The TEEAM Membership Recruitment Sub-Committee organised a technical visit to Malaysian Newsprint Industries Sdn Bhd (MNI)’s newsprint plant in Temerloh- Mentakab on 16th June 2012. Some 39 members (14 members from the Perak Association) participated in the visit, headed by Ir Chang Yew Cheong (Membership Recruitment Chairman).
The visit was an eye opener to the members. A briefing on MNI was presented by Mr Barry Yeap Chee Man (Paper Machine Manager) and thereafter members were taken to a plant tour where they had the opportunity to view the generators/plants used and how newsprint is being produced. The energy requirement uses biomass from palm oil mill waste.
During the tour Mr Lim Kok Hui (Mill Electrical & Engineering Manager) briefed the members with sufficient information on the plant used and its functions.
MNI is a 100% recycling Newsprint Mill and the leading Newsprint provider in Malaysia. A 42 bar biomass boiler was implemented in 2009. The energy supply is thus turned sustainable – substituting large oil fired boiler. The new boiler produces steam for the paper process and is furthermore able to produce up to 7 MW of electricity for its own consumption. The biomass boiler uses excess biomass residue from nearby palm oil mills, which typically consists of empty fruit bunches, fibers and palm kernel shells. Apart from palm residues, the boiler is also able to use wood waste from nearby wood industry when available.
The project secures carbon neutral energy production by supporting the switch from fossil fuel to biomass. This reduces the CO2 emissions from the MNI production significantly. The transportation and handling of biomass cause small emissions of green house gas, but these are included in the overall emission reduction calculation.
MNI is a joint venture between three Malaysian companies and a Norwegian company, set up for the purpose of developing a world scale, state-of-the-art newsprint plant in Malaysia. The shareholders are New Strait Times Press, Hong Leong Group, Rimbunan Hijau Group and Norske Skog Industrier ASA.
The three Malaysian partners are major newspaper publishers in Malaysia. Together they account for almost 70 % of the newspaper publishing industry in Malaysia comprising some of the most popular daily newspapers in the country such as The New Strait Times, Berita Harian, Nanyang Siang Pau, China Press and Sin Chew Jit Poh.
The foreign partner, Norske Skog Industrier ASA is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of newsprint. MNI is now the pioneer of the most sophisticated technology in Malaysia – one ranked amongst the world’s top newsprint production facilities, with an annual capacity of over 260,000 tonnes of newsprint production per year. Its water treatment plant capacity is 15,000 m3/day.
Members of TEEAM wish to record their appreciation and thanks to MNI for the interesting technical visit and warm hospitality.
