CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (News release) - Sofidel is pleased to announce the delivery of a new Yankee Dryer on March 2nd, 2025, to its Circleville facility, marking a significant milestone in the papermaking process. The Yankee Dryer, considered the heart of a tissue machine, is intended to be installed on a new Valmet paper machine, the third one in facility whose start-up is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.

This Yankee Dryer, which weighs approximately 321,000 lbs (160.5 tons) and has a diameter of 18.5 feet and a width of 22 feet, became a key asset in Sofidel's ongoing commitment to producing high-quality tissue products. The Yankee Dryer was manufactured at Valmet's facility in Karlstadt, Sweden, before being shipped across Europe to the Bremen Ports in Germany.

The journey to the United States began on December 12th, 2024, and took about a month to reach the port of New Orleans, arriving on January 14th, 2025. Due to the size and weight of the Yankee Dryer, transportation took place in stages, with the equipment traveling approximately 40-60 miles per day in compliance with road weight restrictions. The full route plan from Portsmouth to Circleville had been carefully mapped out to ensure safe and efficient delivery. The addition of the new Yankee Dryer helped further enhance the facility's capacity and efficiency.

After clearing the New Orleans port, the Yankee Dryer embarked on its journey up the Mississippi River, continued along the Ohio River, and finally arrived in Portsmouth, Ohio, on February 22nd, 2025. After some preparation, the dryer began its escorted journey to the Sofidel Circleville facility on Thursday, February 27th, 2025, and was expected to arrive at its destination by March 1st, 2025. However, due to technical difficulties on March 1st, the Yankee Dryer was delivered on Sunday, March 2nd.

The new paper machine has a production capacity of 70,000 tons per year. Once it is fully operational, the Circleville plant will reach a total production capacity of over 200,000 tons per year, becoming the most important in the Group.