Proposal for removing JCP Hot‐Spot No. 98.2 under the name “Szczecin‐Skolwin” Paper Mill situated in Szczecin, Poland. 1.
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Name of hot‐spot: “Szczecin‐Skolwin” Paper Mill, now: Skolwin Paper International sp. z o.o. in liquidation bankruptcy. Number of hot‐spot: 98.2 Place: Szczecin, West Pomeranian Province, Poland [the plant is situated in a northern district of Szczecin, Skolwin, at the Odra River (the Skolwin Channel), about 70 km from the Baltic Sea shore]. Reason for creating the hot‐spot: Significant influence on the environment due to industrial waste discharges connected with paper and cellulose production and emission to the atmosphere from the local industrial boiler room. Reason for removing the hot‐spot: Discontinuance of production in October 2007 and declaration of liquidation bankruptcy in January 2008 by a court in Szczecin. All technological systems were shut down and the liquidation of assets process was initiated by sales of assets connected with demounting equipment. Industrial waste is no longer produced, industrial sewage discharges are no longer generated and there is no emission of gases or dusts. Characteristics of the paper mill in Szczecin‐Skolwin Information concerning production and environmental issues before and after discontinuing production. “Skolwin Paper International Sp. z o.o.” (SPI) company was established on March 29, 2006 on the basis of assets of Fabryka Papieru Szczecin‐Skolwin S.A with a view to continue over a hundred‐year tradition of paper production in Skolwin /Szczecin. The owner of 100% of shares is a Dutch concern Nørhaven A/S, which is now also in the state of bankruptcy announced in July 2009 by a court in Szczecin. The company’s business in the time of its economic activity was primarily: • production of pulp • production of paper and cardboard as well as paper and cardboard packaging • production of paper household items, toiletries and sanitary articles • production of other paper and cardboard articles I.
Basic data describing production capability of SPI [before bankruptcy declaration] 2
1. Fibres Preparation Department. 1.1. Debarking Department. Debarking Drum with water bark transport ‐ capacity: 35mp/h. Lear Built 1983 ‐ polish supplier from Bytom. 1.2. Grinders Department. • 8 chain grinders (6 „small” i 2 „big”, 7 units by Voith Sulzer, built year 1954‐1966, 1 unit by Fampa Cieplice, year built: 1988). • Grinders Capacity: - Small Grinder 12 Mg/24h; - Big Grinder 36 Mg/24h. • Total Grinders Department output ‐ 150 Mg dry weight of ground wood pulp/24 h • Screening System ‐ III ° screening system with pressure screens Beloit CM30. 1.3. Cellulose Preparation: • Horizontal pulpers (4 units) by Voith Sulzer Pulper - volume 16m3; - concentration 4,5%. • Disc refiners ST 660S 1.4. Deinking Line. • Installed In December 2002, second hand equipment - output 30 Mg/ 24 h,. 2. Paper Machines. 2.1. Paper Machine 1 ( PM1). • Fourdriner paper machine with Dilution Voith Headbox – type Modul‐Jet and Profilmatic System to regulate basic weight (grammage) cross profile, built year: 1952 by Voith Sulzer; modernization: 1966‐2006 Production profile: newsprint and bulky paper - basic weight (grammage) range 45÷65 g/m2; - wire width 5920 mm; - speed on the reeler: 560 m/min; - daily output of paper 45 g/m2: 175 Mg/24h. • winder type 85 1‐ML 545 by Voith Sulzer , built year: 1996; - working Width: 5520 mm; - maximum Speed 2500 m/min 2.2. Paper Machine 3 (PM3). • Fourdriner Machine with Yankee cylinder, built year: 1952 by Valmet Company; regeneration of Yankee Cylinder cover by Metso Paper in2001; Production of cellulose kraft paper one side smoothness; - grammage range: 28÷90 g/m2; - wire width: 3550 mm; - reeler speed: 60÷150 m/min; - daily output: 17÷24 Mg/24h. • Winder type PS 18 II by Valmet, built year: 1953; - working width: 3200 mm; - maximum speed: 800 m/min. 3
3. Combined Heat and Power Plant. For internal use the paper mill operated a combined heat and power plant with 3 steam boilers with mechanical stokers and mechanical chute of coil. • Boilers’ type: radiating boiler EKM 50/40 made by DDR, built years: 1953‐1961 • Boilers’ output: 50 Mg of steam of 4,4 Mpa, temp. 450 oC, stokers’ area 48 m2 • Boilers was firing by II class fine coal Only one from three boilers was working in recent years. ENEA S.A. from Paznan is the owner of the boilers. SPI sp. z o.o. in bankruptcy leased boilers in recent years and currently is providing a depositing service for ENEA. II. Influence on the environment. On October 4, 2006, by decision of the West Pomeranian Province Marshall SPI obtained an integrated environmental permit No. SR ‐ Ś‐8/6619/32/06. The permit regulated the business activity of SPI sp. z o.o. as regards the issue of its influence on the environment. The influence of the plant on the environment was mainly connected with: • water consumption • processes involving combustion of fuels for energy generation purposes • production of sewage • production of waste Paper production requires using big amounts of water. Surface water consumption was systematically monitored and conducted in accordance with possessed environmental permits (including the permit required by Water Law Act). In the process of producing thermal and electric energy the plant used as fuel coal and biomass – sewage sludge and bark. Sewage produced in the plant area was mechanically and biologically treated at the plant. The plant has a biological sewage treatment plant launched in 2001. It is prepared to work as an industrial and communal sewage treatment plant with capacity of 12,000 m3/day with a possibility of further increase. It enables treatment of 96% of sewage. The plant can take in and treat the following amounts of sewage: • 10,000 m3/day of paper sewage created as a result of the production process • 2,000 m3/day of communal sewage The plant was designed for population equivalent (PE) of around 36,000 using, for the first time in Poland, a modern ATS (aerobic‐thermophilic stabilization of sludge) technology with one process line, one activated sludge tank and two secondary precipitation tanks. Sludge created as a result of sewage treatment undergoes aerobic‐thermophilic stabilization in two ATS reactors and is later directed to the press for dehydration. After being dehydrated to dryness of around 50% sludge was burned in the plant boiler room. From the point of view of environmental protection as a whole, the most important activities of the plant were: ‐ using the best available technologies in production technology ‐ limiting loss of fibres and fillers ‐ using circulating water ‐ combined heat and power generation using co‐firing produced waste with coal ‐ ongoing introduction of water‐ and energy‐saving technological solutions ‐ proper storage and selective waste collection 4
As a result of good water‐sewage management the plant had little direct influence on the surface water of the river Oder. Constant reducing suspension of solids in sewage by treating circulating water and mechanical treatment of sewage improves the functioning o the biological sewage treatment plant and minimises emission of pollutants into water. The main fibrous raw material for the paper mill – wood, came from renewable resources. Using waste paper as a source of secondary fibres and a higher degree of retrieving fibre from circulating water resulted in saving raw materials and energy necessary for the production of these materials. Co‐firing energy fuel with biomass resulted in energy recovery from organic waste and minimised the amount of stored waste. The functioning of the system in normal conditions did not involve discharging waste to underground waters. The plant did not (and does not) draw underground waters. Waste dumps situated in places determined in the integrated environmental permit had insignificant influence on underground waters and did not have any influence on polluting the nearby surface watercourse (the Cieśnica Channel). Air emissions from the area of the plant did not exceed any norms of permissible air quality and thus did not have any negative effect on neighbouring grounds. Technologies used at SPI in the years 2006 – 2008 (from the moment of establishing the company on the basis of Fabryka Papieru Szczecin Skolwin S.A. to the moment of discontinuing production and later – declaring bankruptcy) significantly limited influence on the environment as a whole and the activity of the plant did not cause any cross‐border or long‐distance impact. III. Conclusions In keeping with its manufacturing profile and technology of SPI’s production with dominant use of wood pulp in the production of chemical paper‐pulp, the recommendations of HELCOM No. 16/4 and 17/8 were not applicable in case of SPI. Additionally the factory was met all the conditions in the scope of the Best available Technologies. After discontinuing production in October 2007 all technological systems were shut down and after declaring liquidation bankruptcy of the company in January 2008 by a court in Szczecin the liquidation of assets process was initiated by sales of assets connected with demounting equipment. Industrial waste is no longer produced, industrial sewage discharges are no longer generated and there is no emission of gases or dusts. Ecological expertise No. 1/10/03/09/EP ordered by SPI sp. z o.o. in bankruptcy upon agreement with the trustee of Nørhaven A/S in bankruptcy and conducted in April 2009 by EKOLOG‐POL company from Police confirmed the absence of ecological threats and absence of contamination in the area of the plant after discontinuing production and during bankruptcy proceedings of SPI aiming at liquidating the bankruptcy estate assets. Stored waste was identified and described – there was no dangerous waste or waste containing asbestos detected and stored waste was defined as having no influence on underground waters. Identified waste will be sold for further use (slag, rubble, bark) or transferred to a competent company in order to be utilised (waste paper decolourising sludge) or stored in waste dumps (mineral wool, roofing paper, etc.). 5