The Finnish chemicals company has started to build a new sodium hypochlorite plant, which is expected to go online in January 2022. It is also finalizing the pre-engineering phase to hike capacity for polyaluminum chloride (PAC) at the same site. The extra output is due to be available in March 2022.

Sodium hypochlorite is a disinfectant used in water treatment processes in the pulp and paper and process industries, as well as in municipal water treatment. It is also a key component in certain paper industry deposit control technologies. PAC is a coagulant in raw water and wastewater treatment processes and additionally as a fixative in the paper and board industry.

The investments follow a May 2021 announcement from Kemira that it had initiated the pre-engineering phase for a multi-million investment to increase production of alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) sizing agents at Nanjing in Jiangsu province, China.

ASA sizing agents are used for improving water resistance in paper and board, including packaging solutions. Kemira regards itself as the leading producer and supplier of sizing agents in the Asia-Pacific market, adding that Nanjing is the world’s largest production site for ASA.

“The investment to a third production line in the modern and highly automated Nanjing site will further strengthen our leading position and enable us to even better supply the increasing demand for high quality sizing products,” said Alexander Wahl, director, global product line, sizing, adding that the project will take about two years once pre-engineering is completed.

Also in Asia, Kemira started up a new dry polymer production plant in Ulsan, South Korea, in May. The dry polyacrylamide (DPAM) products are used primarily for retention and drainage applications that Kemira said are critical in modern, fast paper and board production. The investment is a joint venture with Seoul-based Yongsan Chemicals.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist