ABB has been awarded a contract by DS Smith to supply electrification, automation and digital solutions for a new stock preparation line at the company’s flagship Kemsley Paper Mill in Kent, UK. The project forms a key part of DS Smith’s £50 million investment to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact and support future growth at the site.
Under the contract, ABB will supply the ABB Ability™ System 800xA® distributed control system (DCS), low voltage motor control centers (LV MCCs), drives, motors, safety systems, and the digital software solution ABB Ability™ Asset Performance Management. The technologies will be integrated with the mill’s existing ABB-installed control architecture, delivering end-to-end visibility and control across operations. This will lead to faster decision making, improved reliability and optimized performance across the production process.
The new line, due to start up in 2026, will supply recycled fiber to the paper machine (PM3), which produces a range of packaging-grade materials from 100 percent recycled content. Once operational, the upgrade is expected to significantly reduce water usage, carbon emissions and waste generation – contributing to DS Smith’s goal of sending zero waste to landfill and cutting Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 46 percent by 2030[1].
“ABB has been alongside us on our journey of modernization and ever-increasing sustainability in recent years so we felt strongly that their proposed solution would fit with our priorities for the new line,” said Adrian Clark, Electrical and Automation Development Manager, DS Smith Kemsley. “We want a fully-integrated, mill-wide system that minimizes complexity and maximizes continuity with existing operations. Our latest step with ABB begins now and we trust in the team alignments and the results they will achieve.”
“The scope of this project and the trust placed in ABB reflect our ability to bring together electrification, automation and digitalization in one cohesive package,” said Paul Clark, Account Manager for Pulp, Paper & Fiber, ABB’s Process Industries division. “In doing this, we’re helping to futureproof one of Europe’s most important recycled paper mills.”
DS Smith’s investment at Kemsley is designed to deliver long-term sustainability and operational gains. This latest project represents another step forward in the company’s broader digital and environmental roadmap at the site.
As a trusted partner to the global pulp and paper industry, ABB continues to support leading manufacturers in their shift toward safer, smarter and more sustainable operations by combining domain expertise with integrated technologies to enable performance at every level.
Photo/ABB
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