Valmet supplies wood handling and drying technology for Stora Enso Kaukopää mill in Finland

Published Nov 26, 1999 00.00.00 +2 GMT

Valmet Fiber Technology will supply the Stora Enso Kaukopää mill with systems for debarking and chipping of wood and for pulp drying. The mill is situated in southeast Finland. The order forms part of the modernization and expansion project currently under way in the mill.

Valmet Chemical Pulping will supply a complete pulp drying process, which enables drying of all pulp grades produced by the mill: softwood, hardwood kraft pulp and CTMP pulps. The design capacity of the pulp drying line is 1,000 tons of chemical pulp a day.

All the main process equipment is included: pulp machine, airborne dryer, process and room ventilation, cutter, complete baling system and process automation. The ventilation system will be manufactured by the Valmet Turku unit and automation will be supplied by Neles Automation, a sister company within the Metso Group. Since the merger of Valmet-Rauma in July this year, this is the first total-package drying line order for the new Valmet company. Its pulp drying technology is the result of joint experience and the latest developments in the field.

Valmet Woodhandling will supply two new debarking and chipping lines for the mill's wood-handling process, one for the new line and one for an existing line at the mill. The system is capable of processing all hardwood and softwood used in the mill. The design capacity of both wood handling lines is 400 solid m3 softwood, or alternatively 280 solid m3 hardwood per hour. Total annual wood-handling capacity is 3.5 million cubic meters of wood.

The process equipment consists of two debarking drums, 5.5 meters in diameter and 40 meters long, two Camura GSTM 3350 chippers, and related auxiliary equipment, such as short-wood chippers, conveyors and dust removal systems. In addition, the contract includes erection, start-up and training services.

The new fiber drying and wood-handling line is scheduled to start up in early April 2001 and the wood-handling system for the existing fiber line in October 2002.

Valmet, the Fiber and Paper Technology business area within Metso, a world leading supplier of technologies, systems and equipment for the pulp, paper and panelboard industry was formed following the recent merger of Sunds Defibrator and Valmet Paper Machinery.

Metso Corporation was created through the merger of Valmet and Rauma on July 1, 1999 and comprises three business areas – Fiber and Paper Technology, Automation and Control Techno-logy and Machinery. In 1998, the pro forma net sales of Metso amounted to EUR 3.7 billion (FIM 22 billion). The combined number of employees was approximately 23,000. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.

For further information, please contact:

Alpo Tuomi Vice President, Marketing Valmet Chemical Pulping, Pori, Finland Tel. +358 204 82 9813

Antti Tohkala President Valmet Woodhandling Oy, Pori, Finland Tel. +358 204 82 9700

Thore Englund Vice President,Corporate Communications Valmet Fibertech, Sundsvall, Sweden Tel. +46 60 16 50 00