Successful press section rebuild at Fibre Excellence SAS Provence in France

The Fibre Excellence SAS Provence mill in Tarascon, France, produces around 250,000 tons of pulp per year, which is processed into many everyday products, including hygiene products, packaging and filter papers. The rebuild was a part of a modernization plan, which included 180 million euros of investments over four years.

Valmet’s delivery for the press section rebuild included new top feltings, the patented Valmet Pressurized Felt Conditioning System, felts and a new lump breaker roll. Spare parts, mechanical erection of supplied equipment, and site advisory services were also included.

Taking decisive steps

“In 2020, we initiated a partnership aimed at debottlenecking the pulp dryer. The rebuild of the press section was a decisive step in this process. The performance achieved has exceeded our common objectives,” said Yannick Duperrier, Senior Mill Sales Manager at Valmet.

Jussi Hyvönen, Sales Manager, Pulp Drying at Valmet, explains the benefits of the new press section. “The machine is designed for unbleached softwood kraft pulp (UKP). With this investment, the dryness out of press section increased and machine runnability improved. The new parts have a design capacity of 900 air-dried tons per day, to be prepared for future capacity increases.”

Seamless cooperation

The installation of the new press section at Fibre Excellence SAS Provence mill was completed on schedule, thanks to careful planning and effective teamwork. The project met its targets, and the pulp drying line is no longer a bottleneck in production.

“Installing the first top felt through two nips was quite challenging,” Denis Houdault, Product Sales Manager, Fabrics at Valmet. “However, tail threading was completed swiftly, and with a few adjustments, we achieved high dryness levels after the press section.”

“During the start up, it was obvious that the dryness had improved, as we noticed considerable changes in the draws between the presses. We also observed during the tail threading that the web was a lot stronger after the third press,” said Cédric Barrat, Pulp Dryer Superintendent at Fibre Excellence SAS Provence. “We learned how to operate the new felt conditioning system, and in the end, it turned out to be pretty simple and effective design.”

Time to celebrate

“With good planning and the dedication of Valmet professionals and contractors, the installation and annual service overhaul were completed on schedule,” Petteri Kivirauma, Project Manager at Valmet, adds. “The startup proceeded smoothly, thanks to good cooperation with the mill’s production personnel.”

At the beginning of December 2024, a coffee and cake event was arranged at the customer site to celebrate the successful press section rebuild. This provided an excellent opportunity for the teams to come together, enjoy some celebratory cake, and share the success of the project. 

Valmet Pressurized Felt Conditioning System 

The Pressurized Felt Conditioning system is a unique solution designed to replace conventional vacuum pump-based systems. By blowing low-pressurized air through the press section, it effectively dewaters the press felts. The system offers easy adjustments to meet various dewatering requirements, providing full-range control over air pressures and volumes for maximum flexibility.

It reduces electrical power consumption by up to 50 percent compared to typical vacuum-based systems and achieves 100 percent savings in water consumption. In addition, the blowers take up less space than vacuum pumps, and they can be freely located in the machine hall, with the possibility to connect several felts to the same blowing unit.

The press section rebuild at Fibre Excellence SAS Provence wasn’t just an engineering exercise; it was a commitment to sustainability and operational excellence. By challenging industry standards and embracing innovation, this pulp mill can create a greener, more efficient future — one rebuild at a time.