Stora Enso is rebuilding a paper machine at Varkaus Mill to improve mill efficiency
STORA ENSO OYJ Stock Exchange Release 28 December 2006 at 09.00
Stora Enso is rebuilding a paper machine at Varkaus Mill to improve mill efficiency Stora Enso is investing EUR 54.8 million in rebuilding fine paper machine 3 (PM 3) at its Varkaus Mill in Finland to improve efficiency at the mill and profitability in the Office Paper business area. This project, which will increase mill specialisation within the division, is scheduled to be completed in December 2007. The investment is in line with Stora Ensos fine paper strategy. PM 1 at Varkaus Mill, which had an annual capacity of 95 000 tonnes of single-coated fine paper, was closed down in November 2006 as part of Stora Ensos Asset Performance Review. Arrangements for the closure of PM 1 were negotiated locally, which enabled the new investment. The investment will increase the mills annual production capacity by about 95 000 tonnes to 315 000 tonnes of uncoated fine paper, but the number of personnel will not increase. Following the investment, envelope paper production will be transferred from Veitsiluoto Mill to Varkaus Mill, allowing Veitsiluoto Mill to specialise in producing document printing paper. Production of writing paper will be transferred from Varkaus Mill to Imatra Mills. Varkaus Mill is a fully integrated mill located close to good fibre resources. Through this investment we can improve the fine paper mills future competitiveness and strengthen its position in the divisions asset portfolio, comments Pekka Laaksonen, SEVP, Stora Enso Fine Paper. Recent investments in Varkaus Mill include: - approximately EUR 47 million in rebuilding of the woodhandling department to be completed in September 2007; - approximately EUR 47 million in a new thermomechanical pulp (TMP) line completed in summer 2004; - approximately EUR 20 million in sawmill modernisation completed in spring 2004. For further information, please contact: Juha Vanhainen, SVP, Stora Enso Fine Paper, Office Papers, tel. +358 40 541 8178 Reino Panula, General Manager, Stora Enso Varkaus Mill, tel. +358 2046 32740 Kari Vainio, EVP, Corporate Communications, tel. +44 7799 348 197 Keith B Russell, SVP, Investor Relations, tel. +44 7775 788 659 Stora Ensos Varkaus Mill produces fine paper, directory paper, newsprint and coreboard on three paper machines and one board machine with a total annual capacity of about 620 000 tonnes of paper and board, plus 345 000 m3 of sawn wood products. The mills annual wood consumption is approximately 2.3 million m3. The mill employs about 1 000 people. Previous press releases concerning Varkaus Mill are available at www.storaenso.com/press: - 21 March 2006: Stora Enso invests in woodhandling at Varkaus Mill - 27 October 2005: Stora Enso creates platform for stronger financial performance - 19 November 2002: Stora Enso to upgrade and modernise its pulp and sawmill production lines at Varkaus www.storaenso.com www.storaenso.com/investors STORA ENSO OYJ Jyrki Kurkinen Ulla Paajanen-Sainio