Displaying items by tag: Metso Group

Metso and Wärtsilä have received the necessary regulatory approvals from the European Commission to close the initiated ownership changes of MW Power Oy. 

According to the agreement released May 31, 2012 Metso will acquire full ownership of MW Power. The transaction between Metso and Wärtsilä has been closed. The value of the agreement will not be disclosed.

MW Power supplies small- and medium-sized heat and power plants for European market, and focuses on renewable fuel solutions. Its main customers are municipalities, process industries and utilities. The company has a total of 250 employees in Finland, Scandinavia, the Baltic area and Russia.

Metso has reached an agreement with Airtherm Corporation, USA after an apparent patent infringement by Airtherm in a patent owned by Metso.

The Metso product protected by this patent is the so called Advantage WetDust system whereby the dust in a paper and tissue making line is entrained into a dust collector where water is injected directly inside the dust collector.

Airtherm have agreed to discontinue any further sales of the wet dust collection system protected by Metso’s patent. Airtherm Corporation have also agreed to pay for a onetime license for systems already sold.

The patent in question is the US Patent No. 6,176,898 issued in 2001 entitled “Method and System for Collecting and Handling Dust in a Paper Machine Environment”.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed Metso’s BBB long-term and A-2 short-term corporate credit ratings and changed the outlook from stable to positive.

Metso is a global supplier of technology and services to customers in the process industries, including mining, construction, pulp and paper, power, and oil and gas. Our 30,000 professionals based in over 50 countries deliver sustainability and profitability to customers worldwide. Expect results.
www.metso.com , www.twitter.com/metsogroup

Further information, please contact:
Pekka Hölttä, Senior Vice President, Corporate Treasurer, 
Metso, tel. +358 20 484 3195

Metso Corporation

Harri Nikunen
CFO

Juha Rouhiainen
VP, Investor Relations

Metso opens a new valve supply and service center in Vadodara, India. The new supply center supports company's strategy to grow valve business globally and strengthens Metso's service capabilities in India for major petrochemical, energy, and oil and gas companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation, Technip, Praxair India Pvt Ltd and PRAJ Industries Ltd.

"The market in India is growing. Last year we doubled our order intake for valves and related services, and expect the good development to continue. Establishing a new supply center to India is a step going forward in widening manufacturing and service capabilities in India'', says Alok Kishore, Country Manager India, Metso Automation.

This investment is in line with Metso's long-term strategy to develop and expand its valve offering, delivery and service capabilities for customers in oil and gas, power, pulp and paper industries. It was preceded by a series of investments in Metso's global offering and presence. Last month Metso announced acquiring a valve technology and service company, Valstone Control Inc. in South Korea. Currently Metso is expanding its valve production premises in the US. Last year, Metso opened a new valve technology center in Finland. In 2010 Metso opened a new valve facility in Shanghai, China. Metso also has high-class industrial valve facilities in Brazil and Germany.

The new valve supply center is located in Vadodara city, 400 km north of Mumbai in the state of Gujarat, where Metso's service center has been in operation for more than two years. The state of Gujarat has the fastest growing economy in India, and it is also one of the most industrialized states, having per capita GDP almost the double of the national average. The industrial city of Vadodara houses major customers and engineering, procurement and construction companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd., Indian Oil Corporation, L&T and Linde.

Experienced in valves

Metso is the leading valve solutions and services provider. Metso's Flow Control solutions include control valves, automated on/off and emergency shut-down valves, as well as smart positioners and condition monitoring. Metso's world-leading brands include Neles, Jamesbury and Mapag.

Due to Metso's strong position in advanced valves technology, services are a major part of the offering. For example, customers like Petrobras and Arcelor Mittal have awarded Metso with large service contracts. For valve customers alone, Metso already has 31 service centers around the globe on top of this new one now being opened in India.

The Automation segment's process automation and flow control solutions meet the growing needs of Metso's customer industries to improve production process efficiency as raw materials and energy sources become scarcer and their costs increase. Our global network of service experts delivers business solutions to our customers that improve their productivity, lower risks and optimize costs. 

Metso will supply a new evaporation plant and an upgrade of an existing recovery boiler for Billerud Skärblacka AB’s Skärblacka mill outside Norrköping in Sweden. The goal is to strengthen the mill for the future by improving environmental performance and energy efficiency as well as to enable future company expansion. Metso’s delivery will contribute to this environmentally-oriented investment. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

Metso’s delivery will allow for a substantial increase in production capacity in the future. In addition, the mill’s energy efficiency will be improved leading to a significant reduction in consumption of fossil oil and external biofuels.

“This investment is very important for Billerud as the mill’s overall energy efficiency and environmental performance will improve significantly,” says Johanna Lindén, Director, Scandinavia from Metso.

The project will go through two project phases. The first is to install the new evaporation plant and the second to upgrade the recovery boiler. The entire project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2013.The order is included in Pulp, Paper and Power’s first quarter 2012 orders received.

Metso has received an arbitration award in its favor amounting to EUR 10 million plus around EUR 2 million in interest. The arbitration process was related to a large project delivery in Turkey. The arbitration tribunal denied substantially the claims made against Metso and its decision is final. Metso will book the amount awarded in its financial statements when the payment has been received. 

Metso is a global supplier of technology and services to customers in the process industries, including mining, construction, pulp and paper, power, and oil and gas. Our 30,000 professionals based in over 50 countries deliver sustainability and profitability to customers worldwide. Expect results.

www.metso.com , www.twitter.com/metsogroup

Metso will supply a pellet-fired heating plant to Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy in the city of Tampere in Finland. The plant will be delivered by the Metso-Wärtsilä joint venture MW Power. The delivery will comprise a full-scope turn-key boiler plant solution, including all the necessary equipment and commissioning. The plant will be Finland's largest pellet-fired plant, based on a technological solution that is the first of its kind in Finland. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

The heating plant will be used as a peak load and backup plant and will replace some of the capacity of the existing oil- and gas-fuelled boiler plants. The plant will be fired with wood pellets and its heat input will be around 33 MW. Replacing the old boilers with a new modern pellet-fired boiler will significantly reduce the CO2 emissions resulting from the production of district heating.

"Our cooperation with MW Power has been smooth. When things started to fall in place concerning the plant's technology, it was clear that MW Power is the right partner for us for this challenging project. It was also important to us that the supplier would commit to the project with the necessary resources. This project will bring new expertise to Finland, and Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy wishes to be at the forefront in sustainable energy generation. District heating has always been an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative and it will remain so in the future as well," says Development Manager Timo Heinonen from Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy.

"It is inspiring to introduce new technology into the market for the first time, and commercial success is naturally our ultimate goal. Previously, peak load plants have been using fossil fuels because there was no other technology available. The technological solution supplied to Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy will bring new opportunities to gear the structure of Finnish district heat production towards the goals of sustainable development," confirms Sales Manager Teemu Koskela from MW Power.

The production of heat at the new plant will start in late 2012. The order is included in Pulp, Paper and Power's first quarter 2012 orders received.

Technical information

Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy's pellet heating plant utilizes a solution that combines pulverized combustion technology with MW Power's boiler expertise. The pellet fuel is pulverized in separate grinding mills and burned in a pulverized combustion boiler. The start-up and load control of the combustion process is remarkably rapid and the pulverized fuel allows for clean, energy efficient and flexible heat generation. Pulverized pellet combustion is new to Finland, but MW Power has been using it in Sweden on a smaller scale.

Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy, a subsidiary of Tampere Power Utility, is responsible for the group's electricity and district heating production, maintenance and development. Increasing the proportion of renewable energy sources is part of the Tampere Power Utility's strategy. 

The latest generation automation technology will allow the plant expand its product range and develop new products

Metso has won an order to supply an extensive automation package to French supplier Allimand for the new paper machine to be erected in the new Miquel y Costas' plant in la Pobla de Claramunt, Spain. The new production line, which is the latest generation, will allow Miquel y Costas expand its range of papers and develop new products.

Metso automation's highly reliable and proven technology was selected both by Allimand and Miquel y Costas as the best answer to the high technical and performances expectations of this new production line.

Metso automation's delivery will comprise Metso DNA automation system for machine, process and drive controls, Metso Process and Quality Vision for web inspection and web break analysis and Metso IQ quality control system including MD and CD quality controls with Metso IQ Moisturizer. Commissioning is scheduled for the last four-month period of 2012.

Allimand is a French paper machine manufacturer who designs and manufactures completes turnkey machines of 4 to 8 meters wide and also supplies rebuilds to existing paper machines.

Miquel y Costas is a Spanish group, incorporated in 1929, and consisting of 13 companies, all centred on the paper industry and covering everything from marketing to services. The group is today among the worldwide leaders for the production of specialty lightweight papers, with the main specialisation being hi-tech cigarette papers.

The Nomination Board established by Metso's Annual General Meeting proposes to the next Annual General Meeting, which is planned to be held on March 29, 2012, that the number of Board of Directors members is seven.

Proposal on the composition of Board of Directors

The Nomination Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that Jukka Viinanen, Mikael von Frenckell, Christer Gardell, Ozey K. Horton, Jr., Erkki Pehu-Lehtonen and Pia Rudengren would be re-elected of the present members of the Board of Directors. In addition, it is proposed to elect Eeva Sipilä as a new member of the Board of Directors. It is proposed to elect Jukka Viinanen as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Mikael von Frenckell as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors. 

Ms. Eeva Sipilä, M.Sc. (Econ), CEFA, b. 1973, has served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Cargotec Corporation since 2008. She is a Board member of Basware Corporation since 2010. Eeva Sipilä has worked for Cargotec since 2005, prior to her current role she was Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications during 2005-2008. During 2002-2005 she worked for Metso Corporation as Vice President, Investor Relations. Before Metso, Eeva Sipilä worked as an equity analyst at Mandatum Stockbrokers, Sampo-Leonia and Leonia Bank during 1999-2002. During 1997-1998 she worked as an associate consultant at Arkwright AB in Sweden.

Proposal on Board of Directors’ remuneration

The Nomination Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the members of the Board of Directors to be elected for a term of office ending at the end of the Annual General Meeting of 2013 would be paid the following annual remuneration: to the Chairman of the Board of Directors EUR 100,000; to the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Audit Committee EUR 60,000; and to the other members of the Board of Directors EUR 48,000 each. The Nomination Board furthermore proposes that for each meeting of the Board of Directors or the committees of the Board of Directors a fee of EUR 700 would be paid to the members of the Board that reside in the Nordic countries, a fee of EUR 1,400 would be paid to the members of the Board that reside in other European countries and a fee of EUR 2,800 would be paid to the members of the Board that reside outside Europe. The Nomination Board proposes that as a condition for the annual remuneration the members of the Board of Directors are obliged, directly based on the General Meeting’s decision, to use 40% of the fixed annual remuneration for purchasing Metso Corporation shares from the market at a price formed in public trading and that the purchase will be carried out within two weeks from the publication of the interim review for the period 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012.

Metso’s Board of Directors will include these proposals into the notice of the Annual General Meeting, which will be published later.

Personnel participation 

The Nomination Board notes that a personnel representative will participate as an external expert in the Metso Board meetings also in the next Board term within the limitations imposed by the Finnish law. The new Board of Directors will invite the personnel representative as its external expert in its organizing meeting after the Annual General Meeting. 

The Nomination Board

Kari Järvinen (Managing director, Solidium Oy) acted as the Chairman of the Nomination Board established by Metso's Annual General Meeting. The members the Nomination Board were Lars Förberg (Managing Partner, Cevian Capital), Harri Sailas (President and CEO, Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company) and Matti Vuoria (President and CEO, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company). The Chairman of Metso Corporation’s Board of Directors, Jukka Viinanen, served as the Nomination Board's expert member.

The Metso-supplied complete containerboard production line, PM 11, for Saica Containerboard UK Ltd., successfully came on stream on January 15, 2012 at Partington, near Manchester in the United Kingdom. The record-breaking start-up speed was 1,105 m/min with a basis weight of 95 g/m².

Three days later, on January 18, the first sellable paper reels were produced and tested, leaving the mill and reaching the first customers shortly afterwards.

Francisco Carilla, Industrial Projects Director, Saica, and Federico Asensio, Deputy Managing Director, Saica Paper, are both very satisfied with the Metso teams of all project stages:“In commercial proposals, design, construction, start-up and maintenance activities the Metso teams’ efforts responded to our requirements, taking into consideration our papermakers’ technical advice and previous projects experiences.”

“We are sure the high level of cooperation achieved between Saica and Metso will create significant added value for the further optimization of the production line. This will allow Saica to deliver high-quality lightweight containerboard paper to our customers setting the standard for these grades in the UK and in Europe.”

The new 8.2-m-wide PM 11 has an annual production capacity of approximately 400,000tonnes of lightweight testliner and fluting grades in the basis weight range of 75 to 125 g/m², out of 100% recycled raw material. The design speed is 1,700 m/min.

Metso’s delivery included a complete OptiConcept board making line from headbox to reel with an approach flow system, pulpers, air systems, press section clothing as well as a high-capacity WinDrum Pro winder.

A comprehensive Metso DNA automation package comprised process, machine and quality controls as well as machine condition monitoring. A Metso DNA process control system was also supplied for the mill’s new heat and power station and effluent treatment plant.

Metso Mill Service will have full responsibility for the mill maintenance operations as well as for maintenance management of continuous improvement programs for the OCC stock preparation system, board production line, power stations and wastewater treatment plant at the Partington mill.

Saica Containerboard UK Ltd., is a subsidiary of SAICA, a privately owned Spanish company and a world leader in the production of corrugated containerboard from recovered paper. The company currently employs over 8,000 people in Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and the UK. SAICA has an annual turnover of EUR 1.8 billion.