Sappi has confirmed it is in the final stages of completing ‘Project Elevate’, a $418 million investment in rebuilding and converting PM2 at Somerset Mill, in Skowhegan, Maine. The project was approved at the end of 2022.
Sappi shut down PM2 in January to install the last pieces of new machinery, but have been installing new and upgraded parts of the machine throughout the entire project. PM2 was operating at full capacity while they worked above, below and around it to put in place new equipment and infrastructure.
“It was all part of a ‘choreographed dance’ of removing old machinery and replacing it with massive new equipment to rebuild and expand PM2, all while it was still operating.” said Kirk Ross, Project Director. “One piece of machinery that was installed over the summer was the new high-capacity Raumaster wrapline, which replaced the old Lamb wrapline with much newer technology and efficiency. The Raumaster wrapline was fully operational by July, already wrapping product off Paper Machines 2 and 3, although it has the capacity to service the whole mill. This allowed us to then demolish the old Lamb wrap line in August, which opened up space for installing the new Corelink core-cutting system, continuing this high-tech dance of machinery and parts.”
