ABB nets service contract at Sappi paper mill

London – Sapppi has awarded ABB a five-year ‘maintenance improvement agreement’ to manage and improve all maintenance activities at their Nijmegen coated fine paper mill in The Netherlands.

Under the performance-based deal, ABB is to manage all maintenance operations to improve overall productivity and equipment reliability at the mill, and retain and further develop all existing maintenance staff and management.

ABB will focus on process optimisation and equipment lifecycle management at the site, and manage all maintenance related third-party subcontractors and suppliers. It will also help the mill to reduce its energy consumption while achieving these production efficiencies.

At the Nijmegen mill, Sappi aims to generate the economic returns necessary to maintain a sustainable business, minimise its impact on the environment and develop the skills of the workforce.

The maintenance deal is expected to deliver “an improvement in paper machine performance reliability and efficiency that, in turn, enables us to better and predictably serve our customers with great product. Equally important, we aim to provide a work environment that allows growth and achievement for our people.” said Wayne Thomas, mill director at Sappi Nijmegen.