With capacity to generate enough electricity to power 250,000 homes, the equipment will supply the Ortigueira mill
 

Paraná, December 20, 2021 – One more Turbogenerator went operational at Klabin’s Puma Unit in Ortigueira, Paraná, this week. The equipment (TG3) is integrated with the other two turbogenerators currently operating at the mill which, together, will generate electricity to meet the demand from the production process – two pulp machines, one Kraftliner paper machine and the future paperboard machine (MP28). The surplus energy will be transmitted to the National Interconnected System (SIN), which operates the country’s electricity grid. The plan is to provide 90 MW per hour to SIN, which is sufficient to supply around 250,000 homes.
 

The three turbogenerators convert thermal energy generated at the mill’s strength and recovery boilers by burning wood components other than pulp fibers, into electricity. With this new turbogenerator in operation, Klabin contributes further to the generation of clean and sustainable energy, especially at this time of low reservoir levels at hydroelectric plants due to the water crisis despite the recent rains. Moreover, the company is committed to reducing the share of fossil fuels to ensure an energy matrix of at least 92% renewable energy by 2030.
 

Marcos Sabedotti Breda, the TG3 project manager, said that the first step was conducting pre-operational studies for approval by the National Electric System Operator (ONS). “Our team implemented the project within the standards established by Brazil’s National Electricity Regulatory Agency (Aneel) and ONS to obtain the access report and, thus, authorization to connect TG3 to the electricity system. With this approval, and with TG3 installed, we obtained authorization from Aneel to start operations in the testing phase. The next step was to synchronize with the electricity transmission system. Only after approval of this phase by Aneel and ONS, we started exporting energy,” he explained.
 

Generating own electricity represents sustainability gains since production is fueled by the burning of renewable products already used in the pulp and paper production process. “It is a sustainable practice because it enables us to reuse the waste resulting from other processes. This becomes a fuel source which, when processed in our boilers, generates heat to produce high-pressure steam. At the TG, this steam is transformed into electricity,” explained Júlio Nogueira, Corporate Sustainability and Environment manager at Klabin.
 

According to Francisco Razzolini, Executive Officer - Industrial Technology, Innovation and Sustainability, the Puma Unit was designed to address diverse aspects involved in sustainability, including innovative practices and state-of-the-art equipment that offers maximum energy efficiency for the mill. The benefits of adopting state-of-the-art  technologies include expanding our renewable energy matrix and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These actions are crucial in combating climate change, an important issue that serves as the guiding factor of this project and the Company's future investments. These initiatives are part of a strategic plan to achieve the ambitious targets and commitments undertaken by Klabin,” added Razzolini.
 

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