‘Mechanical pulp mill has potential in Sarawak’
KUCHING: Sarawak has the potential to develop a mechanical mill that could utilise pulpwood logs from the existing forest plantations, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
In addition to this, he observes that Sarawak also has competitive energy costs and is located within the growth area for the paper packaging industry.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Industrial and Entrepreneur Development Minister, made these remarks after leading the second group of the Sarawak delegation to visit the Estonian Cell mill at Kunda in Estonia on Thursday.
Based on this trip, the Sarawak government would later need to assess the factors of production including investors, resources and manpower and then, have all these things readily available before such mill could be set up, the minister said through a press statement issued from Tallinn, Estonia yesterday.
During the Thursday visit, the
This state-of-the-art mill is one of the largest foreign investments in Estonia producing bleached chemi-thermo mechanical pulp from Aspen. Mechanical pulp can be used to manufacture end-products like printing and writing paper, specialty paper, packaging boxes and folded board. Press statement
Sarawak delegates were briefed by Estonian Cell chief technical officer Lauri Raid.
Awang Tengah and his entourage were part of the Sarawak delegation led by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for the official working visit to Finland and Estonia, which commenced on Sept 23 and concluded yesterday.
After the briefing, the delegates toured the production line.
“This state- of-the-art mill is one of the largest foreign investments in Estonia producing bleached chemi- thermo mechanical pulp from Aspen. Mechanical pulp can be used to manufacture end- products like printing and writing paper, specialty paper, packaging boxes and folded board,” the statement said.
“The annual production capacity of this mill is about 140,000 tonnes, with pulpwood requirements of about 400,000 tonnes. With anticipation of growth in demand for packaging materials, Estonian Cell has expanded the mill’s annual capacity to 173,000 tonnes.”
The mill is sited on Kunda due to key factors such as availability of port facilities, sustainable supply of raw materials, water supply and competitive energy prices. The Sarawak delegates would strive to learn from Estonia’s experience in developing the mechanical pulp mill.
Awang Tengah’s entourage includes Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr Abdul Aziz Husain, Sarawak Energy Bhd ( SEB) chairman Datuk Amar Abdul Hamed Sepawi, Urban Development and Natural Resources permanent secretary Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation general manager Datu Sarudu Hoklai, SEB chief executive officer Sharbini Suhaili and Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute director Dr Lulie Meling.