BloomPack rolls out first coated white top liner sheet in Cairo
BloomPack has successfully produced the first sheet on its new Valmet-supplied offline coating line in Egypt, advancing its coated white top liner operations.
The transition from ambitious blueprints to active manufacturing is the true test of any major capital investment in the paper sector. This month, BloomPack has crossed that critical threshold by producing the first sheet on its new offline coating line at its 62,000-square-meter facility in Cairo, Egypt. Moving beyond the initial project announcements made back in 2024, this 2026 milestone marks a definitive shift for the company as it deepens its vertical integration into high-grade paper manufacturing.
Advanced curtain coating technology hits the floor
The core of this operational leap is the offline coating machine developed by Valmet. Designed specifically to handle the demanding requirements of coated white top liners, the line incorporates state-of-the-art curtain coating technology. For packaging professionals, the choice of curtain coating is highly significant. Unlike traditional application methods, curtain coating provides a perfectly even, contour-free layer of coating color over the base sheet. This is particularly crucial when utilizing recycled fibers, as it ensures complete coverage and a premium optical finish without the need for a thick, expensive white fiber top layer.
The technological ecosystem of the new line is further strengthened by advanced automation and process controls, ensuring the strict consistency required by modern corrugated converters. Furthermore, the coating formulations have been developed in close collaboration with Omya, a global specialist in industrial minerals. This tripartite synergy between BloomPack, Valmet, and Omya has now culminated in a live production environment.
Strategic implications for the packaging market
In the current 2026 market landscape, the demand for high-quality printability in corrugated packaging continues to surge, driven by e-commerce branding and retail-ready packaging requirements. Coated white top liners are the substrate of choice for these applications, offering the necessary surface smoothness and ink holdout for high-resolution flexographic and digital printing.
By bringing this capacity online in Egypt, BloomPack is not merely upgrading its own internal supply chain for its corrugated converting operations; it is positioning itself as a formidable supplier of premium liners in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This localized production capability reduces reliance on imported European grades, offering regional converters shorter lead times and potentially more resilient supply chains.
The successful start-up of this Valmet-supplied line proves that strategic investments in top-tier European process technology can fundamentally elevate the competitive profile of North African manufacturers. Will this new local availability of premium coated liners force international suppliers to rethink their export strategies to the MENA region? Follow The Paper for daily news, market signals and key updates from the global paper, corrugated and packaging industry. — Sigue toda la actualidad del sector en www.thepaper.ai
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