RUSSIA (News release) -- Ilim Group's new pulp and paper mill in Ust-Ilimsk, Russia, has become the largest greenfield project in the Russian pulp and paper industry over the past few years. Once fully ramped up, the pulp and paper mill will produce 600 thousand tons of containerboard per year. The new facility with a total installed cost exceeding $1 billion will create 850 new jobs.

Upon project completion, Ilim will become one of the largest manufacturers of unbleached packaging materials globally with a total output of 1.5 million tons per year.

In the 2Q 2021, the Company will proceed with installation of a cardboard machine supplied by Voith. It will be the largest machine in Russia with width exceeding 9 meters, which will allow to produce wide range of formats.

In the 1Q 2021, the construction of treatment facilities began at the new pulp and paper mill, continued installation of equipment for wood-processing production, vacuum evaporation plant, soda recovery boiler, causticization and lime recovery workshop and other facilities.

The start of the trial run is scheduled for the 3Q 2022.

The new pulp and paper mill will be built in line with global environmental standards and best available technologies. It will utilize both softwood and hardwood. Every year Ilim Group performs reforestation activities in leased timberlands. As part of this work, the Company will set up a forest nursery with a capacity of 10 million ball-rooted seedlings (pine and spruce) in the Irkutsk region in 2022.

Ilim Group is the largest manufacturer of pulp and paper products in Russia.