Sappi, historically known as South African Pulp and Paper Industries, produces dissolving wood pulp, paper pulp and paper-based solutions for customers in more than a 160 countries. The Group has manufacturing operations in three continents with more than 12,500 employees across Europe, Africa and the United States. Sappi Group is currently considered as the world's largest producer of natural and renewable dissolving wood pulp.
Incidents involving electrically induced fires is an ever present hazard that by default can cause enormous collateral damage when left uncontrolled. Defects such as faulty or distressed insulation around cables in electrical systems and the equipment used, together with human error are listed as major causes of fire in processing plants worldwide. Therefore, protection in electrical equipment and especially transformer rooms in paper mill production plants is of particular importance.
Design, supply, install, commission and maintain a fire detection and rapid reaction fixed fire suppression system for the electrical equipment and the transformer rooms located at the Kirkniemi Mill of ‘Sappi Finland Operations Oy’ in Lohja, Northern Europe. The system must be able to provide a fast, reliable and cost effective solution to tackle fire scenarios that could prove particularly disrupting to mill operations and premises. Furthermore, Sappi’s Kirkniemi Mill management, being sensitive on environmental and sustainability issues, favoured a solution within its eco-friendly parameters.
Mandatory hydraulic pressure tests of pressurised fire extinguishing systems is an ongoing operational expense associated with compressed gas fire extinguishing systems. The environmentally friendly FirePro technology utilises non-pressurised fire extinguishing units with a certified 15-year life span and comparatively very low maintenance requirement. Furthermore, FirePro’s modularity allowed the system to be used both as a total flooding and for in-cabinet protection. In-cabinet protection crucially combats fire at its source (inside the risk) preventing its spread outside the panel enclosure. Consequently, the need to activate the FirePro room total flooding (or other default) system is avoided.
The FirePro fire extinguishing units were installed and attached to the addressable fire alarm system which together formed the fire protection system of the large two-storey transformer substation (10 kV), the smooth operation of which is essential for factory operations. The units were installed by FirePro Finland and approved by Inspecta. In line with the company’s environmental policies critical equipment at the plant is, furthermore, protected with a fire extinguishing technology that is friendly to the environment.
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