As we head towards the end of another year, companies are now announcing strategies for the coming period but Ilim Group has gone one further by revealing a strategy until 2030 with a business plan to 2020. In this plan, it shows a $2 million investment into product development.

Currently, the company has three different production sites in Ust-Ilimsk, Bratsk, and Koyazhma and all three will see the benefit of the investment. As well as modernisation across the board, the sites will improve efficiency, reduce carbon footprint, and increase production. Over the next five years, production is set to increase by over 500ktpa by doing the following;

•    In Ust-Ilimsk, a new wood preparation plant will increase production by 100ktpa. Also, wastewater treatment will improve.

•    In Bratsk, 300ktpa will be added from a new wood preparation plant as well as an evaporation plant. Also, there are many plans to improve overall quality.

•    In Koryazhma, new bark boiler and turbines will aim to increase production by 130ktpa. In addition to this, the recovery boiler will be modernised along with lime regeneration, paper and paperboard machines, and the causticising plant.

Even after all of this work, the Group is discussing a production line for softwood pulp within the Ust-Ilimsk site. Although no decisions have been made just yet, we could hear by the end of the year.