The SteamDry consortium has reached a major technical milestone with the rebuild of the Sampo pilot line at VTT in Jyväskylä, converting it from conventional air drying to superheated steam drying (SSD). The upgraded pilot will be the central testbed for demonstrating how SSD can drastically reduce energy use and eliminate direct CO₂ emissions in drying of paper, board, tissue and other web‑like materials.
The Sampo pilot line, originally built as a custom foam‑forming machine, now forms the backbone of SteamDry piloting activities. It provides a unique platform for high‑speed trials, wide basis‑weight ranges and tailored experiments with new process concepts, raw materials and chemistries. By rebuilding this existing asset instead of constructing a fully new line, the project accelerates scale‑up while making efficient use of existing infrastructure.
The rebuild has required a comprehensive engineering and safety workflow, starting with a HAZOP study to systematically identify and mitigate risks in operating the new steam‑based pilot line. Key tasks include process and machine design, selection of new components, and extensive ductwork, sealing and piping design to handle superheated steam conditions; the project is replacing gas burners with electrically heated steam systems, installing new dryers and steam piping, redesigning condensate handling, and upgrading instrumentation and automation to support advanced control and data collection.
Commissioning is planned to start in January 2026, followed by the first SSD trials in February. The spring 2026 campaign will focus on running up and fine‑tuning the process with VTT’s own pilot webs, while autumn 2026 will see trials with press‑dried rolls produced at Valmet’s pilot line in Jyväskylä, allowing partners to test realistic industrial grades under SSD conditions.
The pilot line is closely linked to laboratory‑scale SSD ovens at both VTT and Wageningen University & Research, which support material screening and detailed temperature‑profile measurements. Together, the lab ovens and the rebuilt Sampo line provide a coherent experimental environment for validating models, optimising drying strategies and generating data for the project’s digital twin and industrial concept development.
With the Sampo rebuild now underway, SteamDry is entering a new phase in which modelling results, concept studies and materials research can be tested at pilot scale under realistic operating conditions. The upcoming trials will play a key role in derisking SSD technology, informing industrial retrofits and new‑build concepts, and supporting future investment decisions across the pulp, paper and related process industries.