DS Smith picks ABB for sustainable transformation project at Kemsley Paper Mill

ABB reported Oct. 16 that it’s 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, U.K. The project is key to 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 MCC), drives, motors, safety systems, and ABB Ability asset performance management (APM) software. They’ll 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.

Scheduled to start up in 2026, the new line will supply recycled fiber to the paper machine (PM3), which produces a range of packaging-grade materials from 100% recycled content. Once operational, the upgrade is expected to reduce water usage, carbon emissions and waste generation, and contribute 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.

“ABB has been alongside us on our journey of modernization and ever-increasing sustainability in recent years, so we felt strongly that its proposed solution would fit with our priorities for the new line,” says Adrian Clark, electrical and automation development manager at 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."

Paul Clark, account manager for pulp, paper and fiber at ABB’s Process Industries division, adds, “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. By doing this, we’re helping to futureproof one of Europe’s most important recycled paper mills.”