OREANDA-NEWS. On November 28, 2007 Chairperson of Board of Directors of North-West Timber Company I.V.Bitkova reported at the 12-th Annual Adam Smith Conference in Vienna. The theme of the report was “Reconstruction and Development of NWTC Group of Enterprises”, reported the press-centre of North-West Timber Company.
 
Irina Bitkova presented the project for creation of state-of-the-art pulp-and-paper mills on the basis of the old ones. The project is being implemented by NWTC from 2004.

“At present the productive capacity of Neman Pulp-and-Paper Mill (the Kaliningrad region) and Kamennogorsk Offset Paper Mill (the Leningrad region) is 60 % renewed. The start-up of the new paper factory, introduction of TCF-beaching technology and waste-paper recycling plant; the transfer of the enterprises to natural gas, the building of the bark boiler, and the other realized projects have made it possible to enhance significantly the productive capacity along with the saving of raw materials and resources, and we decreased the adverse influence on the environment as well”, Irina Bitkova emphasized.

The Chairperson of Board of Directors of NWTC confirmed the financial viability of the project by figures. The production of pulp just for two months after the start-up of the new department has increased by 5,45 thousand tones (18,4 %) in comparison with 2006. The production of paper of all kinds increased by 24,7 thousand tones (81,2 %) after the start-up of Paper factory # 3 from December to September, 2007; the production of offset paper increased by 11,47 thousand tones (112,1 %) for the same period. The production of cut-size office paper increased by 6,5 thousand tones in October, 2007-- just for 30 days after the new line start-up. The revenues of the NWTC Group increased by 58 % since 2005.

Moreover the electric power consumption decreased by 12 %, the steam consumption – by 36 %. The consumption of timber for production of 1 tone of paper has decreased by 1,5 cubic meters, and the water consumption – by 300 cubic meters. The discharges to the air and water are close to the requirements not only of the Russian environmental legislature but the standards of EC as well.

In the nearest 4 years we will complete modernization of Neman PPM and Kamennogorsk Offset Paper Mill. Thus, on the place of prewar plant buildings the modern ecologically clean mills with good working conditions will appeare. Next year our enterprise will continue to increase the production output. We will achieve 120 % in comparison with the level of 2007, and toward 2010 we will increase the production by 100 % more ”, Irina Bitkova said.

She described in details the future projects that will be implemented in Neman. Those are the building of the own printing plant that will service Neman PPM and Kamennogorsk factory; the start-up of production of dry commercial lignosulfonates; the building of the first stage of waste water treatment plant that will be the joint project of NPPM and the city of Neman. “Now we are beginning to build one more paper factory at NPPM. We plan also a reconstruction of wood-handling department, the building of the second bark boiler, the installation of cogeneration plant, the modernization of the cooking department. The implementation of all these projects will make it possible for us to become a leader in the relevant segments of the market namely the office and offset papers, greaseproof and waterproof papers, the wall base paper, and the paper-stationary goods as well,” the Chairperson of Board of Directors of NWTC emphasized.