Paper mills

Paper mills are commonly thought to be one of the earliest types of mill to have been constructed.

Paper-making is thought to have originated in China as far back as the 2nd century AD. The process then spread to the middle-east and records show signs of the first paper mill being built in Iraq as early as the 8th century.

Valencia is thought to have mean home to the first paper mill in Europe, built around 1151ad.

The paper mills of today tend to be one of two types. Integrated mills manage the complete paper-making process, receiving timber in log or chipped form and processing it into pulp to then make the paper from. Non-integrated mills use ready-made pulp from other sources.

Modern paper mills can produce large volumes of paper at speed, although the process can often consume large amounts of energy and water in the process along, of course, with the wood pulp.

However, despite modern technological innovations, the modern world remains reliant on vast amounts of paper for its day-to-day needs so paper mills are likely to continue to evolve and develop for years to come.