Metso Paper to supply dissolving pulping line to Bahia Pulp, Brazil

Published Mar 22, 2006 10.00.00 +2 GMT

Metso Paper has been selected to supply a new pulping line for the Brazilian dissolving pulp producer Bahia Pulp. The company is investing USD 375 million to triple its dissolving pulp production capacity from the current 115,000 tons to 365,000 tons per year. The new fiber line is scheduled to start up during the third quarter of 2007. The typical value of this type of fiber lines ranges from EUR 50 to EUR 100 million, depending of the scope of delivery and the production capacity.

The scope of Metso Paper's supply covers a complete new line from cooking up to ready reeled or baled pulp. Bahia Pulp has 150,000 hectares of its own land for sustainable eucalyptus plantations serving its production of bleached dissolving pulp based on <i>eucalyptus urophylla</i> as the raw material. Upon completion of the expansion, Bahia Pulp will be able to produce standard-grade dissolving pulp as well as specialty pulp for high-end market segments. These include acetate pulps and pulps used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.

One of the key processes for producing high-grade dissolving and acetate pulps is the SuperBatch cooking system designed to produce prehydrolyzed sulphate pulp. TwinRoll wash presses will be installed for each stage of washing in the fiber line. The bleaching process is specially designed to produce pulp with high alpha cellulose content. After bleaching, the pulp is dried. The trim width of the drying machine is 5.7 meters. The pulp sheet from the airborne dryer is reeled and cut in rolls, or baled for the delivery to the end users.

The Bahia Pulp mill (formerly known as Bacell S.A.) is located approximately 50 km from Salvador, the capital of the Bahia State. The company belongs to the Sateri International Group, a leading integrated manufacturer of viscose fiber and dissolving pulp with a global customer base and total assets of approximately USD 500 million.

Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2005 net sales of approximately EUR 4.2 billion. Its 22 000 employees in more than 50 countries serve customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries.

For further information, please contact: Hannu Hakamäki, Deputy President, Fiber Business Line Tel. +358 400 598 880, hannu.hakamaki@metso.com

Luiz Fonseca, Area President, South America Tel. +55 19 9765 8890, luiz.fonseca@metso.com