Recent Investments: K6 Project

The ‘K6 Project” at Kemsley Mill represents one of the most significant investments in UK papermaking for many years. The primary focus of the rebuild which took place in 2008 was the launch of the UK’s first high quality recycled lightweight paper – K-light. But as can be seen below, there were many other benefits as well.

Heavyweight investment in lightweight paper

The total amount of the investment at Kemsley in 2008 was £104 million effectively doubling the size of the St Regis plant.

£67 million of this was spent on the acquisition from M-real of New Thames Paper Mill, which shared the Kemsley site, as well as the 50% balance of Grovehurst Energy Limited, the on site energy and services supplier, not already owned by DS Smith.

This left £37 million to modify Kemsley’s facilities. This large project can be broken down into three main areas:

  • Installation of a new high-specification stock preparation plant to supply the feedstock required for this production
  • Modification of M-real’s fine paper machine (PM6) to enable it to produce around 260,000 tonnes per annum of high-quality lightweight recycled CCM
  • Other infrastructure improvements including improvements to storage areas and the waste yard.

Installing the stock preparation plant

To be able to make a strong but light paper, it was essential to put in place the very latest technology for producing high quality pulp. We now have at Kemsley one of the most technically advanced stock preparation plants in Europe. It incorporates highly sophisticated fractionation, screening and reject handling processes. The result is that the only fibres which make it through all the different filters are perfectly suitable to give the paper the right amount of strength and consistency. The massive high density storage towers and pulper dump chest are a sight to behold! (See pic)

Modifying the paper machine

The original M-real machine was capable of producing fine papers for the stationery market. The modifications made by St Regis are designed to retain this machine’s high level of control over paper quality, but now with a CCM lightweight paper.

PM6, as the machine is known, has been equipped with an entire new press section designed to support the sheet fully, minimising breaks and improving dryness across the sheet for better runnability on the corrugators. The wire table has been upgraded and the pre-dryers, size press, after dyers and reel up equipment has been rebuilt. The end result is a 6.9 metre wide machine capable of producing just under a kilometre of high quality lightweight paper every minute.

Infrastructure improvements

One major environmental benefit of the new investment is that recycling on the Kemsley site will increase by over 30%. A new storage area has been prepared to accommodate the waste paper delivered by our sister company, Severnside.

What’s more, the full ownership of Grovehurst Energy is expected to lead to improvements in energy efficiency and the use of alternative energy sources. Enhancement of the site’s existing combined heat and power and waste-to-energy facilities will further reduce the site’s environmental impact.

Add to all this new warehousing, a state-of-the-art effluent plant and advanced de-inking facilities and you can see why Kemsley has become the UK’s most modern and efficient papermaking plant.