Features Equipment & Systems Pulp
Andritz digester at Suzano helps mill achieve new production level

The continuous digester, installed at Suzano’s mill in Suzano city, São Paulo state, started up in May 2015 and replaces existing batch digesters as well as a continuous digester, consequently reducing production costs. It is designed to increase the mill’s output of bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp by 33,000 metric t/y, to a total of 550,000 t/y.
“The learning curve for the new digester went really well and after 10 days we [had] already reached nominal capacity,” says José Alexandre de Morais, Suzano’s industrial director. The investment project was executed as planned with no loss of production. All of the connections to the new digester were made during a regular maintenance shutdown planned for the mill.
The equipment supplied by Andritz helps to improve pulp quality while at the same time increasing cooking yield, leading to lower wood consumption. Due to the improved bleachability, bleaching chemical consumption is decreased. In addition, the new technology reduces natural gas consumption at the mill.
The investment was considered important by Suzano to modernize equipment installed in the 1970s.