Valmet will modify the recovery boiler at Stora Enso’s Varkaus Mill in Finland, including the installation of a new secondary superheater, as part of a lifecycle investment intended to improve operational stability and reduce maintenance requirements.

The companies have also signed a three-year cooperation agreement covering process monitoring, remote support and operator training.

Installation of the new superheater is scheduled for September 2027, while Valmet will begin providing maintenance services during the recovery boiler’s annual shutdown in 2026.

New Secondary Superheater Planned for 2027

Valmet’s equipment delivery includes replacing the recovery boiler’s existing secondary superheater with a Valmet tubular superheater.

The current superheater arrangement will also be modified as part of the installation.

Recovery boilers are a critical part of the kraft pulping process, recovering chemicals from black liquor while generating steam from its organic content. Their reliability can therefore directly affect pulp production and the wider energy balance of an integrated mill.

Stora Enso expects the modification to improve the stability of the Varkaus operation and reduce maintenance costs.

“We expect the new superheater and additional modifications to bring further stability to the mill’s operation and lower its maintenance costs,” said Antti Aartolahti, operation manager at Stora Enso Varkaus Pulp Mill.

Three-Year Agreement Adds Process Monitoring and Training

The project extends beyond the physical boiler modification.

Under the separate three-year cooperation agreement, Valmet will provide process monitoring services, remote support and operator training to the Varkaus mill.

The objective is to support continuous performance improvement and help mill personnel maintain the recovery boiler under optimal operating conditions.

Valmet will also participate in maintenance activities during the mill’s 2026 annual recovery boiler shutdown, approximately a year before installation of the new superheater.

This creates a longer service relationship around the boiler rather than limiting Valmet’s involvement to the 2027 equipment installation.

Karoliina Gunnila, sales manager for Services, Recovery, Energy and Circularity at Valmet, described the modification as a lifecycle investment supporting reliable production at Varkaus.

Varkaus Produces Containerboard and Pulp

Stora Enso’s Varkaus Mill has annual production capacity of approximately 420,000 tonnes of containerboard and 335,000 tonnes of pulp.

The combination of pulp and board production makes reliable recovery operations particularly important to the integrated manufacturing site.

Recovery boiler maintenance and component replacement are also significant considerations for established kraft pulp mills because boiler components operate under demanding thermal and chemical conditions.

Rather than adding new production capacity, the Varkaus project is focused on maintaining the reliability and performance of existing infrastructure.

Order Booked in Valmet’s Second Quarter

Valmet booked the order in its second-quarter 2026 orders received.

Neither the value of the recovery boiler modification nor the three-year cooperation agreement has been disclosed.

The main equipment delivery and installation are scheduled for September 2027.

The project represents another example of capital spending by European pulp and paper producers focused on asset reliability and lifecycle modernization, where maintaining the performance of existing mill infrastructure can be as important as investing in additional production capacity.

For Stora Enso Varkaus, the investment combines a physical upgrade to a critical recovery boiler component with longer-term process monitoring, maintenance support and operator development.

Valmet supplies process technologies, automation and services to the pulp, paper and energy industries.

Last Updated on 31/08/2026 by Jota Machinery