Paper Technology Journal - Voith

of < 5%. Through washing, some clear
differences in substance losses can be
seen. The differences in yield can represent
8 percentage points or more. A representative
yield value for the RCF plant
is 58% to 60%.
Personnel costs
Personnel costs are determined by the
following parameters:
■ Plant design
■ Ratio of employees with fixed job
specifications to employees with
variable job specifications
■ Wet lap plant/drying
■ Power and steam generation
■ Effluent treatment.
Energy costs
Energy costs are mainly determined by:
■ Plant design
■ Availability of a drying plant for the
deinked pulp and
■ Availability of an existing power
station.
Chemical costs
The chemical costs depend on plant design
and finished stock requirements.
Disposal costs
The disposal costs for the sludge “produced”
depend on the one hand on the
disposal possibilities and costs and, on
the other hand, on the possibilities for
local re-utilization.
Stock Preparation
Freight costs
Freight costs for the deinked pulp are
determined by the distance from the mill
using it and by its dry content.
Fixed costs
Due to the low land requirements and
lower infrastructural needs, these costs
are below those of a pulp mill. The maintenance
and material costs are about the
same as those for a pulp mill.
Capital costs
Since most plants for producing market
deinked pulp (MDIP) have only recently
started up and have been financed with
public money, the amount of capital
expenditure is known. A recent comparison
produced the following specific capital
costs:
■ 800 US dollars per annual tonne
(design capacity) for a deinked pulp
plant with wet lap plant.
■ 1400 US dollars per annual tonne
(design capacity) for a deinked pulp
plant with drying plant.
Sales price
It is extremely difficult to give the latest
representative sales prices for deinked
pulps, the reason for this being the drop
in prices for virgin fibres. The market
price for wood-free deinked pulp is generally
oriented on southern hardwood
chemical pulps. Due to over-capacity in
the USA during 1995, 1996 and the beginning
of 1997, deinked pulps had to be
15
sold at considerably less than the price
for short fibre virgin chemical pulps. Following
stabilization of chemical pulp
prices, it is expected that deinked pulp
prices will stabilize, too. In the longterm,
UK Paper expects the DIP price to
stabilize around 100 US dollars under the
average price for northern long fibre
chemical pulps. An additional price reduction
can be expected for wet lap pulp.
Cost comparison for various MDIP plants
A recent study in which an independent
institute compared 17 wood-free deinked
pulp plants showed the RCF plant of UK
Paper to be the plant with the most
favourable cost structure.
The advantages of the Kemsley plant lie
in the low freight costs due to the ideal
local situation as well as in the low personnel
and disposal costs. Yield is comparable
with that of other similar plants.
The costs for process chemicals, fixed
costs and personnel costs are comparable
with those of other wet lap plants.
The more recent, large deinked pulp
plants with drying plants are very costintensive
as regards operation and capital
investment. Financial difficulties are
therefore to be expected during phases
of over-capacity. Provided the smaller,
less capital intensive deinked pulp systems
with wet lap plant can satisfy the
demands of the writing and printing paper
manufacturers and freight charges
can be kept within limits, operation in
the profit zone can be expected.