ABB contracted by Stora Enso to optimize production efficiency with MES at two Swedish board mills

Stora Enso, a leading global provider of renewable solutions, has contracted ABB to upgrade two of their mills in Sweden to ABB AbilityTM Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for pulp and paper to manage and streamline end-to-end production and improve overall mill efficiency.

Migrating to ABB’s MES will offer new functionalities and customized features that meet Stora Enso’s specific site requirements. Most importantly, the system will interface with the mill’s ERP, DCS, QCS, WIS, laboratory devices and more for true integration and greater visibility over systems and processes across the entire manufacturing chain. This will give operators, supervisors, production engineers and plant managers the insights to act and optimize, in turn improving productivity and end-product quality while reducing waste.

The contract includes deployment at two of Stora Enso’s sites. Skoghall Mill is a modern manufacturer of renewable and recyclable premium board. Around one in six liquid packaging board cartons in the world comes from Skoghall Mill. Skoghall Mill also produces bleached and unbleached kraft pulp using a single fiber line with continuous cooking, and Chemi-ThermoMechanical Pulp (CTMP). The Forshaga barrier coating site, situated 30 kilometers north of Skoghall, manufactures and develops a wide range of barrier solutions and laminates that are required in certain packaging to keep food fresh and extend shelf life.

“Stora Enso’s upgrade to ABB’s MES has been carefully planned to meet their requirements and ultimately improve production efficiency and quality management at their mills,” said Jyrki Juvonen, Business Development Manager, ABB AbilityTM MES, ABB. “ABB’s MES provides the key elements that will give Stora Enso a competitive advantage by enabling higher plant efficiency and productivity, as well as greater flexibility throughout the production processes.”

The delivery includes layering ABB’s Production Planning, Production Management, Quality Data Management, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Diary and Operative Reporting modules with interfaces to ABB and third-party systems. All will be supported by a global service contract, going live after start-up in 2023. The integration will streamline management and provide seamless orchestration and synchronization of all the parties involved in mill operations while also mitigating cyber security risks.