Metso to supply Ning Shing.

Metso Paper, Helsinki, Finland, said its contract for a complete boardmaking line with Ning Shing Development Co., Ningbo, Zheijiang, China, is now effective. Metso received advance payment from the customer, and the order is included in its order book lot the first quarter of 2003. The contract was signed in November 2002. The order is valued at EUR 220 million (US$ 237.6 million). The new line will reportedly be the largest board production line in the world.

In other Metso news: Metso Paper GmbH, Pfungstadt, Germany, and Metso PaperChem GmbH, Oberhaching, Germany, combined their operations as of January 1, 2003. This unification will enable Metso Paper Inc., to enhance its presence in Pfungstadt as the leading supplier of pulp and papermaking technology. Combining Metso Paper and Metso PaperChem means a single source can reply to all papermaking needs and to chemical and water management systems technologies.

Metso Paper inaugurated a new service technology center in Brazil on February 11, 2003. The center operates at Metso Corporation's joint premises in Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, and serves the needs of the pulp and paper industry in Brazil and other Latin American countries 

Metso Corp. closed the sale of Network Management Solutions Companies (NMS), Calgary, Canada, to Telvent of Spain on February 5, 2003. Other operations included in the divestment are in Houston, Texas, and Baltimore, Maryland, USA. These units employ over 400 people and have annual net sales close to EUR 60 million (US$ 65.4 million).

Desarrollos Serfoca, C.A. (Serfoca), a partner of Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana (CVG), Venezuela, has awarded Metso Paper with the pre-engineering order for its Orinoco project. The order covers the wood yard, the mechanical pulp plant and the paper mill, and the chemical and water management systems. Via its fully-owner subsidiary Proforca, CVG is the main owner of forest plantations in Venezuela. The Orinoco project will consist of a mechanical pulp plant and a 400,000-ton per year newsprint mill located on the north bank of the Orinoco River close to Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela.

Metso Paper will supply its 300th FoilForce 1 tail-threading system as part of delivery to Norske Skog Golbey for use on the company's Number 2 Paper Machine.

Metso will supply a package order for Parsytec web inspection systems for Abitibi Consolidated's mills in Grand Mere and Kenogomi, Quebec, Canada. This is the first package order of a Parsytec system sold by Metso's sales partner Metso Automation.

Metso Paper will supply a new board machine press section for PM 1 at Alce S.p.A., Lucca, Italy. The new press section will be erected in December 2003 and the machine will start up in January 2004.

Metso will supply Gaspesia Papers with a major rebuild for its supercalandered coated paper line at Chandler, Quebec Canada. The mill modernization project includes a rebuild of the wet end, pre-dryer section, and coating sections. The project also includes air and infrared dryers, a reel, sub-floor winder process ventilation, steam/condensate systems, roll handling equipment, and a coating kitchen.

Metso announced it will refocus its Metso Paper business while renewing its operating model. March 1, 2003, marks the renewal in which Metso strengthens the role of aftermarket operations in accordance with the Metso Future Care business concept, responds to the changes in the business environment, and enhances customer orientation of its operations. In addition, the target is to improve the profitability further and enhance Metso Paper's competitiveness.