ANDRITZ to Supply World’s First Fibreboard Recycling Line to Sonae Arauco, Portugal

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order to supply a dry fibreboard recycling line to Sonae Arauco’s mill in Mangualde, Portugal.

The line will recycle end-of-life fibreboards back into valuable fibres as new raw material for fibreboard production. It will be the first industrial-scale fibreboard recycling line in the world.

Recycling fibreboards is an important step towards a circular economy. It reduces the consumption of natural resources and energy. We know ANDRITZ as a strong supplier of solutions for the fibreboard industry and are convinced that they are the right partner for our innovative fibreboard recycling project.

Paulo Pinto De Sousa, Director at Sonae Arauco

The dry fibreboard recycling line is based on continuous steam treatment with a special discharging system using the ANDRITZ Steam-Ex discharger, which minimises steam consumption and maintenance requirements. This allows continuous processing of fibreboard material with very low steam consumption and high runnability.

By combining our proven pressurised refining systems with ANDRITZ Steam-Ex, our pre-treatment process based on steam explosion, we have developed an efficient solution for fibreboard recycling. We are proud that Sonae Arauco placed their trust in us to build world’s first industrial-scale fibreboard recycling line.

Michael Frint, Technology Director at ANDRITZ

Start-up of the fibreboard recycling line is scheduled for the second quarter of 2025.

Sonae Arauco is one of the world’s largest producers of wood-based panels. This order confirms ANDRITZ’s market position as the leading supplier of machines and systems for the fibreboard industry, and its expertise in high-quality and resource-saving components.