Part one. Pulp production
The pulp and paper industry - one of the leading branches of the forestry complex - combines technological processes for the production of cellulose, paper, cardboard and paper and cardboard products (writing, book and newsprint paper, notebooks, napkins, technical cardboard, etc.). In Russia, this industry initially arose and developed in the Central region, where the consumption of finished products was concentrated and there were the necessary textile raw materials from which paper was previously made (it is no coincidence that one of the first paper production centers in the country was called the Linen Plant). Subsequently, the technology for making paper changed, wood raw materials began to be used for it, and the area of the industry moved to the north, to areas with abundant forests.
The industry's technological cycle is clearly divided into two processes - pulp production and paper production. Cellulose is a common carbohydrate compound of the polysaccharide class in living nature. Cellulose fibers serve as the basis for paper.
The main raw material for the production of cellulose is coniferous wood, in which the cellulose content is 40-50% of the total mass. To extract cellulose from wood, thermochemical treatment is used - cooking. It is technologically acceptable to add up to 10% of hardwood pulp during cooking. In production, sulfite, bisulfite or sulfate cooking of wood chips is most often used, therefore for any cellulose process it is necessary to use sulfur compounds, the harmfulness of which to nature and humans is widely known.
Table 1
Leading enterprises in Russia for pulp cooking, 2003,
thousand tons
| Kotlas pulp and paper mill | 912,5 |
| Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Plant | 770,7 |
| Bratsk Central Committee | 737,2 |
| Ust-Ilimsk LPK | 650,0 |
| JSC Neusiedler Syktyvkar | 505,6 |
| OJSC "Svetogorsk" | 369,0 |
| Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill | 243,2 |
| Solombala Pulp and Paper Mill | 211,9 |
| Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill | 171,4 |
| JSC "Kondopoga" | 105,4 |
| Russia | 5752 |
After sawing, the wood enters chipping machines, where it is formed into chips. The wood chips are fed into digesters. In sulfite cooking, wood is treated with a solution containing sulfur oxide. Simultaneously with this process, mechanical abrasion of another part of the wood occurs in the mines using special devices - defibrators. Its product is wood pulp (particle diameter is only 2-3 mm). To obtain 1 ton of wood pulp, 2.5 m 3 is consumed, and 1 ton of cellulose requires 5 m 3 of wood. To make wallpaper or notebook paper, cellulose and wood pulp are taken in equal proportions - 50% each; for newspaper - 70% wood pulp and 30% cellulose.
Wood chips and cooking acid enter the batch digester. Pulp cooking is carried out at 100-150 °C and a pressure of 6 atmospheres. After cooking is completed, the pressure in the boiler is reduced and the liquor is forced out. The liquor is passed through a filter, where cellulose fibers are captured, then the liquor enters the stripping column, where SO 2 is blown off from it. Next, the liquor at many enterprises is transferred to the alcohol-yeast workshop for further utilization of biological substances dissolved in it. The pulp remains in the digester. After cooking, the cellulose is soaked in hot water and then thoroughly abraded. If cellulose is used to produce paper at the same mill, then it is sent in semi-liquid form to the paper mill. In the event that the cellulose is intended to be sent to other enterprises, it is pressed, dried and turned into more or less dense gray sheets - commercial pulp.
Based on the technological features of cellulose production, the main factors for the location of the industry are raw materials (focus on forest-sufficient and forest-abundant areas) and water (the need to use large amounts of water). In the USSR, some pulp producers were located outside the forest zone and worked on reed raw materials (in Astrakhan, Kzyl-Orda, Izmail), but in modern Russia there are no such enterprises. In any case, the creation of a large pulp mill is possible only near a large watercourse or reservoir. Such hydrological objects include the Northern Dvina (enterprises in Arkhangelsk and Novodvinsk), Vychegda (Koryazhma), Angara (Ust-Ilimsk and Bratsk), Volga (Balakhna and Volzhsk), Baikal (Baikalsk), Lake Onega (Kondopoga), Lake Ladoga (Pitkyaranta and Syasstroy). Consumer orientation in the pulp industry is secondary, so a significant part of domestic pulp is produced in the relatively sparsely populated Eastern Siberia.
table 2
The largest Russian producers of commercial pulp, 2003,
thousand tons
Pulp production in Russia is carried out at pulp and paper mills (PPM), pulp and paper mills (PPM) and pulp and cardboard mills (PPM). In almost all of these plants, the cellulose is further processed into paper or cardboard. However, there are exceptions: in Ust-Ilimsk, Sovetsky, Vyborg district, Pitkyaranta, the stage of cellulose production is the final stage; commercial cellulose obtained here goes to other enterprises in the industry for further processing.
About three dozen enterprises produce pulp in Russia. Pulp production is located only in 14 regions, primarily in the Arkhangelsk, Irkutsk, Leningrad, Kaliningrad, Perm regions, the Komi and Karelia republics. Pulp is not produced in the Central and Far Eastern Federal Districts. The pulp production capacity in the Southern and Ural districts is extremely small. Until recently, cellulose was still produced in Sakhalin, the Khabarovsk Territory, and the Astrakhan Region, but for economic reasons these production facilities had to be abandoned.
It is curious that an increased concentration of cellulose enterprises, albeit not very large ones, is observed in those parts of the country that until relatively recently - 60-70 years ago - were part of the territory of economically developed neighbors. We are talking about the Karelian Isthmus, which was Finnish until 1940 (3 enterprises, until the 90s - 4, including the now closed plant in Priozersk); Kaliningrad region - part of the former German East Prussia (3 enterprises); Southern Sakhalin (7 enterprises, all currently closed), which was a Japanese possession until the end of World War II. This is not accidental, given the circumstances that, firstly, the indicated areas for their countries were the most convenient place for the development of the industry, and secondly, the state of printing and book publishing in Finland and Germany was and continues to be at a higher level than in ours country. By now, all the pulp and paper mills and pulp and paper mills inherited from neighbors are in need of reconstruction, and largely because of this, a significant part of them has already been closed.
Prospects for the development of the pulp industry in Russia are related to the improvement of the technological process, more complete use of forest resources at existing enterprises, as well as the construction of new pulp and paper mills. Currently, plans are being made to create complexes for the production of pulp and paper in Aleksandrov, Vladimir region, Neya, Kostroma region, Turtas, Tyumen region, and Amazar, Chita region. Pre-design surveys are being carried out in the Kirov, Vologda and Novgorod regions and some other regions.
As of 2016, slightly more than 30 pulp enterprises in Russia produce wood pulp. The main production of cellulose falls on five large enterprises. Thus, according to the results of 2015, the five leading pulp and paper mills account for 64% of the volume of domestic pulp production.
It should be said that in 2015, the share of commercial pulp production by the five leading pulp and paper mills was 93% of the total output of these products in Russia as a whole. It is obvious that the leaders of the pulp industry are also the main producers of the marketable product. If we consider the total output of marketable pulp from five giant pulp and paper mills, it should be noted that the share of marketable pulp produced by these pulp and paper mills in 2015 accounts for 46% of the total pulp output from pulping at these enterprises. The undoubted leaders in this top five in the sale of commercial pulp are such enterprises of the Ilim Group as the pulp and paper mill in Ust-Ilimsk and the pulp and paper mill in Bratsk.
Today, the Russian pulp and paper market is characterized by extreme concentration and readiness for any external changes, as well as a strict policy to reduce costs. At the same time, the activities of the pulp and paper mill largely depend on the tariff policy of Russian natural monopolies. Thus, the constant rise in prices for energy resources, transport, increasing environmental requirements, and rising prices for raw materials have an extremely negative impact on the cost of cellulose. All this neutralizes the traditional competitive advantages of the Russian pulp and paper industry against the background of the introduction of new facilities in Brazil and Southeast Asia, which operate on short-fiber hardwood pulp, for example, eucalyptus. In the face of such a challenge, Russian players are forced to carry out complete technical re-equipment and reconstruction of production facilities, maintaining competitive production costs.
Over the past ten years, the leading position in terms of pulp cooking volumes has been steadily occupied by the branch of the Ilim-Pulp Group in Koryazhma. From 2006 to 2013 inclusive, the second place in the level of pulp cooking was firmly assigned to the Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill. However, starting from 2014, this enterprise ranks fifth in the list of enterprises ranked by pulp production. At the same time, the enterprise, a branch of the Ilim-Pulp Group in Bratsk, due to a significant increase in the production of bleached sulphate pulp, has moved to second place since 2014. A significant increase in cellulose production in 2014 at the level of 31% was also noted at Mondi Syktyvkar JSC, which allowed this enterprise to take third place; in 2015 the growth continued, amounting to 6%. In fourth place in the list of leading pulp and paper mills for pulp cooking is the branch of the Ilim-Pulp Group in Ust-Ilimsk. And the last of the list of the “first echelon” pulp and paper mills in terms of pulping volumes in Russia in 2015, as noted above, is the Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill.
The diagram shows that in 2015, the main growth in pulp production by cooking was accounted for by Ilim in Bratsk - an increase of 17%. Mondi SYKH increased its pulp output over the year by 6%. The volume of pulp cooking at Ilim Koryazhma, as well as at APPM, increased by approximately 1%. The enterprise in Ust-Ilimsk reduced its pulp production by 1% in 2015.
The diagram shows the dynamics of pulp production by the leading pulp and paper mills in Russia over the past six years. The main increase in pulp production during the period under review occurred in 2014 - during this year, two enterprises, namely Ilim Bratsk and Mondi SYK, each increased their pulping volumes by more than a third. Let us recall that such a significant increase in the level of cooking at the pulp and paper mill in Bratsk was due to the completion of the “Big Bratsk” investment project - this year the enterprise reached 90% of capacity. And in November 2014, a new drying machine was launched at Mondi Syktyvkar (100 thousand tons of commercial softwood SFA cellulose ECF-bleaching per year). At the remaining pulp and paper mills from the “first echelon” over the past five to six years, no significant changes in the level of pulp cooking have been noted.
The Group's branch has been the constant leader in pulp production over the past ten years. Ilim-Pulp in Koryazhma (Arkhangelsk region, until 2007 – Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill). The share of the Koryazhma branch in terms of pulp cooking in Russia in 2015 was 15.2%.
The basis for the production of pulp at the Koryazhma branch is bleached sulfate hardwood pulp. The plant also produces sulphated unbleached softwood pulp. Since 2005, the annual volumes of pulp cooking at the Koryazhma Branch have consistently exceeded one million tons.
In 2015, the increase in cooking volumes at the Ilim Group branch in Koryazhma was small, 0.8%, output amounted to 1,194 thousand tons. A year earlier, in 2014, the pulp and paper mill in Koryazhma reached full capacity for the production of semi-cellulose (310 thousand tons). Let us recall that in September 2009, the Ilim Group in Koryazhma completed the implementation of a large investment project - the construction of a plant for the continuous cooking of neutral sulfate semi-cellulose (NSSC). For the production of semi-cellulose, deciduous wood is used, the reserves of which are still large in the region. Also in 2014, as part of the Bolshaya Koryazhma investment program, the plant launched the production of the first and only premium office paper in Russia under the Ballet Brilliant brand. And in December 2013, the production of the country's first pure cellulose coated paper under the Omela brand was launched.
The pulp and paper mill in Koryazhma is one of the largest wood chemical enterprises in Europe. At the end of 2015, Ilim in Koryazhma sold almost a quarter of its pulp production for export. The bulk of the pulp produced by the pulp and paper mill in Koryazhma is used for the production of offset paper for printing, office, sack and wallpaper paper, as well as Omela coated paper. The plant also produces cardboard for flat layers of corrugated cardboard (kraftliner), paper for corrugation (fluting), and wood chemical and biochemical processing products.
The volume of pulp cooking was recorded at approximately the same level at the pulp and paper mill in Bratsk (Irkutsk region, formerly the Bratsk pulp and paper mill). Branch share "Ilim" in Bratsk in 2015 it amounted to 14.8% of the total volume of brewing in Russia. The pulp and paper mill in Bratsk reached full capacity in 2015, which contributed to an increase in pulp output by cooking by 17% - the output of bleached sulphate pulp increased in 2015 to 1,167 thousand tons.
Let us recall that in 2014 the priority investment project “Big Bratsk” was completed. This year the plant reached 90% capacity. At the same time, the company increased its brewing volumes by 36% over the year. Noting the dynamics of pulp production at the cooking branch of the Ilim group in Bratsk, we recall that in 2012-2013 the enterprise was forced to reduce pulp production due to the modernization of production in connection with the implementation of the Big Bratsk project. Let us recall that the official launch ceremony of the new plant for the production of softwood SFA pulp took place in June 2013. In essence, a new pulp mill with a capacity of 720 thousand tons of softwood pulp per year was put into operation. The Big Bratsk project has become one of the largest projects in the Russian pulp and paper industry over the past 30 years.
Today, the pulp and paper mill in Bratsk produces bleached sulfate softwood pulp, sulfate unbleached softwood pulp, and bleached sulfate hardwood pulp. The output of marketable pulp in 2015 accounted for most of the pulp production at the plant. And only a quarter of the production is left for processing. Thus, the bulk of pulp production is exported. One of the strategic markets for Ilim Group is China, with which the company has been cooperating since 1996.
Share JSC "Mondi SLPK" (Mondi Business Paper Syktyvkar LPK, Komi Republic, formerly Syktyvkar LPK) in 2015 in the total volume of Russian pulp production amounted to 12.8%. The volume of pulp cooking at Mondi SYK in 2015 reached the level of 1011 thousand tons, of which 90% is bleached kraft pulp, and approximately 10% of the pulp output comes from the production of Komicell pulp. Mondi SYKHK began production of a new cellulose product - bleached softwood pulp of European quality under the KOMICELL brand in 2014.
Let us remind you that in March 2015, a new mechanical wastewater treatment station was launched at Mondi Syktyvkar. The facility was built as part of a project to modernize wastewater treatment facilities. In 2015, the company increased its pulping volumes by 5.8%. We would like to remind you that a year earlier, Mondi Syktyvkar Significantly increased its pulping volumes - pulp production increased by more than a third this year. Let us recall that in November 2014, a new drying machine was launched at the Mondi Syktyvkar Timber Processing Plant (100 thousand tons of marketable softwood SFA pulp ECF-bleaching per year.)
The key event for Mondi SYPC was the implementation of the priority investment project "Step", the completion of which the company reported in 2010. The results of the STEP project were the modernization of technology, increasing the level of safety and environmental friendliness of the enterprise, improving the quality and competitiveness of products, and increasing overall efficiency. The volume of pulp cooking immediately began to grow - in the same year the company increased pulp production by 22%. Over the next three years, the company increased production very slowly - in 2011 the growth was 1%. Already in 2012, Mondi Syktyvkar LPK fully mastered the new production facilities built during the implementation of the STEP project, as a result of which it increased cooking by 2%.
According to the results of 2015, Mondi Syktyvkar 11% of pulp production by pulping is accounted for by the production of commercial pulp. Up to 90% of the pulp output goes to our own paper production. JSC "Mondi SLPK" specializes in the production of office paper (the most famous is office paper of the "Snegurochka" brand) and offset paper; it also produces newsprint, cardboard for flat layers of "top liner" corrugated cardboard.
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The fourth in the list of leaders in pulp cooking is the Siberian enterprise of the Group "Ilim" in Ust-Ilimsk"
(Irkutsk region, formerly Ust-Ilimsk Pulp and Paper Mill). The share of the branch in Ust-Ilimsk in terms of pulp cooking volumes in Russia as a whole in 2015 was 11%.
In 2015, the Ust-Ilimsk branch reduced the volume of pulp cooking compared to 2014 by 1% to the level of 858 thousand tons. Let us recall that a year earlier, pulp production increased by 4.3%. The level of pulp production at this plant has been falling for three years since 2008. True, the decrease was insignificant. The restoration of brewing volumes lost during the crisis occurred in 2011 due to an 11 percent increase. In 2012, pulp cooking volumes at the Ust-Ilimsk branch increased again – an increase of 2%. However, in 2013 the company had to reduce brewing volumes by 1%.
Today, the branch of the Ilim Group in Ust-Ilimsk produces bleached softwood sulfate and unbleached softwood sulfate flake pulp. In 2015, 93% of the total volume of pulp produced by pulp and paper mills in Ust-Ilimsk was commercial pulp. The company exports commercial bleached pulp to European and Asian countries.
Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill closes the top five in terms of pulp cooking level. It should be noted that two years earlier this enterprise occupied second place in the list of “first echelon” pulp and paper mills. In 2015, APPM accounted for 10.5% of the total domestic pulp production.
In 2015, APPM increased the 2014 indicators for pulp cooking by 0.9%, to 827 thousand tons. A significant event for APPM was the launch of a new semi-cellulose plant in 2015. The semi-cellulose plant will replace the existing neutral sulfite semi-cellulose production site. Commissioning of the plant will make it possible to minimize the costs of producing cardboard and base paper for corrugation, improve their quality characteristics and significantly reduce the cost of production, including by reducing the consumption of wood raw materials. Let us recall that the contract for the construction of a new semi-cellulose plant with Andritz was signed in March 2012. And already in September 2015, APPM began the second stage of the priority investment project “Reconstruction of cardboard production”.
In addition to the launch of the semi-cellulose plant, in accordance with the adopted development strategy of the company, the Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill implemented the first stage of the 2020 Project: during 2013–2015. The grinding and preparation departments of two KDM were reconstructed and the mesh part of KDM-1 was reconstructed.
Today, APPM also plans to produce fluff pulp - fluffy cellulose - for the production of various absorbent products (baby diapers, medical products made from nonwoven materials, etc.). Today such cellulose is not produced in Russia.
Over the past four years, starting in 2012, APPM has annually reduced the volume of pulp cooking. The decline is low. For example, in 2014, APPM reduced its pulp output by 3%. The reason for the decline was equipment shutdowns, both planned and emergency.
Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill produces bleached sulphate pulp. At the end of 2015, the production of marketable pulp accounted for about 28% of the total pulp production at APPM. Moreover, the volume of production of bleached SFA pulp intended for sale over the year increased by 8%, amounting to 235 thousand tons. The rest goes to our own production. Currently, APPM includes two paper factories and a paper products workshop, where dozens of types of products are produced. The company specializes in the production of cardboard, packaging, pulp and student notebooks.
In the total volume of pulp cooking in Russia as a whole, the “leading five” pulp and paper enterprises at the end of 2015 occupied, as before, a high share - the level of pulp production by cooking reaches 65%. Structurally, for each of the leading pulp and paper mills, the share of the volume of pulp cooking on the scale of Russian production in 2015 is presented in the diagram.
And other related products of final or intermediate processing.
History of appearance
Paper was first mentioned in Chinese chronicles in 12 BC. e. The raw materials for its production were bamboo stems and mulberry tree bast. In 105, Cai Lun generalized and improved existing methods for producing paper.
Paper appeared in Europe in the 11th-12th centuries. It replaced papyrus and parchment (which was too expensive). At first, crushed hemp and linen rags were used to make it.
General information
Since production requires wood and a lot of water, pulp and paper mills are usually located on the banks of large rivers, then it is possible to use the rivers to float wood, which serves as the main raw material for production.
To produce paper and cardboard, the following fibrous semi-finished products are used (data for 2000):
- sulfate cellulose - 36%
- wood pulp - 12%
- sulfite cellulose - 3%
- semicellulose - 3%
- cellulose from non-wood plant materials - 3%
To produce high-grade paper, on which money and important documents are printed, shredded textile scraps are also used.
In addition, sizing agents, mineral fillers and dyes are added to the paper to impart special properties.
Notes
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
See what “pulp and paper” is in other dictionaries:
Pulp and paper mill- pulp and paper mill Dictionary: S. Fadeev. Dictionary of abbreviations of the modern Russian language. St. Petersburg: Politekhnika, 1997. 527 p. CBK Central Bureau of Local History at the Academy of Sciences Education and Science CBK Central Library Commission ... Dictionary of abbreviations and abbreviations
Pulp and paper mill- pulp and paper mill Central Library Commission Central Bureau of Water Cadastre Central Bureau of Local History (at the Academy of Sciences) ... Dictionary of Russian abbreviations
The pulp and paper industry of Russia (PPI of Russia) is a branch of the Russian economy. The main products of the industry are pulp, paper and cardboard. The presence of the industry is due to large forest reserves. Contents 1 Pulp and paper corporations 2 Pulp and paper enterprises ... Wikipedia
The pulp and paper industry of the Russian Federation is a problematic, but at the same time, promising industry. There are about 270 enterprises operating in Russia, which are distributed among the following economic regions:
- Northern - Karelia and Arkhangelsk region;
- Ural - Perm and Sverdlovsk regions;
- Volgo-Vyatka - Mari El Republic and Nizhny Novgorod region.
Structurally, the industry is divided into five groups: Investlesprom Group, Ilim Group, Continental Management, Titan Group and North-Western Timber Company. About 40% of the assets of these groups belong to foreign owners.
Technological processes
Cellulose production technology is considered quite “dirty”. Alkaline, sulfite or sulfate cooking, as a technological process, has not changed, but the equipment, most of which was created in the 70s, is morally and physically outdated (70-80% wear). The technological process is continuous, which places special demands on equipment, maintenance and supplies of raw materials. The depth of processing of the source material is 2.5-3 times lower than in Norway, Japan or the USA. No serious research and development (R&D) has been carried out in this area.
Products
The basic units of the industry's products are: marketable pulp - 40%, paper - 30%, cardboard - 20%, wood pulp - 10%. Mainly commercial pulp and cardboard are imported, because... The quality of the paper does not meet international standards. It should be noted that there has been a sharp increase in product range over the past 20 years - from 2.5 thousand items to 20 thousand (medical and hygienic products, cellulose-polymer products, etc.), which has allowed the industry to stay afloat by supplying commercial pulp abroad to form of raw materials.
Industry Position
The pulp and paper industry occupies a special place in the structure of industry in the Russian Federation. This is due to the specifics of the industry, which has positive and negative components.
Positive:
- High potential of the domestic consumption market. Currently, about 50 kg of paper products per person are consumed in the Russian Federation, while in Europe it is 160; USA, Japan - 200.
- High potential of the industry in terms of energy and raw materials. About a quarter of the world's reserves of renewable raw materials—wood—are located in the Russian Federation.
- The capacity of electricity generating companies is sufficient to double production. There is no shortage of water resources.
- The development of the pulp and paper industry creates new jobs. In terms of the number of industry workers, one workplace requires the participation of 10-15 people in related industries: from procurement, transportation of raw materials and forest reproduction to mechanical engineering.
Negative:
Industry prospects
In 2007, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted a number of resolutions to modernize the pulp and paper industry in order to increase efficiency and reduce the environmental load (in particular, the closure of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill). It was assumed that the sources of financing would be: the state - 44% and private investment - 56%. 5 projects were formed that covered 17 large pulp and paper mills. By the beginning of 2012, there were 5 pulp and paper mills left, because the rest were unable to meet the modernization schedule due to organizational and financial problems, which is not surprising, knowing the owners of the assets. Today, only the project of a timber processing complex on the basis of OJSC Angara Paper remains.
The global market situation is not optimistic. After a drop in demand by 29% in 2007-2008, annual growth is 1.5-2%, which does not make conditions favorable for financing the construction of new production facilities and the modernization of existing ones. And this is against the backdrop of Chinese expansion in the pulp and paper products market, because Over the past 10 years, China has increased production by 3.3 times using newly created facilities.
Pulp and paper industry in Russia: yesterday, today, tomorrow...
Nikolay Dubina
[email protected]
The pulp and paper industry combines technological processes for the production of pulp, paper, cardboard and paper and cardboard products (writing, book and newsprint paper, notebooks, napkins, technical cardboard, etc.).
In Russia, this industry initially arose and developed in the Central region, where the consumption of finished products was concentrated and there were the necessary textile raw materials from which paper was previously made (it is no coincidence that one of the first paper production centers in the country was called the Linen Plant). Subsequently, the technology for making paper changed, wood raw materials began to be used for it, and the area of the industry moved to the north, to areas with abundant forests.
In 2013, production volume in the Russian pulp and paper industry amounted to 766 billion rubles. ($24.0 billion). The industry's share of output in the manufacturing industry is 3%.
The index of pulp and paper production, publishing and printing activities in 2014 compared to 2013 was 100.4%, in December 2014, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year - 94.5%. The production index of cellulose, wood pulp, paper, cardboard and products made from them is 104.5%.
The industry's technological cycle is clearly divided into two processes: pulp production and paper production.
For a country that exports 84% of its commercial pulp production and 50% of paper and cardboard, the main reserve for the development of the industry is the growth rate of domestic consumption (more on this below). Enterprises in the industry provide about 5% of the total Russian foreign exchange earnings.
Pulp production
In the USSR, some cellulose producers were located outside the forest zone and worked on reed raw materials (in Astrakhan, Kzyl-Orda, Izmail), but in modern Russia there are no such enterprises anymore. In any case, the creation of a large pulp mill is possible only near a large watercourse or reservoir.
Such hydrological objects include the Northern Dvina (enterprises in Arkhangelsk and Novodvinsk), Vychegda (Koryazhma), Angara (Ust-Ilimsk and Bratsk), Volga (Balakhna and Volzhsk), Baikal (Baikalsk), Lake Onega (Kondopoga), Lake Ladoga (Pitkyaranta and Syasstroy).
Consumer orientation in the pulp industry is secondary, so a significant part of domestic pulp is produced in the relatively sparsely populated Eastern Siberia.
Pulp in Russia is produced at pulp and paper mills (PPM), pulp and paper mills (PPM) and pulp and cardboard mills (PPM). In almost all of these plants, the cellulose is further processed into paper or cardboard. However, there are exceptions: in Ust-Ilimsk, Sovetsky (Vyborg district), Pitkyaranta, the stage of cellulose production is the final stage - the marketable cellulose obtained here is sent to other enterprises in the industry for further processing.
About three dozen enterprises produce pulp in Russia. Production is located only in 14 regions, primarily in the Arkhangelsk, Irkutsk, Leningrad, Kaliningrad, Perm regions, the Komi and Karelia republics. Pulp is not produced at all in the Central and Far Eastern Federal Districts. The pulp production capacity in the Southern and Ural districts is extremely small. Until recently, cellulose was still produced in Sakhalin, the Khabarovsk Territory, and the Astrakhan Region, but for economic reasons these production facilities had to be abandoned.
It is curious that an increased concentration of pulp enterprises, albeit not very large ones, is observed in those parts of the country that until relatively recently - 60-70 years ago - were part of the territories of economically developed neighbors. We are talking about the Karelian Isthmus, which was Finnish until 1940 (three enterprises, until the 90s - four, including the now closed plant in Priozersk); Kaliningrad region - part of the former German East Prussia (three enterprises); Southern Sakhalin (seven enterprises, all closed to date), which was a Japanese possession until the end of World War II. This is not accidental, given the circumstances that, firstly, the indicated areas for their countries were the most convenient place for the development of the industry, and secondly, the state of printing and book publishing in Finland and Germany was and continues to be at a higher level than in ours country. By now, all the pulp and paper mills and pulp and paper mills inherited from neighbors are in need of reconstruction, and largely because of this, a significant part of them has already been closed.
Production volumes of wood pulp and cellulose from other fibrous materials are currently recovering. In terms of pulp production volumes, Russia is one of the top ten producing countries in the world. The pulp production volumes for cooking in 2014 reached a level of about 7503 thousand tons, an increase of 4.1%.
However, the increase in pulp production in the reporting year did not make it possible to make up for the lost production volumes of the previous year. Let us recall that a year earlier, pulp production dropped by 6%, mainly due to a number of bankruptcies and shutdowns of such enterprises as OJSC Kondopoga, Pitkäranta, and Solombala Pulp and Paper Mill. Also in 2013, pulp production volumes at the Bratsk Pulp and Paper Mill fell due to technological shutdowns.
Today, the pulp and paper mill in Bratsk reached 90% capacity, which contributed to an increase in the output of bleached sulphate pulp. In 2014, the implementation of investment projects to modernize production was completed at the third stage of the Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill. For the first time among Russian pulp and paper enterprises, the plant successfully reconstructed the washing department of the brewhouse and, after modernization, launched the fifth soda recovery boiler (SRK-5), completely dismantling the equipment installed 40 years ago.
At the end of 2014, the Kondopoga Pulp and Paper Mill increased its output by 30%. The branch of Ilim Group in Koryazhma reached the target of 1 million 200 thousand tons of annual production of marketable products. No pulp and paper mill in Europe has achieved such volumes.
At the same time, in 2014, pulp and paper production at the Solombala Pulp and Paper Mill in Arkhangelsk did not resume. Moreover, the possibility of mothballing the enterprise and using this industrial site for other production is being discussed. On December 15, 2014, the Pitkäranta pulp mill was sold at auction. Since September 2014, Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill has a new owner - the Financial and Industrial Group AFK Sistema. A number of industry enterprises are still in bankruptcy proceedings. Thus, the Karelia Pulp company, which is the seller of the Kondopoga Pulp and Paper Mill, is gradually replacing the creditors in the bankruptcy case of Kondopoga OJSC. The Arbitration Court of the Perm Territory considered the application of the Interregional Engineering and Technical Center "ArmPrivodService" LLC to declare the Kama Pulp and Paper Mill LLC insolvent (bankrupt).
Prospects for the development of the pulp industry in Russia are related to the improvement of the technological process, more complete use of forest resources at existing enterprises, as well as the construction of new pulp and paper mills. Currently, complexes for the production of pulp and paper are being designed in the city of Alexandrov (Vladimir region), Ney (Kostrom region), Turtas (Tyumen region), and Amazar (Chita region). Pre-design surveys are being carried out in the Kirov, Vologda and Novgorod regions and some other regions.
Paper production
Paper production capacity is distributed more evenly across Russia than pulp production capacity. Here the consumer orientation factor becomes more important. Paper is produced in 29 regions of the Russian Federation. The leaders in the paper industry are Karelia, Perm and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Almost no paper is produced in the Southern Federal District (there is only a small production in the Rostov region). In Siberia and the Far East, paper is made only in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (Yenisei Pulp and Paper Mill). The pulp produced there is transported to the European part of the country.
The resulting paper, according to its purpose, can be newsprint, book, writing, packaging, technical, banknote, sanitary, etc. The production volume of newsprint accounts for more than half of all paper produced in the country. Today, 99% of the supply on this market consists of domestic products. In Russia, this type of paper is produced by eight enterprises, but three of them (Volga OJSC, Kondopoga OJSC and Solikamskbumprom OJSC) account for almost 95% of total production.
Russian newsprint is among the most competitive on the world market. In 2002, Russia exported 1,136.7 thousand tons of newsprint worth $382 million. The largest importers of Russian newsprint are India, Germany, Turkey, Great Britain, Iran, Pakistan and Finland.
The main consumer of newsprint in Russia is large printing enterprises. Approximately 12% of all Russian demand comes from the Moscow publishing house Press, another 9% from the Moskovskaya Pravda publishing complex, and 4% each from Izvestia PPO and Pronto-Print LLP.
In 2014, the volume of paper production, and, above all, newspaper production, recovered. During the year, about 4,943 thousand tons of various types of paper were produced, which is 3.7% more than in the previous year. Previously, paper output fell by 1% annually for two years.
In 2014, the Kondopoga Pulp and Paper Mill increased its production of newsprint by 31.7%. A high level of production in the reporting year was also noted at the pulp and paper mill in Koryazhma (Ilim, Arkhangelsk region). In 2014, Koryazhemsk residents brought two new brands of paper to the market at new capacities - the first domestic pure cellulose coated paper “Mistletoe” and office paper “Ballet Brilliant”.
A paper mill opened in Kostroma. It will produce toilet paper, napkins, and paper towels. The commissioning of a new paper mill in September 2014 in the Yaroslavl region allowed Syktyvkar Tissue Group OJSC to almost double the production of pulp and paper products. At the same time, pulp and paper production at the Solombala Pulp and Paper Mill in Arkhangelsk will never resume.
“I don’t believe that the current owner of the enterprise in modern socio-economic conditions will be able to change the situation,” Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region Igor Orlov said at a press conference. Let us remind you that due to the difficult financial and economic situation of the plant, in April 2013 a decision was made to completely stop production.
Traditionally, the main type of paper produced by the domestic pulp and paper industry is newsprint - the share in the structure of production of all types of paper at the end of 2014 was 33%.
In 2014, newsprint production began to grow again. Let us recall that in the previous two years, Russian pulp and paper enterprises generally reduced the production of newsprint - first by 6% in 2012, and in 2013 the decline continued and reached 13%. In total, the output of newsprint in rolls or sheets in 2014 amounted to 1,636 thousand tons, which is 3% more than what was produced in 2013.
Recently, Russia's traditional export of newsprint has been growing. Russian enterprises have reoriented themselves to new markets for their products. India is the leader in the import of Russian newsprint today. The domestic newsprint market continues to shrink. Thus, the output of newspaper products fell again in the reporting year - the decline for the year was 9.7%. A year earlier, 10% fewer newspapers were published. Leading producers of newsprint: OJSC Volga, OJSC Mondi SLPK, OJSC Solikamskbumprom and OJSC Kondopoga.
The production of writing and notebook paper fell again. The volume of writing and notebook paper in the structure of production of all paper produced in Russia is very insignificant - only 1.2%. The production of writing and notebook paper has been falling for the second year in a row: during the reporting year, its production fell by 8.4%, and a year earlier the decline was 4%. In 2012, growth was recorded at 6%. In total, in 2014, the domestic pulp and paper industry produced about 57.5 thousand tons of writing and notebook paper.
At the same time, despite the reduction in the production of writing and notebook paper in the reporting year, the production of school notebooks was significantly higher than a year ago. Thus, at the end of 2014, 650 million school notebooks (12, 18, 24 sheets) were produced in Russia as a whole, which is 13.7% more than in the previous year. However, it must be taken into account that the increase in the production of notebooks in the reporting year only made up for the lost production volumes for the previous year. Let us recall that in 2013, 14% fewer school notebooks were produced than in 2012.
The main producers of writing and notebook paper: Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill, Kommunar Paper Mill, Kondrovsk Paper Company, Krasnogorod Experimental Paper Mill, Mari Pulp and Paper Mill, Turin Pulp and Paper Mill, International Paper, Polotnyano-Zavodskaya Paper Mill, Okulovsky Wallet, Solikamskbumprom, Sokolsky pulp and paper mill, Kama pulp and paper mill.
OJSC "Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill" still remains the leader in the segment of student notebooks: the company's share is 32%.
In general, in 2014, the production of paper and white products showed a decline, with the exception of the production of notebooks. Thus, the production of albums and folders for drawing and drawing in the reporting year decreased by 13.3%, amounting to an average of about 30.2 million pieces in Russia.
Cardboard production
Cardboard is produced in 46 constituent entities of the Russian Federation of all federal districts, except for the Ural (although there is a very small production in the Sverdlovsk region). The first place in Russia by a large margin is occupied by the Arkhangelsk region, followed by the Leningrad and Irkutsk regions, the Komi and Tatarstan republics.
The main use of cardboard is packaging materials. In Soviet times, packaging was not a priority direction for production development, which determined its low technological level.
Glass packaging was reusable, most food products were not pre-packaged, but were wrapped in cheap, low-quality paper at retail outlets.
In modern Russia, packaging has become a kind of continuation of the product, part of the design, image, brand, and an additional information channel. Paper and cardboard account for 39% of packaging production in the country, while polymers, which are more harmful to health, account for 36%. The bulk of packaging materials—about 50%—goes to the food industry.
About 70% of the total production of packaging cardboard in Russia is made up of corrugated cardboard, for the production of which waste paper and pure cellulose are used.
Virgin cellulose paperboard is higher quality, stronger and softer than recycled paperboard, which is used primarily for shipping packaging. The largest producer of corrugated cardboard in the country is Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill. The highest demand for corrugated cardboard containers is in Moscow and other large cities, where the production of many consumer goods is concentrated. The Central region accounts for about 40-45% of the consumption of corrugated packaging produced in the country.
Cardboard production in 2014 continued the growth of the previous year, although the growth was insignificant - by 1.7%. In total, during the reporting year, pulp and cardboard mills in Russia produced about 3,069 thousand tons of cardboard of all types.
Cardboard manufacturers continue to increase production volumes for the fourth year in a row, but pre-crisis cardboard production volumes have not yet been reached. Let us recall that in 2013, in Russia as a whole, cardboard production increased by 0.5%.
Leading enterprises producing cardboard: Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill, Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill, St. Petersburg Paper and Paper Mill, Bratsk Paper Mill, Mondi Business Paper Syktyvkar LPK, Naberezhnye Chelny Paper and Paper Mill, Perm Paper and Paper Mill, Svetogorsk, Selenginsk Paper and Paper Mill, Yenisei Pulp and Paper Mill, Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill.
Craftliner production decreased by 2%. Half of the total cardboard output in Russia (more precisely, 56%), according to data for the reporting period, is accounted for by the production of uncoated containerboard (kraft liner), the production of which in 2014 decreased by 1.9% to 1,732 thousand tons. In 2013 year, production of kraft liner increased by 0.4%.
Leading producers of kraft liner in Russia: Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill, Mari Pulp and Paper Mill, Vyborg Timber Industry Company, Selenga Pulp and Paper Mill, Baltic Pulp.
The production of non-corrugated cardboard packs in 2014 increased by 11.3%.
A slight increase in cardboard production in 2014 was caused, first of all, by an increase in demand for cardboard packaging products. Thus, against the backdrop of falling kraft liner production volumes in 2014, the production of single-layer corrugated paper and cardboard increased significantly.
Thus, the production of corrugated paper and cardboard, consisting of only one corrugated layer, more than doubled in 2014. At the end of 2014, the output of these products amounted to 631 million m2, which is 2.1 times more than in the previous year.
At the same time, the production of corrugated paper and cardboard, consisting of two corrugated layers, decreased by 3% in 2014, amounting to 32.4 million m2.
Let us also recall that in 2013, the production of corrugated paper (other corrugated paper and cardboard (multi-layer)) decreased by 3.5%. A year earlier, growth was recorded at 12%.
Industry competitiveness
Pulp and paper production (including publishing and printing activities) is characterized by sufficient competitiveness in the domestic market and average competitiveness in the world market. On the domestic market, local products successfully compete with imports in most segments; the weak point is the production of paper and cardboard products (including printed products) and the production of coated paper, which until recently was practically absent in Russia.
Raw material-intensive products (cellulose, newsprint) are the most competitive on the world market. The main problem of the sector is the high depreciation of fixed assets and the use of outdated technologies. Over the past 15 years, only a few enterprises have undergone deep modernization; during the same period, only a few new large production facilities have been put into operation.
Investment climate and future prospects
Today, production activities in the industry are carried out at 165 pulp and paper and 15 wood chemical enterprises. Despite the fact that Russia has the largest forest resources in the world (81.9 billion m3), and the pulp and paper industry could become the locomotive of the Russian economy, the technical condition of the industry and its share in the national economy leave much to be desired. Thus, the available production capacity in the pulp and paper industry is used only by 35-50%. The depreciation of the active part of fixed assets in some places is 60-70%.
At the same time, 70-90% of the technological equipment at the enterprises was purchased in other countries and has not been updated for the last 15 years. About 80% of continuous digesters have been in operation for over 25 years, and half of batch digesters have been in operation for over 45 years. 40% of the installed fleet of paper and board machines has been in operation for over 20 years. And only about 10% of the main technological equipment corresponds to the modern level.
What needs to be done to use the sources of economic growth?
Firstly, it is necessary to ensure the efficient use of existing capacities, the creation of new capacities and new production facilities for the production of competitive products. To do this, it is necessary to create attractive conditions for foreign and domestic investors. We are talking about introducing and improving laws that protect property and investments in Russia.
Secondly, to make wider use of domestic scientific and technical potential, for which it is necessary to increase the amount of R&D funding.
Thirdly, it is very important to orient customs and tariff policy towards the growth of domestic production and increased competitiveness.
Fourthly, it is necessary to improve tax policy and reduce the tax burden.
The imperfection of Russian legislation has a very strong impact on the economy in general and on the work of the pulp and paper industry in particular. Largely because of this, enterprises lose their working capital. The lack of state regulation of the economy led to sharp price imbalances, tax policy and practice turned into an instrument for the destruction of domestic producers and the collapse of the state tax base, there was an outflow of financial capital to the shadow economy and abroad, state support for exports and protection from imports became very weak.
A number of enterprise managers, realizing the need to join forces to work together, established the Russian Association of Organizations and Enterprises of the Pulp and Paper Processing Industry "RAO Bumprom".
The RAO Bumprom Association was created to coordinate the development of common positions and interests of its members in all spheres of the economy, as well as to protect their rights and interests in government agencies, courts, and international organizations. To this end, the Association entered into a cooperation agreement with the Russian Ministry of Economy, the Guild of Periodicals, Unicom/MS Consulting Group and established the necessary contacts in the State Duma to participate in the preparation of laws in which the industry is interested.
At the present stage in Russia, certain prerequisites have matured and been created for the implementation of intensive technical re-equipment of enterprises, updating equipment and technologies in order to increase the competitiveness of products, environmental safety of production and products, and more efficient use of production capacities. This has already been briefly mentioned earlier.
Pulp and paper industry of Siberia and the Far East
Siberia and the Far East have great potential. They account for 78% of the forest area of Russia. These are mainly coniferous species: spruce, fir, larch.
However, the efficiency of use of forest resources and export potential in Siberia is extremely low. One of the reasons for this situation is the lag in the creation and development of chemical wood processing enterprises; the level of use of deciduous wood remains insufficient; the level of use of logging and wood processing waste and secondary forest raw materials is low.
In the regions of Siberia and the Far East, illegal logging and offenses in the field of business activities related to forest resources occur. There are large losses of wood raw materials during logging and during transportation and primary processing of wood in lower warehouses, which amounts to up to 30% of the volume of harvested wood.
For comparison: in Finland and Sweden, mainly products made from wood that have been subjected to deep chemical processing are exported (60 and 70%, respectively). The volume of procurement in these countries is more than two times less than in Russia, and foreign exchange earnings from exports are 2.5 times more. Finland, with 0.5% of the planet's forest resources, provides 25% of the world's exports of pulp and paper products, while Russia, with 21% of the world's forest reserves, provides less than 1% of the exports of these products. The existing forest resources potential of Russia makes it possible to harvest more than 500 million m3 of wood without harming the environment, but only 18% of it is used.
One of the serious shortcomings of the pulp and paper industry in the Asian region of Russia is its focus mainly on the production of commercial pulp. The only enterprise in Siberia producing newsprint and printing paper is the Krasnoyarsk Pulp and Paper Mill. In addition, the region has containerboard production facilities, which also require significant funds for their renewal.
Even more significant problems for the industry are in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, on the island of Sakhalin, which have significant unused timber reserves. There, commercial timber is mainly exported. Pulpwood and its waste remain in cutting areas, polluting the environment. Wood losses amount to millions of cubic meters. Previously operating enterprises - the Amur pulp and paper mill and plants on Sakhalin - have practically stopped.
There is no production in the region of high-quality printing papers, coated paper and cardboard (primarily coated), paper for office equipment, sanitary and hygienic purposes, etc.
The regions of Siberia and the Far East have huge reserves of renewable forest resources, which are currently not used fully and efficiently.
In countries with developed timber and pulp and paper industries (Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA), the return per unit of wood is four to six times higher than in Russia, due to its complex and deep chemical processing.
The development of forestry enterprises in Siberia and the Far East is of great economic importance for the revival of the economy and improvement of the social sphere of Russia, and first of all, the regions themselves.
The forestry complex is closely connected with related industries: printing, chemical, light, food, construction, railway transport, etc.
According to experts, one job in the pulp and paper industry provides up to ten jobs in related industries.
Problems and prospects of the industry
In general, the pulp and paper industry occupies a far from primary position in the Russian economy. In terms of raw materials, this is an export-oriented industry, forced to compete with global manufacturers. Given the situation of economic uncertainty that characterizes European markets, Russian enterprises find themselves at a significant disadvantage.
Of course, in Russia the domestic market has enormous potential for the development of pulp and paper products. We are talking about consumer goods with high added value, such as sanitary and hygienic products, packaging, wallpaper, which until recently could compete with imported analogues within the country thanks to protective customs duties.
After Russia's accession to the WTO, duties are reduced, which cannot but have an impact on domestic producers. Given the intense competition with Western companies, as rates decrease, conditions for Russian enterprises in the domestic market will worsen. It is clear that the backwardness of the technologies used, high energy costs, and difficulties with infrastructure do not add stability to Russian producers. If domestic enterprises are on equal terms with foreign companies, then, of course, they will lose the fight for the domestic market. Although demand within the country is growing, it does not cover the capabilities of Western companies that are ready to “satisfy” the growing appetites of Russians with their products.
As for large enterprises, they are, of course, staying afloat. As a rule, they are part of international corporations that invest significant funds in modernization, have extensive experience in working in different markets, are not new to competition, and are able to quickly diversify production taking into account Russian realities. Another thing is small enterprises with obsolete and physically worn out equipment. It must be said that there are quite a lot of such production facilities throughout the country.
Pulp and paper corporationsInvestlesprom Group Ilim Group Continental Management Group "Titan" Northwestern Timber Company Pulp and paper enterprisesArkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill (Novodvinsk) Aleksinskaya BKF (Aleksin, Tula region). Part of the SFT Group Bratsk LPK (Bratsk, Irkutsk region). Part of the Ilim Group Vishera Pulp and Paper Mill (Krasnovishersk, Perm Territory) Pulp and paper mill "Volga" (Balakhna, Nizhny Novgorod region) Vyborg pulp (Leningrad region) Yenisei Pulp and Paper Mill (Krasnoyarsk Territory) Kamenskaya BKF (Kuvshinovo, Tver region). Part of the SFT Group Kondopoga Pulp and Paper Mill. (Kondopoga) Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill (Koryazhma, Arkhangelsk region). Part of the Ilim Group Neman Pulp and Paper Mill (Kaliningrad region) Pulp plant "Pitkyaranta" (Pitkyaranta). Svetogorsk Pulp and Paper Mill (Svetogorsk, Leningrad region) Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill (Segezha) Selenga Central Control Commission (Republic of Buryatia) Sokolsky Pulp and Paper Mill (Vologda region) Solombala Pulp and Paper Mill (Arkhangelsk) - production stopped Syktyvkar forestry complex (Komi Republic) Syassky Pulp and Paper Mill (Syasstroy, Leningrad region) Ust-Ilimsk forestry complex (Ust-Ilimsk, Irkutsk region). Part of the Ilim Group PPM Kama (Krasnokamsk) Mari Pulp and Paper Mill (Volzhsk, Mari El) LLC "Kuzbass SCARAB" (Kemerovo, Kemerovo region) OJSC "Solikamskbumprom" (Solikamsk, Perm region) CJSC "Proletary" (Surazh, Bryansk region) |
According to available information, about 80% of all pulp and paper products are produced by the 15 largest enterprises. At the same time, foreign capital is present in at least every second such enterprise. The remaining 160-180 enterprises account for 20% of production. In conditions of intensified competition, it is these relatively small industries that are under attack, often located far from large industrial centers and performing city-forming functions for their municipalities. It is clear that their withdrawal from the market will have an extremely negative impact on the social situation of small towns and villages.
Measures to support the development of Russian pulp and paper industry, taken at the state level 1. List of priority investment projects approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia in October 2008. 2. Comprehensive Program for the Development of Biotechnology in the Russian Federation for the period until 2020 (approved by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation in April 2012): Objective: creation of knowledge and technologies capable of, along with information and nanotechnologies, ensuring the modernization of the industrial sector; For a number of industries, including the forestry sector, modernization means a transition to biotechnological methods and products. 3. State program of the Russian Federation “Development of industry and increasing its competitiveness” (approved by order of the Government of the Russian Federation in December 2012): Stimulating the development of timber industry organizations to equalize macroeconomic conditions in the context of Russia's membership in the WTO; Development of industrial biotechnologies in forestry industry. 4. Action plan (Road Map) “Development of biotechnologies and genetic engineering” (approved by order of the Government of the Russian Federation in July 2013): Linked to the “Comprehensive Program for the Development of Biotechnology in the Russian Federation for the period until 2020”; Contains measures aimed at developing research and development, production potential and cooperation, improving government regulation and training in the field of biotechnology; Provides for the introduction in the fourth quarter of 2013 of changes to the subprogram “Development of the forestry complex” of the State Program for Industrial Development and the development of new subprograms. |
In order to adequately assess the current state of the industry, you need to be aware that the modernization taking place at Russian enterprises comes down, as a rule, to the purchase of good, high-quality, but “used” foreign equipment. In the vast majority of cases, we are dealing either with second-hand goods from Europe, or with Chinese equipment that is not always stable in quality. It is clear that such equipment is more affordable and allows for the production of high quality products. But at the same time, by installing such equipment, Russian manufacturers objectively narrow their prospects to the possibilities of the domestic market, effectively cutting off their path to Europe. In European markets, products produced with good quality equipment, but not the latest, will not be able to withstand competition. In other words, Russian enterprises, even those at the forefront, are deliberately focused on the domestic market.
It is high time for the state to pay attention to industrial science, which is completely in the background. After all, we have not developed a single new technology in recent years. In order to achieve at least the world average level, we are desperately short of engineering personnel that could be trained in collaboration with the world's leading institutions. There is no need to invent anything new. In other countries, a system of well-thought-out government support has long proven its effectiveness.
In this regard, the main goal of state policy in the forestry sector for Russia, which has unique natural capital, is to realize competitive advantages by maintaining quality, increasing the efficiency of use of natural resources, the depth of processing of forest resources and reducing the negative impact on the environment.
Factors (and conditions) contributing to the successful development of the forestry sector in the medium term should be: low cost of production, its competitiveness, unrealized potential for production development, and increasing its efficiency. The prospects for the industry as a whole and for each enterprise individually will depend on the dynamics of the changes taking place, on the speed and timeliness of decisions made. It is necessary to expand the domestic market and the markets of developing countries.
Possible results of the implementation of the Biotech-2030 programs for the Russian pulp and paper industryDevelopment of bioenergy through gasification of black liquor and solid biomass, production of biodiesel and bioethanol, production of pellets from wood waste and precipitated lignin. The use of biofuels to generate electricity and steam at pulp and paper enterprises will increase to 70% of total consumption; Production of new products based on biorefining - monomers and polymers (from wood processing waste), carbon fibers (from precipitated lignin); The percentage of pulp bleached without the use of chlorine products is 100%; Reducing specific water consumption per ton of product by 55%; Reducing specific energy consumption per ton of product by 30%; The degree of use of recycled fiber and cardboard is up to 52%. Gross profit in pulp and paper production will increase by 2.5 times. |
According to the FAO forecast (until 2020), low rates of demand growth are expected in European markets (no more than 1.5% per year). At the same time, China, which has become the second largest importer of forest products after the United States, is expected to maintain an order of magnitude higher import growth rate. The expansion of Russian production is also possible due to the domestic market, both due to an increase in demand (4-7% per year) and as a result of the displacement of imports (the current share in final product markets is from a third to a half).
The growth in production until 2020 will also be associated with the processes of Russia’s integration as a supplier of raw materials into global chains of involvement and processing of the world’s forest resources (similar to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, etc.).
We have no shortage of various strategies and government programs, where on paper the future looks very optimistic. Somewhere, the construction of eight new plants is planned; in other documents, 11 new production facilities are “drawn.” Of course, paper will endure anything, but such projections are too far from reality. It is not clear - who will build and for what money? It turns out according to the principle: the main thing is to crow, and then let it not dawn.
At the level of the country's leadership, we constantly hear talk about the need for public-private partnership. But it’s time to finally move from words to action!
Used materials:
Statistics from the Federal State Statistics Service and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
Analytics of RAO Bumprom.