Metso Paper to supply world's largest newsprint line to Stora Enso

Published Dec 18, 2001 13.29.00 +2 GMT

Metso Paper supplies Stora Enso, Langerbrugge mill in Belgium with the world's largest and most productive newsprint production line. The Valmet OptiConcept production line no. 4 will start up in June 2003, producing approx. 400,000 tpy of standard 45 g/m2 newsprint. The order, which also includes an OptiReel Plus reel for the mill's PM 3, is valued at more than EUR 110 million.

The OptiConcept paper machine has a wire width of 11.1 m and a trim width at reel of 10.4 m. Design speed is 2,000 m/min. The Metso Paper delivery package also includes an OptiCart jumbo reel cart, paper machine process air and runnability systems and components, OptiSlush broke pulpers, a Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) process water treatment system, two (2) WinBelt L winders and a WinBelt SR salvage winder, and DCS control systems for the whole new mill from Metso Automation. Metso Drives supplies the mechanical drives of the paper machinery, including e.g. DRG drive units for dryer section and OptiReel center drives.

The paper machine comprises an OptiFlo headbox, OptiFormer, OptiPress, OptiReel Plus, and a single-nip OptiSoft SlimLine calender.

During the decades, Metso Paper has supplied Stora Enso with numerous deliveries. Some of the most prominent ones are Sachsen Papier Eilenburg PM 1 - one of the world's fastest newsprint machines (1728 m/min), and Port Hawkesbury PM 2 - the world's fastest SC paper machine (1703 m/min). This year's deliveries include a major rebuild for Oulu PM 6, another one for Anjala PM 2 and a complete pulp drying line for Kaukopää.

Stora Enso is an integrated forest products company producing magazine papers, newsprint, fine papers and packaging boards, areas in which the Group is a global market leader. Stora Enso also has extensive sawmill operations. Stora Enso had EUR 13 billion of sales in the year 2000 and about 15 million tonnes of annual paper and board production capacity. Some 45,000 persons are employed in more than 40 countries and the company's shares are listed in Helsinki, New York and Stockholm. For newsprint, Stora Enso has a total production capacity of 3.3 million tonnes, making the Group Europe's largest and the world's third-largest producer. Newsprint resources include 9 mills, located in Finland (3), Sweden (2), Germany (2), Belgium (1) and Canada (1).

Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems. The Corporation's fiber and paper technology business area, Metso Paper, is the world's leading supplier of technology, systems and equipment for the pulp, paper, converting and panelboard industries. Metso's other core businesses are divided between Metso Minerals (rock and mineral processing) and Metso Automation (automation and control technology). In 2000, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 3.9 billion, and the personnel totaled approximately 22,000. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.

More information: Juhani Pakkala, President and CEO, Metso Paper, tel. +358 40 755 9972 Pertti Soikkanen, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Paper Making Lines, Metso Paper, tel. +358 40 546 0002