OREANDA-NEWS. June 25, 2009. Mondi SLPK OJSC announced full exclusion of molecular chlorine from production cycle. In May 2009, this dangerous chemical was excluded from water preparation process, in June chlorine was announced to be completely excluded from Syktyvkar plant production cycle.

Now industrial water at the plant is disinfected using chlorine dioxide which is, unlike molecular chlorine, a safe substance both in dry and liquid form, as said in the company’s press release.

New water preparation technology is ‘softer’, more modern and automated, as said by chief environment officer of Mondi SLPK Sergey Tsyganov. ‘Modernization of waste water treatment plant at Mondi Syktyvkar started in the second half of 2008. New equipment was installed, chemical feed plant was automated, and communications were replaced. In the nearest future chlorine tanks will be replaced’, Tsyganov says.

Exclusion of molecular chlorine from water preparation represents the third stage of the company’s Environmental Service project. Molecular chlorine was also used earlier in bleaching pulp and fought bacteria in water taken from Vychegda river. The first stage of the program was carried out in 1995-2003, the company transferred hardwood bleached pulp production line to ECF (chlorine-free) technology. The total cost of the first stage was \\$22.1 million.

Mondi SLPK OJSC belongs to Mondi Group and produces paper and packaging. Located in Syktyvkar (Komi, Russia), the plant specializes in production of office and offset papers as well as newsprint, top liner and kraft liner for corrugated board. The plant’s share on the market of office and offset paper in Russia and CIS countries is about 40%.