Metso and Valco chemicals form partnership.

METSO AND VALCO CHEMICALS FORM PARTNERSHIP. Metso Paper, Helsinki, Finland said its Tissue Business Line has entered into a license agreement with Valco Cincinnati, Inc., Ohio, USA in which Valco Cincinnati will market, manufacture, and deliver Metso Paper's tissue turn-up system to the global market. Metso has developed and patented technology to improve the efficiency of the turn-ups in high-speed tissue machines. This system is using spraying of particular glues onto the running web going into the nip of the tissue reel, thus enhancing the turn-up of the web.

Through the Metso license, Valco Cincinnati is now able to offer its "Tissue Tack & Reel" glue applying system for the turn-up operation in tissue production to all clients worldwide. The license agreement enables Valco to apply Metso's turn-up technology based on several patents.

IN OTHER METSO PAPER NEWS:

* Modern Karton Sanayi Ticaret AS(MKST), Turkey, a board manufacturer, and Metso Paper have signed a letter of intent for the delivery of a complete boardmaking line to be installed at MKST's mill in Corlu. The agreement is valued at roughly EUR 80 million (US$ 103.7 million). The line's annual capacity will be 400,000 metric tons of containerboard grades, using 100% recycled raw material. Machinery will be started up in early 2007.

* Metso Paper will modernize Paper Machine Number 3 at Stora Enso Varkaus Mill, Finland. The rebuild of the fine paper machine will include a headbox upgrade and a new calender. It will be started up in September 2005. The existing SymFlo headbox will be furnished with dilution profile control system, which will improve paper quality and machine runnability.

* UPM's Kuusankoski mill, Finland has improved on its earlier world speed record for fine paper machines. The Metso-supplied Paper Machine Number 8 ran at an average speed of 1604 meters/minute for a period of 24 hours on February 11, 2005 producing pre-coated fine paper.

* The new Metso Paper TMP line at Stora Enso's mill in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada started up in September 2004. This line replaces existing stone groundwood (SGW) and high-yield sulphite (HYS) plants. Its design capacity is 780 tons/day.

* Irving Paper has placed an order with Metso Paper for an online OptiLoad TwinLine Calender as part of the Paper Machine Number 1 rebuild project at its mill in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. It will be the first such online unit in operation anywhere in the world, with the installation scheduled for early 2006.

* Paper Machine 26 at Stora Enso North America's Biron, Wisconsin mill is up-and-running following a rebuild. A Win-Belt winder will be commissioned in early April, 2005 to help process the increased production for the LWC machine line.

* Metso Panelboard will supply equipment for a continuous particleboard production line to Lensa Tip Otiski Vrh d.d., Slovenia. Start-up is scheduled for early 2006. Lesna's total investment is about EUR 20 million (US$ 26.55 million), more than half of which goes to the Metso order. Annual production capacity is projected to be 330,000 cubic meters.