Pulp and paper industry Bursary & Research Programme call for applications

Bright ideas. Greener futures. Engineered by you. This is the call from the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) as it invites final-year students and recent BSc and BEng Chemical Engineering graduates to apply for its 2026-2027 Master’s in Engineering Bursary and Research Programme.

253894 PAMSA Masters programme website socials

A select number of eligible applicants will receive a two-year bursary valued at R320,000, covering full-time master’s study at participating South African universities,

“This is a unique opportunity for students to become part of a generation of chemical and process engineers that help shape a circular bioeconomy”, says PAMSA’s executive director, Jane Molony. “The programme has been running for over 15 years and has been a career springboard for many young engineers”.

The pulp and paper industry uses renewable natural resources – primarily wood fibre sourced from sustainably managed plantations – to produce a wide range of essential products. These include printing and writing paper, paperboard and packaging, and tissue products, all commonly manufactured by South African mills. Many locally produced packaging and tissue items also incorporate recycled paper fibre, contributing further to a circular economy.

One of PAMSA’s member companies produces dissolving wood pulp, a versatile material used in the manufacture of textiles, sponges, nanocellulose, and microcrystalline cellulose, which are added to food products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Find worth in waste

“Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of the programme is how our students have found innovative ways to extract value from mill process waste streams, converting them into useful and sustainable products”, notes Molony.

Over the years, students have explored many projects – from improving water and energy efficiency in paper mills to optimising production processes and producing bioethanol from paper sludge.

Molony adds, “The versatile potential of lignin, a natural polymer found in plant cell walls that provides strength and rigidity, continues to fascinate our students. Due to its abundance, renewability, and rich chemical structure can serve as a renewable alternative to fossil-based materials”.

By extracting lignin from black liquor, a dark, syrupy liquid left over after wood is cooked to make pulp for paper, students have found various applications for the energy-rich organic material. This can be used as a substitute for bitumen for asphalt production, a soil conditioner to boost carbon sequestration, an additive to slow-release fertilisers and an adsorbent for water purification.

“This sort of thinking and curiosity makes this programme so valuable for PAMSA members and the South African circular bioeconomy”, concludes Molony.

Deadlines:

Early bird deadline: 6 June 2025 (Early applicants will be given priority consideration)

Final deadline: 27 June 2025

Learn more or apply: https://www.thepaperstory.co.za

Measuring the forest sector’s sustainability progress

*Sappi plantations in KwaZulu-Natal supply the Saiccor mill in Umkomaas with raw fibre used to produce dissolving pulp for the export market.*

The International Council of Forest & Paper Association’s (ICFPA) latest Sustainability Progress Report demonstrates progress in seven key areas of sustainability and highlights the role the forest sector can play in helping to meet global climate goals.

“Forestry workers and consumers of forest products are in the unique position to drive our move to a world with less dependence on fossil energy and fossil-based materials,” noted Jori Ringman, ICFPA President and Director General of Cepi (the Confederation of European Pulp and Paper Industry). “They are doing this through sustainable forest management, advancing the forest bioeconomy, and recovering more and more paper and paper-based products and packaging for recycling.

“I am proud of the work and leadership ICFPA has built over nearly 20 years. This report demonstrates the global impact of associations working together on a common set of commitments," he said.
The ICFPA Sustainability Progress Report tracks progress achieved in 2020-2021. The overall trend is positive – reflecting that the industry continues to improve in key sustainability areas from baseline years.

Key progress on ICFPA’s sustainability performance indicators include:
• 50% of procured wood fibre came from third-party certified sustainably managed forests, a 38-percentage point increase from the 2000 baseline year.
• Greenhouse gas emission intensity decreased 23.5% from the 2004/2005 baseline year.
• The energy share of biomass and other renewable energy increased to 63.7%, a nearly 11 percentage point increase since 2004/2005.
• Sulphur dioxide emission intensity from on-site combustion sources decreased 74% from the 2004/2005 baseline year.
• Water use intensity decreased 9.5% from the baseline year.
• Investment in health and safety interventions yielded a 30% reduction in the global recordable incident rate from the 2006/2007 baseline with the number of recordable incidents falling to 2.81 per 100 employees annually.
• In 2021, 59.9% of paper and paperboard consumed globally was reprocessed by mills to make new products, marking a 13.4 percentage point increase in the global recycling rate since the year 2000.

The 2023 ICFPA Sustainability Progress Report also includes info about the 2023 international finalists for the ICFPA Blue Sky Young Researchers & Innovation Award. The theme was ‘Building a Lower Carbon Economy with Climate Positive Forestry and Forest Products’.

Representing South Africa among the top three finalists was Leane Naude, a Master of Science (Chemical Engineering) student at North West University, who presented a more cost-effective purification method for lignosulphonate, an abundant and versatile alternative to fossil-based fuels.
ICFPA serves as a forum of global dialogue, coordination and co-operation. Currently, the ICFPA represents 16 pulp, paper, wood and fibre-based associations from 27 countries, including many of the top pulp, paper and wood producers around the world.

South Africa, through the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa, is a longstanding member of the ICFPA and contributes data and case studies to the Sustainability Progress Report.

Download the 2023 ICFPA Sustainability Progress Report.