Huge demand for market pulp in China has prompted some Indonesian pulp sup pliers to expand their capacity.

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is to boost its bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) pulp capacity by 800,000 tonnes/yr by the end of this year. The increase wil! come from debottlenecking work on three of its pulp lines in Indonesia.

At its subsidiary Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper's Perawang mill in Riau province, Sumatra, the capacity of the two BHK lines will each be raised by 300,000 And APP will increase the BHK pulp capacity at lontar Papyrus Pulp & Paper Industry's Jambi mill, also in Sumatra, by 200,000 tonnes/yr

Meanwhile, Asia Pacific Resources International (APRil) plans to boost the BHK pulp capacity of its Kerinci mill in Riau province by 600,000 tonnes/yr this year. Part of the additional output will feed a 415,000 tonne/yr uncoated woodfree paper machine at the site, PM 2, which came on stream in November.