredding and energy solutions, waste and by-product streams from production are converted into valuable secondary raw materials as well as into sustainable resources for energy generation. State-of-the-art IIoT technologies as part of Metris digitalization solutions complete the comprehensive product offering.