Accident Shuts Smurfit Kappa Containerboard Mill in France

Smurfit Kappa reports that its 520,000 metric tpy containerboard mill in Biganos, France, Cellulose du Pin, was shut down July 5 when a tank containing 3,500 cubic meters of black liquor burst and spilled its contents. Both the pulp mill and paper mill were shutdown and all workers evacuated.

The company expects to resume production in early August. "All necessary measures are being taken to clean up the spillage on the site and to restart the mill as soon as feasible," the company said, adding that the shutdown would result in about 35,000 to 40,000 metric tons of lost production.

The Cellulose du Pin mill operates two machines—PM 5 with a capacity of 190,000 metric tpy of white-top kraftliner and white-top testliner, and PM 6 with the capacity to produce 330,000 metric tpy of brown kraftliner. A single line supplies pulp to both machines.

TAPPI
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