APPM has adopted the Sulphate (Kraft) Process for Pulping. Our major raw materials are Casuarina and Subabul. These raw materials are chipped in drum type of chippers in a fixed proportion and the chips are screened to get the required size (5mm - 35mm). The dust generated is fed to a Bio-Gas plant to generate producer gas. This producer gas is used in Lime kilns to replace Furnace oil.

The fiberline has been supplied by M/s ANDRITZ OY, FINLAND with a continuous digester and an ECF bleaching sequence.

The Cooking process of wood chips is carried out in the continuous digester (Lo-Solids cooking).This Lo-solids continuous cooking process is first of its kind in the country. Chips are first pre-steamed in Diamond back chip bin and then charged to the digester. Transportation of the chips from Diamond back chip bin to the digester is done by pumping the chips along with white liquor by three chip pumps installed in series. The continuous digester is a single vertical vessel, where the chips along with the cooking liquor are charged at the top of the digester and the pulp is extracted from the bottom of the digester on a continuous basis. Cooking liquor is injected in to the digester in installments and Black liquor is extracted from the digester in phases maintaining low solids concentration across the digester through out cooking period. The initial washing of the pulp is done at the bottom of the digester before the stock is blown to the blow tank. The whole cooking process is the most energy efficient system as white liquor (cooking liquor) is pre-heated with black liquor extracted from the digesters. The cooking temperature is also lower than the conventional batch cooking, reducing damage to the cellulose during the cooking process. The blow is done at a much lower temperature than conventional cooking, hence generation of High Volume Low Concentration (HVLC) TRS gases from digester are at negligible level. The odor problem, generally associated with the conventional Kraft pulping process, is at its lowest, as the Non Condensable Gases (NCG) are collected and burnt in Lime kiln (LVHC gases from evaporator section) and Recovery Boiler (HVLC from blow tank and other tanks).

Pulp from the digester is blown to the blow tank and sent to brown stock washing. Pulp washing is accomplished in a single Drum Displacer Washer (ANDRITZ DD) equipped with two washing stages. The washed pulp is then sent to the Oxygen Delignification (ODL) stage. Black liquor is sent to the Soda Recovery Plant for chemical recovery.

Pulp from the Brown stock washer is sent to the Oxygen Bleaching (Oxygen Delignification) Stage. The process is carried out in two stages where the pulp is allowed to react with oxygen and sodium hydroxide at certain specified conditions. After reaction in ODL, the pulp is sent to the Pulp Screening Section to remove knots and shives. The screening process is carried out in three stages, the primary stage being a combined knotting and screening stage. Accepts from the screening stage are taken to the ODL washer, which again, is a DD washer. The washed pulp is then sent to the High Density (HD) storage tower.

With environmental pressures mounting on the Industry and the need for a more energy efficient and cost effective process of pulping and bleaching, the paper industry is hard pressed to adopt new and state-of-the-art technologies and APPM has adopted the ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) bleaching process. In this process, unlike in the standard bleaching processes, usage of Elemental Chlorine (Chlorine in gaseous form) is eliminated.

The generation of chlorinated organic compounds is comparatively lesser in ECF bleaching, thus lowering the AOX (Absorbable Organic Halogens) levels in the Bleach Plant effluents per ton of product. The generation of other pollutants like chlorinated phenols, dioxins and furans are also brought down to a minimum level when compared to the standard bleaching sequences. Thus ECF bleaching reduces the impact of pollutants on the environment by reducing their generation during the bleaching process.

The bleaching sequence is an ECF sequence with Do EOP D1 as the sequential stages. Pulp is treated with chlorine dioxide in the Do stage with specified conditions and washed before being sent to the Extraction stage. In the Extraction stage, the pulp is treated with oxygen and hydrogen peroxide under specified conditions and washed again. The extracted and washed pulp is then sent to the D1 stage where it is treated again with chlorine dioxide. After reaction with chlorine dioxide, the pulp is washed again and sent to a HD (High Density) storage Tower from where the pulp is taken to the paper machine/wetlap machine. The final brightness of the pulp is maintained at 88-89% ISO.

Bleached pulp from the HD storage tower is supplied to Five paper machines via a centralized refining system. In the centralized refining system, the freeness level is brought up to 24° SR. Refiners located at the individual machines then obtain the required freeness levels, for the various grades of paper. The centralized refining concept has been introduced to conserve energy. Bleached pulp from HD tower is supplied separately to Paper machine No 6, which has its own independent pulp refining system.

In the Stock Preparation Section, various additives like Rosin, Alum, PAC, AKD, etc. together with the required dyes are added and the stock is made ready for papermaking. APPM has both MG (Machine Glazed) and MF (Machine Finished) paper machines with size press arrangement on the MF machines to impart starch coating on the surface of the paper. Most modern calendar stacks are provided to impart smoothness to the paper. Hydraulic head box, Duo Former, etc. are some of the new concepts introduced on the paper machines.

Paper is cut into folio sheet (if the order is in sheets) on Duplex as well as Simplex cutters and converted into reels in case of reel orders.  APPM also produces cut sheets on A4 lines. The reels are packed on a semi automatic reel-packing machine

On the soda recovery front, APPM has the most modern, state-of-the-art evaporation plant (Free Flow Falling Film Evaporators) to concentrate the liquor to 75% solids. Recovery boiler (the biggest single recovery boiler in the country) incinerates the black liquor and produces steam at 64 ATA. In the Recausticizing Section, APPM has employed the CD filter technology (yet another first in the country) for white liquor separation from the causticizing slurry in place of the conventional white liquor clarifier. The CD Filter is a highly compact equipment, first of its kind in the country. Limekilns provide for lime mud re-burning, thus taking care of the solid waste disposal.

APPM has installed a 34 MW Double Extraction Condensing type turbine to meet its power requirements. Initially, the turbine is supplied with steam generated from the Recovery boiler to produce 18-20 MW of power. Once the power the Boiler comes into operation, the TG will generate power to its full capacity.