NEWS
150 years of Palm Paper & inauguration of the world's largest paper machine
On September 16, 2022, the Palm company celebrated its 150th anniversary at its headquarters in Aalen-Neukochen and at the same time the inauguration of the world's currently largest and most modern paper machine "PM 5" for corrugated base paper. Between 2019-2022, the existing paper mill was completely dismantled and a completely new paper mill was built around the "PM 5". In addition to the huge hall for "PM 5", a new roll store, a new power plant based on a gas turbine, and a new wastewater treatment plant were also built. Borgel Elementbau enclosed the new buildings with facade elements for 42,000 m2 of roof and 25,500 m2 of wall and ensured "loss-free" steam exhaust for the paper machine hall.
Superlatives and investment for a successful future: The 200-meter-long "PM 5" operates at an operating speed of around 1,800 meters per minute, its capacity is 750,000 tons per year. Its water consumption is significantly lower than previous models, and steam and electricity consumption have also been optimized. In the new power plant, a high-performance gas turbine from Siemens operates on the principle of cogeneration to produce steam and electricity, with an energy efficiency of 90 percent. It is also a world first, enabling higher power generation and lower CO2 emissions, and can also compensate for load fluctuations in the power grid. Together with the world's largest steam boiler, the gas and electricity turbine produces around 80 MW of electricity.
The new, large roller storage facility is located opposite the machine hall. In a fully automated transport system, the paper rolls coming from the "PM 5" are labeled and transported to the roll store with the help of conveyor belts and cranes. Stored in stacks up to 15 meters high, they arrive at the loading ramp later. They are loaded onto rail cars and trucks and transported to the customer there.