PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL Driving decarbonization in modern papermaking. How advanced vacuum technology is helping Magnera slash energy use, cut emissions, and modernize papermaking. Oliver Six, Sales Manager Paper Industries, Everllence

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
Image 3: TURBAIR® systems use air and
high-speed impellers – instead of water – to
create vacuum and remove moisture from
the paper web. © Andrin Winteler / Everllence
Image 4: At the Gernsbach mill, waste
heat from the TURBAIR® system is reused
to preheat air and warm process water.
©Raphael Zubler / Everllence
Cutting Energy Consumption in Half
The answer came in the form of Everllence’s
next-generation TURBAIR® vacuum blowers.
Unlike conventional water-ring pumps,
TURBAIR® systems use air and high-speed impellers
to generate vacuum pressure. With fewer moving parts
and no dependence on water seals, the systems are
signi昀椀cantly more energy ef昀椀cient while also reducing
maintenance requirements.
The impact at Gernsbach was immediate
Each retro昀椀tted paper machine now saves
approximately €440,000 annually in electricity costs
alone. When reductions in gas and water consumption
are included, the total annual savings rise to between
€500,000 and €600,000 per machine.
“Each machine saves some €440,000 per year in
electricity consumption alone,” says Stangenberg.
The environmental bene昀椀ts are equally
signi昀椀cant. By halving electricity demand and reducing water
consumption, the new systems are helping Magnera lower both
operational costs and carbon emissions at the same time.
Turning Waste Heat Into Opportunity
The modernization project extended beyond vacuum
technology itself.
Engineers also introduced heat recovery systems designed
to capture waste heat generated during production. On one paper
machine, a heat-to-heat air exchanger recovers 130°C air from
the TURBAIR® blower and uses it to preheat fresh air entering the
drying process. On another machine, an air-to-water exchanger
transfers waste heat into process water used elsewhere in
production.
The result is a highly integrated ef昀椀ciency system where
energy that would once have been lost is now reused inside the mill.
For an industry under growing pressure to decarbonize,
these types of circular energy solutions are becoming increasingly
important.
Retro昀椀tting a 140-Year-Old Mill
Modernizing a historic industrial site is rarely straightforward.
At Gernsbach, limited installation space inside the mill’s
basement created major logistical challenges. The TURBAIR®
units were 昀椀rst assembled at Everllence’s facility in Zurich, then
dismantled, transported, and reassembled inside the paper mill
itself.
Production teams were initially cautious about the transition,
concerned that replacing core vacuum systems could disrupt
operations. Instead, the switchover proved remarkably smooth.
The 昀椀rst installation took just one day, while the second
required only two and a half days. Production interruptions were
minimal, and operators quickly noticed improved dewatering
performance thanks to the system’s more stable vacuum conditions.
“We were able to integrate a state-of-the-art system into
a company with over 140 years of tradition without interrupting
production,” says Rudi Ewert, Senior Sales Manager at Everllence.
“Each machine saves some €440,000 per year in electricity consumption alone,”
Paul Stangenberg, Project Manager at Magnera.
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