Ian(id62)
Smurfit-Stone Expands Chain-of-Custody Certification to Entire Mill System
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation announced that all of its U.S. paper mills have been recommended for chain-of-custody certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative ("SFI"), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification ("PEFC") and Forest Stewardship Council ("FSC") standards.
Having its mill system fully certified allows Smurfit-Stone to trace and verify the origin of the fiber used in its papermaking operations. This is becoming an increasingly important requirement for many companies that are looking to partner with packaging manufacturers that can help them meet their social and environmental goals.
"Smurfit-Stone is committed to responsible and sustainable fiber sourcing, and completing this certification process division-wide reaffirms our beliefs," said Mike Exner, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mill division. "The chain-of-custody certification also helps us better support our customers in meeting their sustainability goals."
The chain-of-custody certification audits were conducted over a two-week period from November 29, 2010, to December 3, 2010. Smurfit-Stone's mills will have the following certifications:
- SFI Certified Fiber Sourcing – U.S. mills' procurement system
- SFI chain-of-custody certification – U.S. mills
- PEFC chain-of-custody certification – all pulp and paper mills
- FSC chain-of-custody certification – all pulp and paper mills
Smurfit-Stone's Matane, Quebec, mill has also been recommended for PEFC and FSC certifications, and its La Tuque, Quebec, mill received PEFC and FSC certifications in 2009. Smurfit-Stone anticipates extending the chain-of-custody certifications within its converting operations throughout 2011 and 2012.
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation is one of the industry's leading integrated containerboard and corrugated packaging producers and one of the world's largest paper recyclers. The company is a member of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® and the Chicago Climate Exchange. Smurfit-Stone generated revenue of $5.57 billion in 2009; has led the industry in safety every year since 2001; and conducts its business in compliance with the environmental, health, and safety principles of the American Forest & Paper Association.
SOURCE Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation
US and Canadian log and lumber exports to China up over 150 percent in 2010, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The value of softwood logs and lumber exported from North America to China reached over 1.6 billion dollars in 2010, which was 150 percent higher than the previous year and more than ten times as much as in 2006, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly.
The full article can be found in the attached PDF file.....
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation Prepays Earn-Out Obligation
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (NYSE: KS) ("KapStone" or "the Company"), a leading North American producer of unbleached kraft paper products and linerboard, today reported that the Company prepaid the balance of earn-outs due to International Paper Company ("IP"). The earn-out obligations arose from the June 23, 2006 agreement for the Company's purchase from IP of the kraft paper business assets, including a paper mill located in Roanoke Rapids, NC, and a dunnage bag manufacturing facility located in Fordyce, AR. A portion of the earn-out obligations was paid to IP upon the sale of the dunnage bag business in March of 2009, leaving a potential $55.0 million payment in April of 2012.
KapStone could not foresee any realistic scenario that would result in a reduction of the $55.0 million obligation. However, the early payment allowed KapStone to take advantage of an 8 percent annualized discount reducing the obligation from $55.0 million to $49.7 million, a savings of $5.3 million. The earn-out payment will be accounted for as goodwill.
"We have been very pleased with the outstanding performance of the Roanoke Rapids operation, and we look forward to continued excellent results. Quite frankly, I would have been very disappointed if this payment had not been earned," said Roger W. Stone, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
About the Company
Headquartered in Northbrook, IL, KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation is a leading North American producer of unbleached kraft paper products and linerboard. The Company is the parent company of KapStone Kraft Paper Corporation which includes paper mills in Roanoke Rapids, NC and North Charleston, SC, a lumber mill in Summerville, SC, and five chipping mills in South Carolina. The business employs approximately 1,600 people.
SOURCE KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation
BASF to increase prices for wet end paper chemicals sold into the North American paper market
Effective Jan.15, 2011, or as contract terms allow, BASF will increase its prices of sizing chemicals, colorants, and polymers for strength, fixation, and water management, for wet end paper chemicals sold into the North American paper market. The price increases range from five to 15 percent, depending upon the product. This action is necessary to offset raw material cost increases.
About BASF’s Paper Chemicals division
BASF’s Paper Chemicals division offers process chemicals to optimize costs and increase machine efficiency, functional chemicals to lend specific properties to paper, and finishing chemicals to improve the appearance and performance characteristics of printed paper and board. With this comprehensive portfolio, BASF is the leading supplier of paper chemicals worldwide. BASF established Paper Chemicals as a separate division when it acquired Ciba in April 2009. The ISO 9001:2000-certified Paper Chemicals division operates sites in Europe, Asia and the Americas. For more information, go to www.paper-chemicals.basf.com
BASF - The Chemical Company.
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.us.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
International Paper to Release Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2010 Earnings on Thursday, Feb. 3
International Paper will release fourth-quarter and full-year 2010 earnings on Thursday, Feb. 3, before the opening of the New York Stock Exchange. The company will host a webcast to discuss earnings and current market conditions at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT) that day. All interested parties are invited to listen to the webcast via the company's Internet site at www.internationalpaper.com by clicking on the Investors tab and going to the Webcasts and Presentations page. A replay of the webcast will also be on the Web site beginning approximately two hours after the call.
Parties who wish to participate in the webcast via teleconference may dial +1 (706) 679-8242 or, within the U.S. only, (877) 316-2541, and ask to be connected to the International Paper Fourth Quarter Earnings Call. The conference ID number is "34891863." Participants should call in no later than 8:45 a.m. ET (7:45 a.m. CT). An audio-only replay will be available for four weeks following the call. To access the replay, dial +1 (706) 645-9291 or, within the U.S. only, (800) 642-1687, and when prompted for the conference ID, enter "34891863."
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global paper and packaging company with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia and North Africa. Its businesses include uncoated papers, industrial and consumer packaging and distribution. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company employs about 60,000 people in more than 20 countries and serves customers worldwide. 2009 net sales were more than $23 billion. For more information about International Paper, its products and stewardship efforts, visit internationalpaper.com .
SOURCE International Paper
AxFlow launches compressed air metering device for AODD pumps
AxFlow has announced that it has taken on the European distribution of Warren Rupp’s AirVantage compressed air metering device for Sandpiper 2 and 3-inch metallic AODD pumps.
By managing the compressed air demand of the pump to the application, considerable energy savings can be made.
For users of Air Operated Double Diaphragm (AODD) pumps a large percentage of the operating costs are attributable to compressed air. According to Warren Rupp, the power cost to run compressors makes up almost 70% of the total cost of the compressed air system, and 90% of most air compressor problems are located within the system itself. This is due to system layout, leaks, airline sizing, air treatment, piping materials and equipment specification. All of these issues reduce the run-time of compressed air systems, so improving efficiency is concentrated on the supply side. However, operators need to consider the demand side in order to ensure that equipment specifications are delivering efficient performance.
Self-powered by an internal generator that produces 12V AC, the AirVantage is available both as a complete pump and as a centre-section upgrade kit for existing installed pumps including both ball and flap valve construction. For intrinsically safe conditions, it is also available with an explosion-proof (ATEX certified) electrical assembly for operation in hazardous areas. The unit features an advanced learning programme that automatically adapts and controls the amount of air used under a variety of condition points, saving energy at the same time as maintaining a comparable flow.
AirVantage uses sensors to read pump velocity and switches the pilot valve during mid-stroke, allowing momentum or inertia to complete the pump stroke but without filling the diaphragm completely with air. This still moves fluid through the pump at comparable flow, but without consuming as much air. The sensor in the centre section of the pump reads the pump velocity and communicates this information with a microchip that calculates the pump’s ideal optimum point. This controls the amount of air that enters the diaphragm chambers, switching air to either side of the pump before the pump completes a stroke. As a result of employing a monitoring system that reads velocity, AirVantage can adapt as the pump’s condition point changes from low discharge pressure to high discharge pressure, and allow more or less air to complete the stroke continuously optimising energy consumption.
Reducing the volume of compressed air used to drive the AODD pump will create other benefits for the user other than just contributing to energy savings. By operating more efficiently there is less wear on the compressed air systems and the pumps which lead to longer working life and reduced maintenance and improved plant productivity.
By Bryan Orchard
Ahlstrom completes divestment of Altenkirchen site in Germany
Ahlstrom, a global leader in nonwovens and specialty papers, announces that it has completed the divestment of Ahlstrom Altenkirchen GmbH in Germany to Interface Solutions.
Ahlstrom announced earlier this month the sale of the Altenkirchen site to Interface Solutions, a portfolio company of Pennsylvania-based family owned private equity fund Susquehanna Capital. The value of the transaction is approximately EUR 6.5 million. Ahlstrom will book a non-recurring gain of approximately EUR 5 million from the sale in its fourth-quarter 2010 financial result.
For further information, please contact
Seppo Parvi
CFO+358 10 888 4768
CSC establishing a data centre at former UPM Paper Mill in Kajaani
CSC IT Center for Science Ltd. is to establish one of the world’s most eco-efficient data centres in Kajaani, on the site of UPM's former paper mill. The data centre will be built jointly by CSC and UPM, and it will provide a state-of-the-art environment for supercomputers, data storage, and other demanding IT systems.
The construction work of the data centre will start during this autumn, and the centre will be completed in early 2012. During the construction phase the project will employ approximately tens of people. Besides CSC, other companies are also expected to utilise data centre's facilities.
”CSC’s decision to establish a computer machine room in Renforsin Ranta business park in Kajaani is an important development step for the industrial complex. The project will bring more jobs and new companies to the site”, says Kaj-Erik Lindberg, Vice President, Real Estate, from UPM.
Renforsin Ranta business park was founded by UPM in 2008 on the site of its former Kajaani paper mill. The existing diversified infrastructure makes Renforsin Ranta an attractive option for new companies seeking growth. Currently the business park houses 25 companies that employ more than 500 employees. One of the strategic growth areas of Renforsin Ranta is measurement and information technology.
”Our aim is to create one of the world’s most eco-efficient machine rooms, which will operate using locally produced energy and with a minimal carbon footprint. All the alternatives we have considered contain a binding offer on energy from the business park’s own network. This will bring significant cost benefits in electricity transfer costs”, says Kimmo Koski, Managing Director of CSC.
The computer machine room requires a lot of electricity, which is generated by hydroelectric power plants in Kajaani. The cooling water required by the machine room comes from the nearby river.
”The data centre project is extremely important for Finland. It will strengthen international competitiveness of Finnish research by providing an eco-efficient location for the new supercomputer and the services it will make available in Finland. With this project CSC, administered by the Ministry of Education and Culture, is also helping Finnish business and the generation of new jobs”, says Henna Virkkunen, Minister of Education and Culture.
CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd. provides higher education and research institutions with Finland’s best IT resources, powerful supercomputers, and extensive storage capacity. CSC also receives data from CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, maintains academic library systems, and offers data storage services for the National Audiovisual Archive, KAVA for the digital archiving of all radio and television programs in Finland.
Three new national standards approved by FSC
FSC is pleased to announce the formal approval of the national standards for Cameroon, Mexico and Brazil. Each of these standards was produced as part of the Global Environment Fund Small and Low Intensity Managed Forest Project (GEF SLIMF Project).
FSC congratulates Cameroon on the production of its Community Forest Standard. This standard is adapted to the conditions particular to community managed forest in Cameroon. It is intended that this standard will be aligned with the Congo Basin Regional Standards process in due course.
FSC also congratulates Brazil for the production of their SLIMF standard. It will apply to forests across the whole of Brazil which meet the definition of SLIMF in the standard. It is hoped that the SLIMF standard can aid a technical review and revision of the existing standards for Brazil.
Finally, FSC congratulate Mexico for the production of a full national standard, which covers all scales and intensities of forest management in Mexico. Having spent many years developing a national standard, Mexico was able to use the GEF project not only to produce a standard for SLIMF but also to complete their national standards process.
This project was a CIFOR-FSC UNEP/GEF funded project and FSC would like to thank partners for their contributions, both financial and technical. Following a period of closure of minor conditions on the approval, each of these standards became effective as of 1 December 2010. Please contact Richard Robertson for more information.
Metso to rebuild tissue machine at Svenska Pappersbruket Klippan mill in Sweden
Metso has been awarded a contract to deliver a major rebuild of the PM 9 tissue machine of Svenska Pappersbruket AB’s Klippan mill in Klippan, Sweden. The start-up of the rebuilt machine is scheduled for the third quarter of 2011.
Metso’s delivery includes a major rebuild of the existing suction breast roll forming section, which will be replaced with an Advantage DCT type crescent forming section, a rebuild of the existing approach and stock preparation system and a minor rebuild of the existing press section. Furthermore, a state-of-the-art OptiFlo II TIS headbox is included in the delivery. The project is handled on an installed basis, including dismantling of the existing equipment, complete installation and start-up and training services.
The purpose of the PM 9 rebuild is to meet the growing market demand and to further increase product quality, operating speed and production capacity, as well as to reduce energy consumption. The investment amounts to EUR 2 million.
Svenska Pappersbruket AB is a leading independent producer of colored tissue paper for napkins.
Metso is a global supplier of sustainable technology and services for mining, construction, power generation, automation, recycling and the pulp and paper industries. We have about 27,000 employees in more than 50 countries. www.metso.com