The second phase revival and restart programme of the Kerala Paper Products Limited (KPPL), a State-owned public sector unit in Velloor, will begin on Friday.
According to officials, the second phase of works, initiated at a cost of ₹44.94 crore, envisages speeding up operationalisation of wood-pulping streams (Chemical Pulping Plant and Mechanical Pulping Plant) , along with the Chemical Recovery Plant and related auxiliary systems. The wood pulping streams, together with the recycled pulp, shall be able to meet the raw material requirement of the KPPL for production at full capacity, doing away with dependence on the imported pulp and bringing down the cost.
About 100 personnel have been hired on contract basis for the second phase.
Commenting on the development, Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said it was the first time in the country's industrial history that a company, which had been closed for more than three years, was bouncing back to life.
“A meeting of the Principal Secretaries of the Industries and Forest departments was convened on the raw material required for the factory in the second phase. Procedures for allotment of different types of wood from the estates under possession of the erstwhile Hindustan Newsprint Limited and the Forest department will be completed soon,” said Mr.Rajeeve.
Meanwhile, the company has completed over 50% of the maintenance activities in the paper machine and power boiler plants , taken up as part of the phase one restoration. A water-trial of the De-inking plant for recycled pulp too has been carried out.
KPPL officials , meanwhile, pointed out that the global pulp supply scenario was currently witnessing unprecedented turmoil with the pulp prices showing a sharp upward swing --a situation further aggravated by the Ukraine-Russia War.
“All out efforts are being undertaken to partially meet the deficit of imported pulp by sourcing indigenous pulp from different mills till the supply and price levels of imported pulp is eased out. Efforts are also on to source maximum quantities white cuttings and office wastepaper, especially the entire quantities from the governmental institutions,” said a company official.
The total outlay for the revival plan is ₹154.39 crore including the working capital component of ₹75.15 crore. At the successful completion of the revival programme, the company will be able to commence operations with the production of lower grammages of newsprint and unsurface-sized grades of writing and printing paper.
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Printable version | Mar 17, 2022 8:56:12 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/second-phase-of-kppl-revival-to-begin-today/article65234779.ece