Tissuemaking Thrives In The Negev Desert

 

“Innovative stock preparation, combined with conservation advances in water and energy, puts us at a high level of tissuemaking.” - Pesach Bernat, CEO, Shaniv Paper

Reducing fresh water consumption always represents cost savings for pulp mills, but when you are located in the Negev desert in Southern Israel, it’s an imperative.

 

For this reason Shaniv Paper has progressively closed water loops and reduced fresh water consumption. Fresh water now costs Euro 1.3 per cubic meter, and is continuously on the rise. Even worse, discharging mill process water can be costly due to lost chemicals and valuable fibers that can be reused in the process.

 

To reduce its fresh water consumption, Shaniv selected a fine filtration and high solids removal unit, the Kadant PETAX fine filtration system, which operates continuously to filter particles as small as 1-20 microns.

 

The PETAX filtration system is capable of processing up to 240 m3/hr of water with suspended solids in the range of 100-2000 mg/l. In operation, suspended solids in the filtrate are typically less than 20 mg/l without the use of chemical flocculants.

 

Comments mill manager Avi Hayun, “Recycling of white water on the tissue machine includes the high-pressure showers on the wires and felts.  Already at over 30% savings in water consumption, we are striving to do even better.”

 

Shaniv’s Stock Is Up Too

Based upon a strategic decision to increase its share of the premium level tissue market, Shaniv Paper upgraded the stock preparation system for their PM 2 crescent former which uses up to 100% recycled fiber. Shaniv’s new stock preparation system concept from Kadant integrates compact, high-consistency pulping and a coarse screening system with a high-consistency cleaner and fine screening system.

 

Says Pesach Bernat, CEO of Shaniv Paper, “Employing recycled fiber to make high-end brands gives us a competitive advantage. Our innovative stock preparation for PM 2, combined with conservation advances in water and energy, puts us at an industry high level of tissuemaking.”

 

Continues Hayun, “Another way to see our success is to know that we increased end product cleanliness, softness and brightness, while increasing the yield from our raw material and reducing operating costs.”

 

 

Comments Shalom Lax, a Shaniv board member and director, “With Israel not being widely known as a tissue making center, we needed partners who had the process know-how, technology, and courage to take up our challenge.  Kadant responded to our needs right from the start, and has delivered high value in fiber processing equipment and water and energy management.”

 

Additional details on Shaniv Paper thriving in the desert are available in the March 2010 issue of Pulp & Paper International.