Starkraft, business unit of Zellstoff Pöls, successfully starts up its second paper machine


Built with an investment volume of 130 million euros in a construction time of 17 months, the new PM3 can produce 100,000 metric tons of kraft paper per year. The new machine increases the total paper production capacity of the Styrian plant to 200,000 metric tons per year, making Zellstoff Pöls AG one of the globally leading manufacturers of white kraft paper. With this investment, the company continues its ambitious growth course in this segment, which was started with the commissioning of the PM2 in 2013.
The location’s market pulp capacity of roughly 400,000 metric tons per year will not be affected by the increased paper production since the production of pulp will also be expanded further in Pöls.
“The new PM3 is an important part of our strategic growth plan and was designed with a clear focus on low grammage specifically for packaging paper in the food industry and in the hygiene segment because the market for this type of paper is growing rapidly. But we also focus on expansion on a different front in Pöls: we are currently working on diversifying towards unbleached pulp, creating the basis for brown kraft paper and the construction of another paper machine,” says Kurt Maier, CEO of Heinzel Group.