Kottayam: The Kerala Paper Products Limited (KPPL), an industrial unit taken over by the Kerala government from the central government after it was put up for sale, is all set to resume operations after three years. According to state government authorities, production is scheduled to start during the last week of April and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would formally inaugurate the factory in May.
As part of the inauguration, trial production would be launched early next month. The repair works at the factory, which was lying closed during the last three years, had started in January this year. The trial run of the de-inking plant, among the major facilities at the factory, was carried out the other day. In this plant, ink is removed from used paper. Meanwhile, the maintenance of the power boiler and paper machine is almost over.
KPPL has an annual capacity of one lakh tonnes and during the first phase, the target production is 50,000 tonnes. Initially, paper will be made from imported pulp and de-inked old paper. Procedures to import pulp and collect old paper are already underway. Later, when full-fledged commercial production takes place, paper will be made from wood pulp also.
“Even though the factory was closed for three years, the machinery was not damaged. This helped us complete the maintenance works on schedule,” said A P M Mohammed Hanish, KPPL Board chairman and Principal Secretary, Kerala Industries Department.
“Trial production will take place for at least 25 days before commercial manufacturing is started,” he added.
When the central government decided to sell the Hindustan Newsprint Limited (HNL) at Velloor in Kottayam district under it, the Kerala government took over the factory. The industrial unit was included in the 100-day action plan of the Left Democratic Front government in the state and as KMML, it has appointed 152 employees. The remaining staff needed to run the unit would join in April, said authorities.
