Having restored all its production units, the newly launched Kerala Paper Products Limited (KPPL), a State-owned public sector unit at Velloor in Kottayam, is all set to kick-start commercial production of newsprint.
According to Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, the company will roll out its first reel of paper soon after its formal inauguration by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Thursday.
“The revival of the Hindustan Newsprint Limited, a Central public sector unit that remained defunct for three years, as KPPL definitely signals an alternative model of industrial development. This is a historical, one-of-its-kind moment as such comebacks are so rare in the country’s industrial history,’‘ says Mr. Rajeeve.
Taking over the company, which had faced insolvency for long, through a resolution plan, the Kerala government has rolled out a strategic plan in four phases for its revival and sustained operations. The outlay for the revival plan comprising the first two phases is ₹154.39 crore and the third phase envisages capacity expansion and product portfolio diversification, entailing an investment of ₹650 crore in 27 months.
“On completion of the revival programme, the KPPL shall be able to commence the operations with the production of lower grammages of newsprint (42 GSM & 45 GSM) and printing paper (52 GSM-70 GSM), mainly for notebook and textbook segments,’‘ says the Minister.
The fourth phase of operations will be centered on restructuring the existing machinery towards production of packaging grades of craft paper. It requires an investment of ₹350 crore and a time period of 17 months for implementation. In the final phase, the company is expected to achieve a turnover of about ₹3,000 crore with a production capacity of more than 5,00,000 tonnes per annum.
While the initial production is planned using own deinked pulp and purchased pulp from the Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL), the unit looks to undertake production with own pulping streams in future. As part of it, a couple of meetings with the Forest Minister have already been convened.
Plans are also afoot to roll out a State-wide programme to collect used papers through the Kudumbashree Mission.
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Printable version | Jun 9, 2022 7:10:04 am | https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kppl-set-to-roll-out-its-first-reel-of-paper-on-thursday/article65422820.ece