Swedish hygiene and speciality paper manufacturer Essity will close its Tawd plant in the UK on 1 September 2024.

The consultation process for the closure began in April 2024.

The mill has a capacity to produce approximately 30,000 tpy of TAD paper, which is converted at Essity’s Manchester plant into branded and retail brand consumer tissue products, a company spokesperson explained in response to an enquiry from EUWID. In future, the converting plant will be supplied with TAD paper from the integrated tissue production facility in Manchester and from the Prudhoe plant. The company does not plan to buy tissue externally.

Essity had already shut down the smaller of the two paper machines at the Oakenholt site in the spring. The production of the smaller machine was transferred to the second and larger PM, reducing the total capacity in Oakenholt from 72,000 tpy to 48,000 tpy of tissue paper. This decision was taken due to a combination of factors, including changes in demand and the urgent need for new investment in infrastructure, explained the Essity spokesperson.

Construction of Unifibres complex on track

Essity is currently also modernising its largest UK plant, Prudhoe, which can produce up to 94,000 tpy of tissue. In spring the modernisation of the combustion system on a through-air drying (TAD) tissue machine carried out by Andritz was completed.

The construction of the new £30m recycled fibre facility at the Prudhoe mill is on track for completion in Q2 2025. The construction phase was completed earlier this year and the interior fit out is ongoing, the spokesperson said.

The new Unifibres plant will enable Essity to also use lower recycled paper grades for tissue production in Prudhoe in the future.

Source: EUWID Pulp and Paper