Displaying items by tag: sappi

Sappi Limited has just announced a range of projects in Europe and the United States to support its growth strategy and 2020Vision and in particular to be the lowest cost producer and best service provider in graphic papers and to increase its global product offering to packaging and speciality papers customers.

Range of projects launched for period 2017 to 2019 including:

• Expanded lightweight packaging and speciality paper capacity at Alfeld Mill
• Conversion of Maastricht Mill to produce high quality solid bleached board
• Transition Lanaken Mill PM8 over three years to support coated woodfree business

A number of projects related to equipment upgrades and production efficiencies at its Alfeld, and Ehingen Mills in Germany, its Lanaken Mill in Belgium and its Maastricht Mill in The Netherlands will be undertaken over the next three years.

Sappi Europe will take a further decisive step in growing its packaging and speciality papers business by converting its Maastricht Mill to a high quality solid bleached board facility and by expanding the lightweight packaging and speciality papers capacity of its Alfeld Mill by 10,000 tpa. It is expected that the SBB business at Maastricht Mill will grow to 150,000 tpa in the next three years. The displaced graphic paper volumes will be assigned to other mills.

The rapid growth of Sappi Europe’s packaging and speciality papers capacity will also be supported by Sappi Ehingen Mill, whilst Sappi Lanaken Mill PM8 will progressively transition to coated woodfree production over the next three years in line with the expected decline in the coated mechanical market. 

Berry Wiersum, CEO Sappi Europe, said: “We are delighted to have received strong support from Sappi’s Board. These projects will enable us to make better use of our assets to drive growth in speciality papers, as well as to reduce by 2020 our coated graphic papers capacity by about 200,000 tons”.

Commented Steve Binnie, CEO of Sappi Limited: “Our focus has always been to build and strengthen competitive advantage. Taken as a whole, these investments take advantage of our manufacturing base and the skills and knowledge of our people to enhance the potential of the mills, setting us on a strong course for the future”.

About Sappi
Sappi Europe SA is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno™, Quatro™, Vantage™, Royal, Galerie™ and GalerieArt™ ranges. Algro®, Leine®, Parade®,  Fusion® and atelier™ are the brands for innovative solutions of packaging and speciality papers.

Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. Sappi European mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) schemes.
Sappi Europe SA is a division of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world.

Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com

SappiLimited (JSE), a leading global provider of sustainable woodfibre products and solutions, have just announced the launch of its new website with significant updates benefitting customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders. This newly redesigned website is one of the many steps Sappi is taking to unite its global divisions as part of its groundbreaking 2020Vision strategy, which seeks to pursue growth opportunities in the woodfibre industry.

The new www.sappi.com features full descriptions of products and services offered; comprehensive award-winning educational materials for customers; in-depth sustainability reporting; easy access to corporate social responsibility efforts; dynamic portals for customers and investors and a prominent social media presence.

“A dedicated team of Sappi employees across the world has been working tirelessly over the last year to create a website that not only encapsulates our global 2020Vision, but that serves each of our key stakeholders in a way that is both informative, actionable and personalised,” said André Oberholzer, Group Head Corporate Affairs of Sappi Limited. “Sappi.com is now an essential source of information for all our stakeholders. We’re proud and excited by this launch, but our work is far from done. We’ve laid a solid foundation and will remain dedicated to quality. The team at Sappi will be making continuous improvements for each of our unique stakeholders.”

While the entire website was redesigned, there are two features with increased functionality that offer additional benefits to users.

First, the Sappi&You Online portal for European customers offers a personalised online experience for printers, publishers and brand owners. Supported by eCommerce, It provides increased functionality to support our customers. Information is tailored to the customers’ specific needs allowing fast access to transactional information, local specialists, detailed product information, sample ordering or benefit from Sappi’s in depth technical knowledge and support areas. It is not only customers who benefit from Sappi&You Online, companies who would like to learn more about how Sappi&You can support their businesses will find useful information about our co-development approach as well as putting them in touch with our local specialists.

Second, a new hub dedicated to investors will provide background information on Sappi and the industry, as well as regularly updated share pricing, financial results, upcoming financial events, financial presentations and information on the 2020Vision.

“We see this investment as a key resource that helps drive our company toward our goal of ‘One Sappi’ - a single global brand,” continued Oberholzer. “With more resources immediately available to our audiences than ever before, and our resulting increased transparency, we will continue our position as a thought leader in the industry. We are excited to enter the next phase of our business strategy, where we will continue to innovate and offer products and services that are of the highest quality to our customers.”

To learn more about Sappi, please visit: www.sappi.com

About Sappi Limited

A global leader in paper, paper pulp and dissolving wood pulp solutions, Sappi Limited (listed and in the Top 40 on the JSE), is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa; has over 12,000 employees; manufacturing operations on three continents, in seven countries (seven mills in Europe, three mills in America and four mills in South Africa) and customers in over 150 countries worldwide

Sappi works closely with customers to provide relevant and sustainable paper, paper pulp, dissolving wood pulp and biomaterial products and related services and innovations. Our market-leading range of paper products includes: coated fine papers used by printers, publishers and corporate end-users; casting release papers used by suppliers to the fashion, textiles, automobile and household industries; and in our Southern African region newsprint, uncoated graphic and business papers, premium quality packaging papers and paper grade pulp. Our dissolving wood pulp products are used worldwide by converters to produce viscose fibre, pharmaceutical products as well as a wide range of household and consumer products.

In FY2016 we produced approximately:

• 5.4 million tons per year of graphic and printing paper and packaging and speciality paper
• 2.3 million tons per year of market paper pulp, and
• 1.3 million tons per year of dissolving wood pulp.

We continue to grow into a profitable and cash-generative diversified business with an exciting future in woodfibre, a renewable resource.

For further information visit www.sappi.com

After forty-two years of service to the company Mat Quaedvlieg has retired from his position as Vice President Manufacturing, R&D and Technology Sappi Europe on December 31st, 2016. He will continue as VP Strategic Business Projects on a part time basis.

Steffen Wurdinger, Mill Director Ehingen, has taken up the position of Vice President Manufacturing, R&D and Technology Sappi Europe from January 1st , 2017 and has become a member of the European Management Team.

Mr Wurdinger holds a Master of Science degree in Paper Technology Engineering from Dresden University as well as a Dr.-Ing specialisation in CTMP. After a brief period as a Scientific Assistant at the Institute of Paper-Technology in Dresden he started at Ehingen Mill in March 1991 as head of Technology, rising to PQM-Manager in 1994. From 2003 to 2005 he was Technical Director at Cloquet Mill, USA and came back to support the Geminus project in Ehingen. He took over as Mill Director Ehingen, in October 2006.

The successor to Mr Wurdinger as Mill Director Ehingen will be announced in due time.

We recognize and thank Mr Quaedvlieg for his great contribution to Sappi Europe over so many years.

About Sappi

Sappi Europe SA is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno™, Quatro™, Vantage™, Royal, Galerie™ and GalerieArt™ ranges. Algro®, Leine®, Parade®,  Fusion® and atelier™ are the brands for innovative solutions of speciality papers and boards.

Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. Sappi European mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) schemes.

Sappi Europe SA is a division of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with 12,800 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com.

Sappi’s Magno Plus Gloss and Plus Silk high bulk products deliver more value and outstanding print results. In addition to high performance offset printing they are now fully certified for use on HP Indigo digital presses.

Flavio Froehli, Sales Director for Sappi’s commercial print products said; “We are delighted that Magno Plus products have received this certification, the entire Magno range of products are already extensively used on all types of digital presses but this certification for HP Indigo presses provides additional quality assurance by the market leader”

“Sappi Magno supports the overall efficiency of printed media by offering multi-use products that avoid the need for duplicated stocks, ensuring production flexibility between offset and digital processes whilst retaining the high quality and consistency Magno is renowned for.”

Further information:
The Magno graphic paper range offers seven products including gloss, silk, matt in standard or hi-bulk options and uncoated surfaces, basis weights range from 80g/m² to 400g/m² with all products having an aligned high white shade.

For further information, samples or to organize a trial please contact your local Sappi sales office.

About Sappi
Sappi Europe SA is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno™, Quatro™, Vantage™, Royal, Galerie™ and GalerieArt™ ranges. Algro®, Fusion®, Leine® and Parade® are the brands for speciality labelling, topliner, packaging papers and boards. Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. Sappi European mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) schemes.
Sappi Europe SA is a division of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 13,500 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com.

Commenting on the result, Sappi Chief Executive Officer Steve Binnie said:
“Our strategy to reposition Sappi as a profitable and cash-generative diversified woodfibre group remains well on track. The strong quarterly growth in our EBITDA excluding special items continues with an increase of 15% over the prior year to US$195 million.” Turning to the second half of the year, Binnie commented: “Based on current market conditions, and assuming current exchange rates, we expect the growth in the second half EBITDA excluding special items to be in line with that of the first half of the year.  As a result of improved operating profits and lower expected finance costs, offset somewhat by increased tax charges, we expect a strong increase in our earnings.”

Highlights for the quarter

• Profit for the period US$100 million (Q2 2015 US$56 million)
• EPS excluding special items 16 US cents (Q2 2015 11 US cents)
• EBITDA excluding special items US$195 million (Q2 2015 US$170 million)
• Net debt US$1,652 million, down US$264 million year-on-year

The period under review:
Profit for the period increased by 79% from US$56 million to US$100 million and for the half-year by 119% from US$80 million to US$175 million.
 
Operating profit excluding special items was up 28% to US$133 million. Earnings per share excluding special items for the quarter were 16 US cents, a healthy improvement over the 11 US cents generated in the equivalent quarter last year. The improvement was attributable mainly to higher dissolving wood pulp sales volumes and prices, savings from cost containment initiatives and lower finance charges. The strong operating performance in the quarter occurred despite the US$10 million adverse impact of planned maintenance shuts across the group when compared to the equivalent quarter last year.
 
The Specialised Cellulose business improved during the quarter, with EBITDA excluding special items of US$94 million, despite the annual maintenance shuts which occurred at both Ngodwana and Saiccor Mills during the quarter.  Average US Dollar prices in the quarter were higher than both, those of the prior quarter and the equivalent quarter last year due to higher average Chinese spot prices for dissolving wood pulp.  The weaker Rand/Dollar exchange rate led to increased Rand prices.
 
The European business delivered another satisfactory performance, with stable sales volumes and higher selling prices, aided by good variable and fixed cost control.
 
Increased sales volumes and lower variable costs more than offset a decline in average sales prices for the North American business when compared to the equivalent quarter last year.
 
The paper business in South Africa was impacted negatively by the extended annual maintenance shut at Ngodwana Mill, which commenced in March.  The later onset of the citrus picking season also delayed some containerboard sales destined for the agricultural market.  Higher sales prices offset variable cost increases, driven primarily by a weaker Rand/Dollar exchange rate.
 
Net debt of US$1,652 million is substantially lower than the US$1,916 million at the end of the equivalent quarter last year as a result of strong cash generation in the past financial year and the translation benefits of the weaker Euro on the Euro denominated debt. Since quarter-end we have completed the refinancing of our 2021 bonds. This will result in a reduction in the interest charge of approximately US$8 million per annum going forward.
 
The performance of the European business improved compared to both the prior quarter as well as the equivalent period last year. Coated woodfree markets were relatively stable and sales volumes and selling prices were higher than a year ago. The specialities market improved in the quarter, and sales volumes for the quarter were up 19% year-on-year.
 
The US coated paper market remained challenging, particularly for lightweight web (reels) products. However, strong sales of heavyweight web (reels) products resulted in higher overall paper sales volumes. The casting release paper business experienced improved sales volumes in China, particularly after the Chinese New Year.
 
Net cash generated for the quarter was US$90 million, compared to the US$82 million generated in the equivalent quarter last year.  This increase was as a result of the improved operating performance and lower finance costs, offset somewhat by a rise in working capital.  Capital expenditure in the quarter of US$45 million was in line with the equivalent quarter last year.
Special items for the quarter resulted in a gain of US$22 million, related mainly to a plantation fair value price adjustment.
 
Outlook
 
The Specialised Cellulose business has benefitted from rising US Dollar sales prices for dissolving wood pulp over the past year.  Spot prices peaked in November 2015, declining through to February and have since partially recovered.  Our expectation is for US Dollar spot prices to remain fairly stable for the remainder of the financial year but, for our South African mills, there will be the added benefit of a weaker Rand/Dollar exchange rate when compared to the prior year.  Demand remains positive and we remain confident that, at current pricing levels and exchange rates, the outlook for this business is positive.
 
In North America, our graphic paper business is performing solidly in a difficult and competitive environment which is being impacted negatively by the strength of the US Dollar and the weak publication paper market.  Variable costs have reduced significantly over the past year and sales volumes are stable heading into a seasonally slow third quarter.  Our European business continues to improve with reasonable operating rates and lower variable costs. However, graphic paper markets have softened in recent months.  The outlook for the specialities market in Europe remains positive, with growth of 3% in our key product categories expected in the coming year.   The large exposure to the export market through our South African agricultural containerboard sales is driving good sales volumes in a weak ZAR exchange rate environment.
 
Capex in 2016 is expected to be in line with 2015 and is focused largely on energy and debottlenecking projects in South Africa together with the annual maintenance at the mills.
 
We expect to reduce our net debt further over the course of the year and improve our financial leverage closer to our target of less than two times net debt to EBITDA.

Valmet will supply a paper machine wet end rebuild for the Kirkniemi mill of Sappi Finland Operations Oy in Finland. The start-up of the rebuilt machine is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2016.

The order is included in Valmet's first quarter 2016 orders received. The value of the order is not disclosed. A project of this type and scope is typically valued at approximately EUR 10-15 million.

"We have worked with Valmet for a long time, and the cooperation has been very good. Valmet is familiar with our paper machine and they know its potential. These are important factors when choosing a supplier. We wanted to have a reliable partner with good technical solutions," says Martti Savelainen, Mill Manager from Sappi.

"This new project is the third major rebuild for Sappi (Alfeld PM 2and Gratkorn PM 11) in just a few years. Our personnel is very familiar with the Kirkniemi machine, and our knowhow on the process and technical solutions are optimal for printing grades. By combining our experience and expertise, we were able to come up with a solution that met the customer's targets well, and we are pleased that Sappi chose Valmet for this rebuild project," says Petri Paukkunen, Vice President, Paper Mills Sales and Marketing, Valmet.

Information about the customer Sappi

Sappi is a global company focused on providing dissolving wood pulp, paper pulp and paper-based solutions to its direct and indirect customer base across more than 100 countries. Sappi produces approximately 5.7 million tons per year of paper, 2.4 million tons per year of paper pulp and 1.3 million tons per year of dissolving wood pulp.

Kirkniemi Mill has been a front runner in developing light-weight publication papers for demanding end-uses. Today, the mill's three paper machines produce coated papers for heat set web offset printing to customers around the world.

For further information, please contact:
 
Petri Paukkunen, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Paper Mills, Valmet, tel. +358 40 744 8182
Pekka Turtinen, Senior Sales Manager, Sales and Marketing, Paper Mills, Valmet, +358 40 770 7649

Sappi Limited has approved investments of some EUR 25m for mill upgrades in Europe during the course of 2016.  Sappi Lanaken Mill will improve the performance of its paper machine 7 (PM7)  by installing  a state-of-the-art film-press coater, and Sappi Kirkniemi Mill will undergo a variety of modifications to its paper machine 3 (PM3)  to increase energy efficiency and further improve quality consistency.  All work will be completed by the end of calendar year 2016.

“These investments support our continued drive for efficiency and profitability,” commented Berry Wiersum, CEO Sappi Europe. “We are focused on the future and on continuous improvement, seizing opportunities where they make most sense.”

In 2013, Sappi Europe announced its intention to make significant investments (EUR 56m) in its Kirkniemi Mill over the coming years. The decision to build a new power plant was key to supporting future operations , safeguarding the competitiveness of the mill, and backing the company’s drive for cost leadership. The new plant opened ahead of schedule in September 2015.

As part of this new investment in Kirkniemi Mill, PM3 will get a new shoe press for more effective drying as well as modifications to the headbox. Further improvements will include a dilution controlled head box to ensure good runnability, especially on the base paper machine. The investment will increase energy efficiency on PM3 and will promote PM3´s cost competitiveness. The new equipment will further enhance quality consistency through better basis weight and moisture profiles.

At Lanaken Mill, the gate-roll coater on PM7 will be replaced with a state-of-the-art film-press coater. With additional adaptations to the drying system and coating preparation, the rebuild paves the way for the first coating to have more weight. The investment will enable PM7 to produce the entire portfolio of grades – without compromising on web profile, coating coverage and paper properties.

About Sappi Kirkniemi Mill
Sappi Kirkniemi Mill in Lohja, Finland is part of Sappi Europe. In Kirkniemi there are three paper machines which annually produce 735,000 tons of high quality publication papers which are used for premium quality publications all over the world.

About Sappi Lanaken Mill
Sappi Lanaken Mill, Belgium is part of Sappi Europe. In Lanaken there are two paper machines which annually produce 510,000 tons of coated mechanical and coated fine papers for heat set web offset printing.

About Sappi
Sappi Europe SA is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno™, Quatro™, Vantage™, Royal™, Galerie™ and GalerieArt™ ranges. Algro®, Leine®, Parade®,  Fusion® and atelier™ are the brands for innovative solutions of speciality papers and boards.
Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. Sappi European mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) schemes.
Sappi Europe SA is a division of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with 12,800 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com.

As part of Sappi Europe’s successful newly developed ‘go to market’ strategy, the green light has been given for the building of a state of the art multi-purpose paper storage logistics facility of approx. 20,000 m² close to Wesel, Germany. The rail-linked facility will hold more stock keeping units for German and Benelux customers in particular. The logistics services linked to this additional warehouse space will also be made available to other customers thanks to the operational support provided by long-standing partners.

This EUR 12.6 million investment supports Sappi Europe’s strategic focus on optimising logistics networks and reducing costs. The facility will be fully operation by the end of 2016.

Sappi has implemented a full train concept with a dedicated train between its Gratkorn Mill and the Wesel hub. Six trains per week carry paper and pulp between the sites. The strategic location of the hub facilitates the flow of goods across Europe, connecting overseas ports and Sappi’s railway distribution centres in Zeebrugge (Belgium) and close to Graz (Austria).

Hans-Juergen Peichler, Manager Logistics, Sappi Logistics Wesel GmbH has been closely involved in the initiative;  “We have put a lot of emphasis on analysing both outbound and inbound logistics, working with our procurement and logistics teams to find synergies and to better utilise existing networks. The logistics services that we offer have been fine-tuned and are as multi-modal as possible. The Wesel facility supports this drive.”

Supporting innovation through assessment of a new cellulose reinforced polypropylene 

Intertek, a leading provider of quality solutions worldwide has successfully completed an assessment of Sappi’s new cellulose reinforced polypropylene material, in order to determine its suitability for processing and automotive or consumer product applications.

As a global forest product leader focused on dissolving wood pulp, paper pulp and paper-based solutions, Sappi is strategically committed to maximize the value of wood derived products by exploring new possibilities and innovations with the materials now used to make paper. Recently, Sappi has developed a new material by using cellulose from trees to create a cellulose reinforced polypropylene. This material has potential applications in a variety of markets including automotive, consumer electronics and furniture.

Intertek polymer engineers assessed the new material by using their laboratory polymer processing facility to show that it is easily processed and can be made into “life-sized” items such as automotive components. These were then tested to explore their properties. The test results demonstrated good mouldability as well as high rigidity with low density, low odour, good colouring possibilities and good scratch resistance. The assessment benefitted Sappi by providing critical insight on the material’s performance which has helped to reduce risk of product failure and also enabled initial customer trials to be conducted, leading to rapid market introduction following a very short development period.

Intertek has entered into a collaboration with the Symbio team, part of a corporate start-up initiative within Sappi, to support their product development of next generation cellulose reinforced materials which are already in development. Intertek will continue to play a supporting role by providing testing and polymer processing expertise (injection moulding and extrusion) to assist Sappi develop new materials with improved impact resistance.

Intertek polymer engineers, chemists and regulatory experts work with clients to continually enhance polymer development through advanced analytics, problem solving, pilot plant injection moulding, film extrusion and compounding pilot line facilities. With this expertise, Intertek supports the development of new and innovative polymer products for numerous applications including packaging, consumer products, automotive and aerospace.

The Intertek team will highlight this news at the AutomotiveNL Supplier Day 2015, November 13th 2015, Automotive Campus 30, Helmond, The Netherlands

Learn more about Intertek materials verification programs:

www.intertek.com/polymers/composites/characterization

Learn more about Sappi’s cellulose reinforced polypropylene:
www.forestplastics.com

Contacts:

Intertek

Frank Huijnen     

Senior Consultant Polymers

Intertek Life Sciences

Koolwaterstofstraat 1 | 6161 RA Geleen | The Netherlands

Mobile +31 (0)6 10 894 659

Sappi

Jacob Hartstra

New Business Development Manager

Sappi Europe

Biesenweg 16 | 6211 AA Maastricht | The Netherlands

Tel +31 433822 432 | Mobile +31 (0) 6 31 920 074

About Intertek
Intertek is a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide. From auditing and inspection, to testing, training, advisory, quality assurance and certification, Intertek adds value for its customers by helping improve the quality and safety of their products, assets and processes. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 38,000 people in more than 100 countries, Intertek supports companies’ success in the global marketplace, by helping customers to meet end users’ expectations for safety, sustainability, performance, integrity and desirability in virtually any market worldwide. Visit www.intertek.com

About Sappi

About Sappi Sappi Europe SA is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno™, Quatro™, Vantage™, Royal™, Galerie™ and GalerieArt™ ranges. Algro®, Leine®, Parade®,  Fusion® and atelier™ are the brands for innovative solutions of speciality papers and boards.  Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. Sappi European mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) schemes. Sappi Europe SA is a division of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 13,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world.

Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com

In 2013, Sappi Europe announced its intention to significantly invest (EUR 56m) in its Kirkniemi Mill in Lohja, Finland.
The decision to build a new power plant was key to supporting future operations, safeguarding the competitiveness of the mill, and backing the company’s drive for cost leadership.
Combining energy, enthusiasm and commitment, the new plant has been finished six months ahead of schedule.

In what promises to be a very exciting day in the history of the Kirkniemi Mill, inauguration proceedings for the new plant will take place on Friday 11^th September in the presence of Mr Olli Rehn, Minister for Economic Affairs (Finland), Mr Pasi Laine, CEO of Valmet and Mr Berry Wiersum, CEO of Sappi Europe.

Kirkniemi Mill’s goal is to continuously improve its energy efficiency. The new power plant will significantly reduce the mill’s cost base by decreasing energy costs and securing energy supply. The plant will flexibly use solid fuels such as bark from the mill’s debarking process, and other wood based fuels and coal. The technique will facilitate a remarkable increase of biomass fuel in the mill’s energy production. The new boiler circulates fluidized bed (CFB) and its fuel power is 96 MW. Underlining Sappi’s commitment to sustainable development, processes are based on BAT – Best Available Technology. The plant designs have taken current and future requirements into consideration to ensure the highest possible standards are met. 

Commenting on the starting of the plant, Martti Savelainen, Mill Director of Sappi Kirkniemi said: “The new power plant is key to the sustainable future of Kirkniemi. We are delighted to be starting operations ahead of time and feel confident that this investment will drive the competitiveness of the mill. Kirkniemi is an effective unit committed to delivering value to the Sappi group in a sustainable way.”

Additional Information

• Construction of the new plant started in May 2014 and finished on 17 July 2015, six months ahead of the planned schedule
• Valmet is the main supplier of the new plant
• Sappi Kirkniemi mill joined the national energy savings agreement in 1997 and the national energy efficiency agreement in 2009.
• As an indication of Kirkniemi mill’s systematic work towards improving its energy efficiency, the international ISO 50001 certificate was granted in spring 2012.

About Sappi

Sappi Europe SA is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno™, Quatro™, Vantage™, Royal™, Galerie™ and GalerieArt™ ranges. Algro®, Leine®, Parade®,  Fusion® and atelier™ are the brands for innovative solutions of speciality papers and boards.  Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. Sappi European mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) schemes. Sappi Europe SA is a division of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 13,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com.

About Sappi Kirkniemi Mill

Sappi Kirkniemi mill in Lohja, Finland is part of Sappi Europe. Annually it produces 735,000 tons of high quality publication papers which are used for premium quality publications all over the world. The mill employs 550 paper industry professionals from production to product development. Over 90% of the mill’s production is exported.

The mill operates under management systems consisting of certified Environmental Management System (ISO 14001), Energy Management System (ISO 50001), Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSAS 18001), Quality Management System (ISO 9001) and Chain Of Custody Verification from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification® (PEFC) scheme and Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC).