SCG PAPER OPENS NEW PAPER PRODUCTION LINE

SCG PAPER OPENS NEW PAPER PRODUCTION LINE LOCAL AND OVERSEAS PRINT AND WRITING PAPER MARKET TARGETED Innovative production technology helps minimize resource consumption and environmental impact


SCG Paper celebrates the official opening of its latest state-of-the-art and environmental friendly Bt7.3 billion production line for its premium print and copy paper at Khon Kaen plant. With 200,000 tonnes per annum production capacity, the new production line will enable SCG Paper to better meet significantly increasing local and overseas market demand for the premium printing and writing paper and gain stronger ground in the regional market.

This new paper production line is located at Phoenix Pulp and Paper Plant in Khon Kaen province. It produces uncoated printing and writing paper, including pound and offset paper for high quality printing (Offset PRO) and premium quality paper for copying machine. The product has superior whiteness, opacity, smoothness and stiffness.

Mr. Kan Trakulhoon, President and CEO, Siam Cement Group (SCG), said after chairing the official opening of the new production line, “SCG strongly commits to operating sustainable business and environment protection. We seriously introduce environmental management measures in our entire production process and services, natural resource rehabilitation, environmentally friendly product and service research and development, and public activities to promote cooperation in environment preservation. All these form the core of our corporate social responsibility practice. And, all these can be achieved successfully only when everyone works closely together like what we see today.”

Mr. Chaovalit Ekabut, President of SCG Paper, said, “The uncoated printing and writing paper market, especially offset paper and paper for copying machine, has been growing dramatically at 6-8% per annum during the past couple of years. Despite weak demand for premium printing and writing paper at present due to economic recession, we expect the market demand to resume and grow in the future.”

SCG Paper won approval from the board of directors and shareholders in 2006 to make Bt7.3 billion investment in this printing and writing paper production project. With 200,000 tonnes per annum production capacity, the facility mainly produces premium printing and writing paper for domestic market and some will be exported to the region. The construction started in 2007 followed by machine installation and test-run in 2008. The official opening of the production line commences in April 2009.

The project won promotional privileges, including tax exemption on imported machineries and other tax incentives, from the Board of Investment (BOI).

The latest global technology for producing uncoated printing and writing paper has been deployed at the facility in order to produce high quality products in terms of opacity, smoothness, whiteness and stiffness.

In addition, the latest technology and production process significantly save a lot of natural resources used, reduce water consumption in the entire production process by 30-50%, and significantly reduce energy consumption. This mill integrates pulp production and paper production processes together, resulting in signification reduction in energy consumed in paper drying and raw material transportation.

The plant also use recycle waste to produce alternative energy for the production process. For example, biomass from pulp production and sewage treatment system is used for producing energy to replace coals. Such biomass is for example, bark, dust and sediment from sewage treatment system. This is not only a way to maximize the use of natural resources but also an elimination of landfill according to SCG’s Zero Landfill policy.