Belarus to start producing coated and uncoated board

MINSK, 14 June (BelTA) – Belarus will set up production of coated and uncoated board in the near future, BelTA learnt from Chairman of Bellesbumprom Concern Vladimir Shulga.

A contract was signed with China’s Xuan Yuan Group on the turnkey construction of the board production facility at the Dobrush paper mill Geroi Truda with the capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year. The new facility will reduce to zero the import of coated and uncoated board and satisfy the domestic demand in the products. This board is used for making packages in the food and light industry, healthcare and the printing industry.

This investment project will be export-oriented, as the demand for these products in Russia alone is estimated at one million tonnes per year. The board is made from bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTP) which will be produced from local materials (aspen and birch pulpwood). This will be the only production of this kind in the post-Soviet space.

Vladimir Shulga informed that the Dobrush-based paper mill was affiliated with Belarusian Wallpaper two years ago. The company reached its 100% capacity for the first time in many years. In April an office paper production line was installed there. Besides, the company will upgrade papermaking machine No. 7, which is expected to double the manufacture of wallpaper and offset paper.

Shklov Newsprint Mill is set to roll out paper for decorative finishing materials. This production is new to Belarus. The project is estimated at ?60 million. The demand for these products will rise following the commissioning of chipboard and fiberboard production facilities (Belarus is to open three plants to produce chipboard, four to manufacture fiberboard and one to make insulating fiberboard by 2013). Part of the products will be exported.