Metso supplies world's largest printing paper line.

METSO SUPPLIES WORLD'S LARGEST PRINTING PAPER LINE. Metso Paper, Helsinki, Finland and Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Ltd, China, have signed a contract for delivery of the world's largest printing paper manufacturing line. The new line in Shouguang, Shandong province, will have annual capacity of more than 400,000 tons. Start-up is scheduled for the last quarter of 2006. The value of the agreement is well over EUR 100 million.

The Chenming Shouguang printing paper line features the world's largest deinking line, an OptiConcept paper machine, two WinBelt winders, a wide range of automation, control and monitoring systems by Metso Automation, and various auxiliary systems. Metso will provide technology for all processes from pulping and bleaching to reject handling on the two-loop deinking line, with a daily production capacity of 1500 tons. The PM 4 Opti-Concept paper machine has a design speed of 2000 m/min. Metso's scope of delivery also includes approach flow, broke collection and handling and fiber recovery systems, as well as chemical handling systems for both the deinking line and paper machine.

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Shandong Chenming Holdings Ltd is one of China's largest paper producers, and selected Metso Paper as the supplier of its new deinking and papermaking lines based on the long-term co-operation between the two companies Metso Paper's previous major deliveries to the Chenming group include four complete paper machines.

IN OTHER METSO NEWS:

* Metso Paper said the new OptiConcept newsprint line at Hebei Pan Asia Long-Teng Paper (HPLC), Hebei Province, China, which started up May 31, 2005, is one of Asia's fastest and most efficient newsprint production lines. "We had an excellent start-up, and aim to have one of the world's best start-up curves, with swift advances up to a continuous production speed of 1800 meters/min," said Alain Croisetiere, the mill's general manager. The HPLC PM 1 newsprint production line, supplied by Metso Paper, came on stream about one month before the original start-up date. The paper machine has a wire width of 8.45 meters with a design speed of 2000 meters/min and a planned capacity of 330,000 metric tons per year. The production line uses 100% recycled fiber as raw material.

* Metso Automation received an order from Abitibi Consolidated Thorold to implement a millwide brightness optimization to reduce overall bleaching chemical usage as well as paper brightness variability. This project started as a trial application with an implementation of Advance Quality Control (AQC) for the drum pulper peroxide and caustic usage. The millwide implementation will include the permanent installation of controllers for pulper chemical use in both deinking plants, as well as bleaching chemicals applied at both paper machines. All of these variables will be manipulated to provide final paper machine brightness at the lowest operating costs and lowest variability.

* Metso Paper will supply an upgrade to the new pulp drying line at Ripasa S/A Celulose e Papel's mill in Limeira, Sao Paulo, Brazil, before the start-up of the original line. The upgrade will increase production capacity from the originally planned 760 metric tons/day to 1000 metric tons/day of bleached eucalyptus pulp. Start-up of the line is scheduled for November 2005 and is valued at less than EUR 10 million (US $12 million).

* Metso Paper will supply equipment for two St Regis Paper Co., Berkshire, England, United Kingdom board machine rebuilds in a contract that exceeds EUR 7 million (US$ 8.5 million). Delivery also includes a support package for plasterboard production development. The contract includes the following two projects.

The Kemsley Paper Machine Number 3 rebuild includes three new headboxes, one of which is equipped with a dilution control system for profile control; modernization of the fourdrinier wire section; and approach flow screens for the short circulation system. The 6-meter-wide machine produces plasterboard and testliner. The modifications will be completed in mid 2006.

Paper Machine Number 5 of the Wansbrough mill in Watchet, Somerset, will be equipped with a new dilution controlled headbox, a shaker for the breast roll, as well as a screen for the dilution circulation system. The new equipment will be installed in early 2006. After the rebuild, the Wansbrough PM 5 will continue to produce coreboard and testliner while being a contingency production unit for plasterboard.

* Metso Automation will supply process control systems to UPM's new power plants at its mills in Shotton, United Kingdom; Chapelle Darblay, France; and Rauma, Finland. The power plants produce bioenergy for the paper mills. The deliveries will consist of process control and information systems, which help to optimize the power plant operations. The delivery to Rauma will also include a plant information management system and emission reporting.