Portuguese tissue manufacturer Fortissue is partnering with Toscotec for a groundbreaking project on PM1 at its facility in Viana do Castelo, Northern Portugal.
The Toscotec-supplied AHEAD line started up in 2015 (PM1) will be upgraded by Toscotec to become the first tissue machine in the world to operate at 2,000 m/min entirely on electricity. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
Groundbreaking zero-carbon design
Equipped with Toscotec’s TT NextPress shoe press, this high-performance machine will be fully upgraded after nine years of efficient operations to meet the goal of making tissue production more sustainable. Toscotec will install a fully electrical air system including e-powered TT Hood with multiple stages of heat recovery. TT Swing will ensure maximum flexibility by giving the choice of the operation modes from full cascading to hybrid depending on the specific production needs. TT Turbodryer will harness the heat recovered from the air system to improve the shoe press de-watering effect and increase post-press dryness. Finally, the new e-powered TT SteamBooster will generate 100% of the steam necessary for the TT SYD Steel Yankee Dryer by recovering the heat present in the hoods exhaust air together with high-efficiency electric steam generation.
Carbon emission reductions and high flexibility
The energy needed for PM1’s operation will be generated 100% from electricity. The mill will have the flexibility of choosing to get power from the Portuguese grid or by using 100% renewable energy coming from its solar and wind plants. The corresponding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions will amount to minus 20% in case the tissue line operates from the grid, and net zero GHG emissions if it runs on renewable energy both for its electric and thermal requirements.
Nuno Ribeiro, Owner of Fortissue, says: “At Fortissue we are proud to be spearheading the energy transition of the tissue industry. This groundbreaking project will pave the way for a new generation of production lines with top performances that also meet the sustainability requirements put forth by tissue consumers in the European market and beyond”.
Gabriele Romanini, Toscotec’s Sales Manager, says: “Toscotec’s partnership with Fortissue has come a long way in the past 10 years and we are delighted that they selected us for this pioneering project. PM1 was state-of-art when it came online, and we are now working to take it to a whole new level to become the first high-performance tissue line in the world to run on green electricity”.
About Fortissue
Established in 2015 in Alvarães, Northern Portugal, Fortissue is a tissue producer with an annual production capacity of approximately 35,000 tons of paper. It is part of the Ghost Group, which includes three companies: Suavecel, Nunex Worldwide and Fortissue. With over 20 years of experience in the personal hygiene market, the Ghost Group employs more than 300 staff and focuses its investments on the best available technology worldwide, in order to deliver high quality products, while optimizing energy and water consumption and guaranteeing zero waste of raw materials.