Valmet to deliver sustainable valve solutions to Mercer Stendal’s pulp mill in Germany
Oct 12, 2022
Valmet and Mercer Stendal have signed an agreement to modernize valves at Mercer’s pulp mill in Arneburg, Germany. The project will bring significant energy savings and reduce emissions. The delivery includes 800 intelligent Neles™ NDX valve controllers and 500 Neles™ B1 pneumatic actuators.
The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the first quarter 2022. The first part of the delivery was successfully commissioned in April 2021, and the remainer will progressively be delivered by the end of 2023.
Because of the positive impact on energy consumption and emissions, up to 30% of the investment is supported by grants from BAFA (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle, Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control).
Mercer Stendal will leverage data from these intelligent valve controllers for predictive maintenance and condition monitoring. With the upgrade, the company aims to further minimize unplanned downtime and improve plant availability.
“The aim of the valve modernization project is to save compressed air, improve the reliability of energy supplies and increase plant availability. Cooperation between Mercer Stendal and Valmet’s flow control team is very good. Planning and implementation have been trouble-free. Small challenges in the early stages of implementation were quickly detected with the support of Valmet’s valve technology center, then resolved and eliminated. Since then, these bugs have no longer existed, and the positioners have run to our satisfaction,” says Frank Wegener, Energy Manager at Mercer Stendal.
“We are proud to continue our cooperation with Mercer Stendal and provide them with our industry proven valve solutions that enable even more reliable and sustainable operations. Thanks to their air-saving technology, our intelligent NDX valve controllers help reduce the plant's CO2 emissions,” says Raimar Hellwig, Head of Sales and Services, DACH region, Flow Control, Valmet.
Technical information of the delivery
The delivery includes 800 intelligent Neles™ NDX valve controllers of the latest generation and 500 Neles™ B1 pneumatic actuators which will replace older actuators. The agreement also includes on-site support for installation and configuration of the NDX valve controllers within Valmet’s DNA Field Device Manager.
Valmet’s Neles™ NDX intelligent valve controller is the next generation positioner, designed to operate on all type of control valves and in all types of industrial applications. It guarantees end product quality in any range of operating conditions with unparalleled performance, best-in-class diagnostics and years of reliable service. It offers several operational cost benefits such as savings on supply air, inventory management and valve maintenance.
Valmet’s Neles™ B1-series quarter-turn actuators are designed for use both in control and on-off service. This actuator offers extremely long cycle life and is well suited for almost any type of rotary valve. It’s designed to be wear and corrosion resistant and enables safe and easy maintenance.
About Mercer Stendal
Mercer Stendal is a subsidiary of the North American group Mercer International Inc. Mercer operates production sites in Germany, Canada and Australia. Mercer Stendal produces softwood pulp, bioenergy and various biochemicals from about 3.5 million solid cubic metres annually. The company employs around 455 people, including 30 trainees. Today, after several large optimization projects, including the current Stendal 740 project, the mill has 740,000 tonnes of NBSK capacity, 148 MW of green electricity, and a modern turpentine and tall oil extraction plant. Like all Mercer pulp facilities, Stendal produces enough green energy to meet their internal needs as well as to provide green energy to the electricity grid.
Image: Neles NDX valve controller provides a solution for all valve brands in a wide range of applications regardless of customer or industry.
For further information, please contact:
Jonathan Reichenbach, Sales Manager After Sales, Germany, Austria & Switzerland, Valmet, tel. + 49 174 34 94 004, email: jonathan.reichenbach@valmet.com
Johannes-Falco Kreienbaum, Sales Manager Valve Controls & Actuators, Germany, Austria & Switzerland, Valmet, tel. + 49 172 44 72 908, email: johannes-falco.kreienbaum@valmet.com
Kaisa Voutilainen, Director, Communication and Marketing, Flow Control, Valmet, tel. +358 400 188414, email: kaisa.voutilainen@valmet.com
Valmet entered into the flow control business in April 2022, when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Neles is now a Flow Control business line in Valmet. For more information on Valmet’s flow control offering, please visit www.valmet.com/flowcontrol.