Project Preparation
In order to gain certainty about the economic aspects and feasibility of expansion and new construction measures, we provide preparatory consulting and create informative studies. As a result, we determine the optimal expansion options for your project.
Expanding Production Capacity
You want to expand your production capacity and want to know what it will cost? You want to ensure that your money is invested effectively? We can help you with our over 20 years of accumulated experience in creating feasibility studies and develop the necessary budget plan for your investment.
We provide guidance on the current state of the art and beyond. Our project studies explore potentials, identify alternatives, and ultimately lead to a foundation upon which you can make the optimal decision. Whether it's a new construction or an expansion utilizing existing facilities.
More about our consulting services
On this page, you will find details about our services in project preparation
What do our project studies aim to achieve?
What is the right answer to your problem? How can a goal be achieved innovatively, with minimal effort, or maximum cost-effectiveness? There are many ways to reach a goal!
We identify the task and work out technical solutions and alternatives. Let's compare their costs to their respective benefits. Tell us your specific conditions such as space availability, expandability, production variability, sustainability, and approval feasibility.
Together with you, we select the optimal economic solution. This provides you with a solid foundation for your decisions and financing.
1.) Tecnical Conulting
At the beginning of the project stands your idea. Are you planning to increase your capacity or expand your product portfolio? Do you want to meet higher environmental regulatory requirements? Or are you aiming to save energy or materials in the paper production process?
We analyze and provide individualized consulting services
Our experts discuss your project on-site with you and develop possible action strategies. We inspect your facility to examine your project idea in the light of our expertise. An audit helps us assess the condition of your facilities, evaluate the data available, and identify any further analysis needs.
The result is a robust analysis
To bring your project idea to life, we provide thorough consultation and evaluate alternatives. The result can be delivered in the form of a report or a management-ready presentation. It outlines the decisions that need to be made in the further project development.
2.) Feasibility Studies
There are countless technical possibilities to implement project ideas. However, which one is the right solution? That is our task in a feasibility study.
First, the objective, and based on that, our concept
Together with you, we first define your objectives – preferably in a consultation meeting on-site (see above: Technical Consulting). In addition to economic aspects, there is often a desire to increase output, improve quality, save energy, or enhance environmental protection.
- Define project objectives, including economic, quality, energy efficiency, and environmental considerations.
- Develop technical concepts and illustrate them using visualizations like block diagrams.
- Evaluate spatial feasibility by creating initial layout plans, considering local conditions.
- Examine and assess potential interfaces between existing systems and new process areas.
- Depending on project complexity, involve equipment suppliers and obtain initial quotes for orientation.
How do we estimate the investment volume?
A feasibility study also serves to estimate the investment amount, which depends on the measures defined as necessary.
- The cost estimation is primarily based on our internal quotation database and takes into account the obtained offers.
- The cost catalog is subdivided into the following areas: machinery technology, pipelines and containers, construction measures, EMSR (electrical, measurement, control, and regulation), planning, miscellaneous.
- In order to calculate construction prices, we determine specific construction costs.
- In our cost analysis, individual project variants are considered if necessary.
- Every investment must be examined for operating costs. We calculate the energy requirements and present the resource consumption in advance.
Reliable schedules and legal matters
During the feasibility study, we already create a realistic schedule that outlines how your project can be realized.
Whether a project can be realized also depends on regulatory approval issues. These are also assessed by us upon request.
A comprehensive report as the outcome.
The result of our efforts will be presented to you either as a document in report format, including recommendations for action, or as a detailed presentation. Or both.
3.) Process balances
With your industrial plant, you have an extremely complex process involving different process stages.
Various processes and requirements
Often, multiple material processing lines are intertwined, different process water qualities are present, and various formulations are in use. Also, consider multi-machine sites or multi-layer production units with their unique requirements.
Specific requirements also apply to wastewater in this context
Just like your production processes, wastewater treatment is a customized process. It includes a series of different treatment stages – mechanical, physical, chemical, biological, and thermal in nature.
To identify issues in the production process
Do you also know about problems with overflows and material losses, mixing and/or uneven distribution of different material or water qualities, or of chemical aids and additives (maldistribution)? Other problematic issues include fluctuations in material density and fluctuations in product quality.
To solve such problems, a professional balancing of the systems is essential as a first step. We, as specialists in this field, provide this service.
It is also advisable to professionally survey your production plant in preparation for upcoming process changes in order to identify bottlenecks.
Balancing the systems as the first step
In all these years, an iterative approach has proven effective for us: Initially, a draft balance is created based on the documentation of your existing system. Schematics of your pipelines and instrumentation (P&ID) or screenshots from your process control system (PCS) assist us in this regard.
Presentation of the process balance to your responsible parties
The resulting balance is discussed on-site with your process responsible parties. At the same time, the actual problems are worked out under our moderation. Relevant feedback is incorporated into the process balance. This step may be repeated once or twice.
The balance is only ready for the actual redesign when it reflects the result of your processes and anticipates all the effects that changes to individual parameters can cause.
The balance can be used during a feasibility study or as part of basic engineering. It can also be commissioned separately from these activities.
4.) Logistic Simulationen
On your factory premises, there are a multitude of movements occurring daily. Employees arrive at their workplaces and depart. Internal processes require in-house relocations on foot or by vehicle. Raw materials and goods are transported using forklifts, wheel loaders, or conveyor belts. Suppliers access various transfer points in the factory, and trucks deliver raw materials and collect paper rolls.
Countless movements and parameters
A simulation of your factory's logistics can identify bottlenecks and help alleviate them as part of a robust factory planning process, reducing lead times and lowering costs while minimizing the risk of accidents for employees and external companies. These are central goals that can be achieved through integrated logistics planning with simulation support (ExtendTM).
Basis for Growth and Expansion
Once the current state of the plant is simulated, the effects of new construction on storage areas and plant traffic can be shown. You benefit from the fact that optimization potentials can be demonstrated down to individual processes and workflows.
The overall view is as important to us as the detailed view.
We not only examine individual processes and workflows but the entire plant logistics. We consider delivery, storage, production, and shipping. This makes your supply chain transparent, and you receive the decision-making foundations necessary for smooth material and goods flow.
Simulation can also help involve regulatory authorities in the plant planning process favorably as part of the approval planning.
5.) Facility Assessments / Due-Diligence-Reports
Do you want to take over a production site? Or seek external financing for an extensive investment project at your facility?
Plant evaluations serve your security
As part of risk management, acquisitions of companies or the financing of projects typically require due diligence. Based on our many years of experience in the paper and pulp industry, we would be happy to provide a transparent evaluation of your plant. We determine replacement values, new values, or time values of your existing technical facilities or facilities you intend to purchase.
We have access to the appropriate sources for such reports
We rely on a continually updated database from past projects. Additionally, we obtain this data by making targeted inquiries or conducting market research. Our industry contacts acquired over the years are extremely valuable in this regard.
Due diligence reports are necessary for various reasons
We conduct asset evaluations not only as part of a company valuation but also as a basis for a decommissioning plan. You can use them when restructuring your asset accounting due to new accounting rules, as a basis for determining insurance premiums, for damage assessment, for opening balance sheets, or for purchase price determination.
In the case of ongoing investment projects, it may happen that banks request a project progress report. In this situation, our assessments can be helpful as an external perspective.
Due-Diligence-Examinations
Technical due diligence examinations for an investment project include:
- Analysis of the location
- Analysis of raw material availability
- Design parameters
- Technical concept
- Material balance
- Environmental impact
- Personnel, investment, and manufacturing costs
- Economic viability
Monthly and Quarterly Reports
In addition, we prepare monthly or quarterly reports on:
- Investment costs
- Schedule
- Planning
- Procurement
- Construction/Assembly
- Acceptance
- Guarantees
6.) Circular economy analyses and mobile laboratory
Our mobile laboratory for wastewater analysis
We conduct recycling analyses in your facility to optimize your water management system. For this purpose, we have invested in state-of-the-art mobile laboratory equipment for wastewater analysis. Our laboratory can be set up at your site within a few hours.
Analyzing to Identify Weak Points
After identifying the critical points in your production, we measure parameters related to density and water loading. Based on the obtained data regarding the actual conditions of water and material flow, we can perform recycling analyses to optimize your existing water regime.
In many cases, for facilities processing recycled paper, the goal is to prevent the accumulation of dissolved calcium in the process, suppress naturally occurring acidification processes, minimize odor formation, or balance the water system to prevent uncontrolled overflow and material losses.
Significant Benefits for Your Facility
By maintaining a clean recycling process, you can better adhere to the quality parameters of your production. This allows you to reduce the use of additives, save costs, and enhance the runnability of your paper machines. Additionally, your wastewater treatment plant will be less burdened.
7.) Own pilot wastewater treatment plant
Our miniaturized pilot wastewater treatment plant
We can provide you with a complete pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant. This can be configured as a combination of an anaerobic reactor with an aerobic activated sludge cascade, an activated sludge cascade with final clarification, or a two-stage activated sludge system with intermediate clarification.
Determining the Biodegradability of Your Process Wastewaters
The experimental treatment plant allows for the assessment of the biological degradability of your process wastewater.
Deployment Right at Your Facility
The test facility is set up directly within your production area or in the vicinity of your onsite wastewater treatment plant. Depending on the plant configuration, it occupies approximately 10 - 30 square meters, requiring only an electrical connection and the installation of hoses provided by us into your wastewater treatment process.
A Wide Range of Investigations is Possible
Following an introduction and guidance from us, your staff can conduct specific experiments. Depending on the values to be determined, test series can last for a few days or extend over several weeks.
Results Serve as the Basis for Further Consultation
The results of these informative studies are integrated into our planning and the wastewater treatment concept we provide. The goal is to meet regulatory limits. This can also include investigating methods for cleaning recirculation waters as part of the overall process.
We are happy to analyze the test results together with you.