Ian(id62)

Ian(id62)

Tuesday, 11 January 2011 12:00

BTG CELEBRATES 90 YEARS OF INNOVATION

In 2011, we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of the company that has become a global leader in transforming innovative technology, people and application expertise into financial gains for our clients.

Founded in Säffle, Sweden by Dr. Torsten Källe, a pioneer in papermaking process control with over 50 patents to his name, the young company quickly built a reputation for technical prowess and reliable application expertise. Over the years, always placing the customer at the center of our activities has kept us at the forefront of our industry.

BTG logo color flat highResolutionWe are not only proud of our long history, but are evermore committed to applied technology that helps our clients improve their operating performance and bottom line.

For more information please contact
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Lena Coquerand-Werner MarCom Mgr BTG Eclépens S.A.
Tel.: +41 21 866 00 66 / Fax; +41 21 866 00 66
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www.btg.com

Tuesday, 11 January 2011 10:37

BTG - raising your productivity !

BTG releases a new generation of inline transmitters that allows you to save energy and cut over-dosage of additives in your media by using continuous inline viscosity measurement.

TAKE CONTROL OF VISCOSITY - DIRECTLY IN THE PROCESS!

This transmitter is designed for use in demanding applications. It has a wide range of applications and can be used for measurement of a number of media such as glue, paint, slurries, sugar solution, oil, coating color, etc. It is also suitable for use in somewhat abrasive media.

The transmitter works with the shear stress principle on Newtonian as well as non-Newtonian fluids and delivers the viscosity measurment in any of the following units: cP, mPas, cSt, or mm2/s. It communicates on these platforms: 4-20mA/HART, Profibus PA as well as on Fieldbus Foundation.

For more information please contact
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Stig Åkerström Product Mgr BTG Instruments AB
Phone: +46 533 426 00
Fax.+46 533 125 00
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www.btg.com

Stora Enso is strengthening its leading position in corrugated packaging in the growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe by renewing containerboard capacity at its Ostrołęka Mill in Poland. The EUR 285 million investment project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2013. The new containerboard machine with greater capacity and a modern product will not only renew the product offering, it will also improve Stora Enso’s overall cost position through efficient internal supply of light-weight containerboard made from recycled fibre. In conjunction with the start-up, Stora Enso plans to shut down containerboard machine PM 2 at Ostrołęka Mill.

“Strengthening our competitive position in corrugated packaging in the growing markets of Central and Eastern Europe is at the core of our growth strategy. The investment at Ostrołęka is another concrete step in building sustainable and profitable growth for the Group,” says Jouko Karvinen, CEO of Stora Enso.

“Customer demand for modern light-weight corrugated packaging is increasing rapidly. This investment supports Stora Enso’s objective of offering demanding customers new packaging solutions,” says Mats Nordlander, Executive Vice President, Packaging Business Area.

“Recycled fibre is the dominant raw material for corrugated packaging and continues to win share from virgin fibres. The markets for transport packaging in Central and Eastern Europe have grown and will continue to grow by over 5% per year. This investment will support our growth and increase Stora Enso’s self-sufficiency in containerboards from 35% to 60% and itwill also clearly improve the cost competitiveness of Stora Enso’s Industrial Packaging segment. Stora Enso’s integrated RCP collection network in Poland, the new efficient power plant just completed and this new state-of-the-art containerboard machine will make Ostrołęka the benchmark in both cost and product offering in Europe,” Nordlander explains.

Stora Enso’s corrugated packaging product portfolio includes transport and consumer packaging, packaging design and machinery. The Group’s twenty corrugated packaging plants in Finland, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Hungary and the Baltic States with total capacity 1.3 billion m2 of corrugating packaging used some 560 000 tonnes of containerboard in 2010.

The annual capacity of Ostrołęka Mill, which is part of Stora Enso’s Industrial Packaging segment, is currently 270 000 tonnes of containerboard and kraft paper. The annual capacity of the new containerboard machine will be 455 000 tonnes and the annual capacity of PM 2 is currently 85 000 tonnes of containerboard.

For further information, please contact:

Mats Nordlander, EVP, Packaging Business Area, tel. +46 1046 72703
Ulla Paajanen-Sainio, Head of Investor Relations, tel. +358 2046 21242
Lauri Peltola, Head of Group Communications and Global Responsibility, tel. +358 2046 21380

Tembec has announced a capital investment totalling $25.7 million for its high-yield pulp mill located in Matane, Quebec. The investment will result in “energy, environmental and economic benefits”. Funding will come mainly from the Federal Government and the Province of Quebec, with $18.9 million related to black liquor credits earned by the Company under the Federal Green Transformation Program and $6.3 million from the Agence de l'efficacité énergétique's Heavy Oil Consumption Reduction Program.

The project has two main components. The first is a new anaerobic treatment facility. Estimated to cost $23.9 million, this system treats effluent and collects the methane gas produced in the treatment process, allowing it to be used as a bio-fuel for drying the pulp produced at the site. With an estimated cost of $1.8 million, the second component involves the installation of an electric boiler that will replace the current heavy oil fuelled boiler. The combined effect of the two components will result in the elimination of all heavy oils and the vast majority of the light oils currently used as a fuel source for the generation of the mill’s various process steam and drying requirements. They will also result in a significant improvement in the mill’s cost structure, with EBITDA projected to increase by $6 million on an annual basis, beginning when the project is completed in mid-2012.

“This investment will result in a significant reduction in costs for Matane and will allow the mill to be competitive in global markets for years to come,” said Yvon Pelletier, Executive Vice President and President, Specialty Cellulose and Chemical Group. “The environmental benefits will also provide an appealing attribute in the marketplace.”

“The investments announced today will improve the position of the Matane mill in environmental, energy and economic terms. This initiative is consistent with the Company’s stated objectives of investing in its core businesses, pursuing opportunities related to green energy projects, and moving all of its facilities into the first or second quartile of their respective cost curves,” said James Lopez, President and CEO of Tembec.

“Tembec is grateful for the support shown by the Province of Quebec and by the Federal Government. Minister Normandeau and Minister Paradis saw the potential offered by these projects and were diligent and effective advocates on behalf of the mill and the region. We thank them for their efforts,” concluded Mr. Lopez.

Tembec is a large, diversified and integrated forest products company which stands as the global leader in sustainable forest management practices. The Company’s principal operations are located in Canada and in France. Tembec’s common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TMB and warrants under TMB.WT. Additional information on Tembec is available on its website at www.tembec.com.

Tuesday, 11 January 2011 09:37

Nalco Announces Price Increase

Nalco, providing essential expertise for water, energy and air, has announced its Water and Process Services division is implementing a price increase for all water services industry segments, effective immediately or as contracts permit. Pricing for most Nalco programs will increase between seven and 15 percent, depending on product mix. Price increases will vary by country and industry, driven by local cost increases and will supplement previously announced increases for the paper services segment which were effective Dec. 1 of last year.

The need for these price increases is driven by the continued and significant escalation of energy and raw material costs, tightening availability of some raw materials and rising freight and personnel costs. Nalco sales engineers will contact individual customers to discuss the impact of these increases.

"Price pressure and the availability of key raw materials in particular are making it necessary to appropriately increase prices to help offset these ongoing cost hikes," said David Flitman, Senior Executive Vice President and President, Water and Process Services. "These increases will enable Nalco to continue to invest in research and development, manufacturing process improvements and the development of our people, which allows us to provide sustainable solutions and the value and service that our customers expect."

About Nalco

Nalco is the world's largest sustainability services company focused on industrial water, energy and air applications; delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of customer operations. Nalco is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. More than 11,500 Nalco employees operate in 150 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2009, Nalco achieved sales of more than $3.7 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.

The Chairman and CEO of FAL Holding Arabia and the Chairman and CEO of Emerson launch new manufacturing facility to cater to local and regional demand in addition to training, sales, finance, administration and other support services

Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, in line with the Government’s direction to encourage foreign investment and as a step to further support local manufacturing and create jobs, Saudi FAL, a leading industrial enterprise based in Saudi Arabia, and Emerson Process Management, a global business of Emerson offering the most innovative and broadest array of process automation solutions, have launched a new manufacturing facility in Jubail. 

The new facility is spread across an area of approximately 9,000 square meters and caters to a diverse range of industrial services. The facility can deliver an annual production capacity of 2,500 Fisher® control valves and up to 6,000 Rosemount® transmitters. It can also facilitate the assembly and testing of approximately 3,600 valves and a yearly servicing capacity of approximately 12,500 valves and 6,200 transmitters. The facility is also equipped with a process systems staging and integration area to support over 100 cabinets and perform a fully integrated factory acceptance test for over 60,000 I/O systems.

Upon the official inauguration of the new facility, Dr. Kamel Boustany, General Manager of Saudi FAL, said, “We have been the local business partners of Emerson Process Management in Saudi Arabia for the last 25 years, providing sales services and engineering. This move delivers on the promise made in 2008 when Mr. David N. Farr and Sheikh Fahad met to discuss bringing together both companies to establish this new state-of-the-art facility. The growth of the local industry and demand for quality products has been on the rise in the Kingdom, which provides us with a great opportunity to expand our operations and explore future business opportunities. We are committed to the partnership and to our customers. This new facility will help us provide our current and future customers with quality products and solutions, coupled with great customer service.”

Commenting on the launch of the new facility, Dave Tredinnick, President of Emerson Process Management, Middle East & Africa, said, “This new facility will offer a range of services and solutions and will further equip us to cater to the demand for our products in Saudi Arabia. Our commitment to this region remains unchanged, and this facility – backed by our facilities in Al Khobar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Johannesburg – will only help us provide our customers with better value. It will position us to better serve our current and prospective customers not only in the Kingdom but also across the region.”

The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Aramco New Business Development, Saudi Electric Company, Jubail Civil Defense Department and the Labor Department were extremely supportive and played a very important role in ensuring the successful launch of the new facility.

Dr. Mohamed M. Elawny, General Manager of Emerson Process Management in Saudi Arabia, added, “Apart from reassuring our customers about our commitment and focus toward this region, this facility will also enable us to further explore the markets we operate in with a highly trained workforce. As part of our commitment to the national policy regarding Saudization to build local capacities and encourage employment of Saudi nationals within the private sector, over half of our current workforce already includes local talent. Considering the demand that we have witnessed for our products, not only in the Kingdom but across the region, jointly with Saudi FAL we expect to triple our workforce in this facility in the next three to five years.”

The new facility in Jubail is located close to Jubail Industrial College, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and most sophisticated hands-on technical institutes. Emerson Process Management recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the college, under the terms of which an Emerson PlantWeb Cruiser, a process simulator, was donated as part of a four-year program that will provide students with hands-on experience of the actual working conditions of a process plant and control room. Additionally, Emerson will also provide technical support to the faculty on the use and maintenance of the process simulator, which will not only benefit the students but also provide the college with the required capability to train the industry in Jubail through seminars and workshops.

About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, life sciences and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Its brands include PlantWeb™, Syncade™, DeltaV™, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Daniel®, Ovation™, and AMS Suite.

Emerson Process Management has been present in the Middle East for over 35 years from its Middle East & Africa headquarters in Dubai. Emerson has confirmed its commitment to this developing market by opening offices throughout the region to strengthen its service and engineering resources. The expanding Middle East operations provide a comprehensive support network, including sales and marketing, project management, engineering, training, field installation, service repairs, manufacturing and spare parts processing.

About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE:EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2010 were $21 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com

Verso Paper Corp. announced today that its subsidiaries, Verso Paper Holdings LLC and Verso Paper Inc., are proposing to issue $360 million aggregate principal amount of their second priority senior secured notes due 2019 (the "Notes") in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Notes will be guaranteed by certain domestic subsidiaries of Verso.

Verso's subsidiaries that intend to issue and guarantee the Notes are the same entities that issued and guaranteed Verso's existing second lien notes. The Notes will be secured by the same collateral as Verso's existing second lien notes, and the priority of the collateral liens securing the Notes will be junior to the collateral liens securing Verso's senior secured notes and senior secured credit facility.

Verso intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of Notes (1) to pay the consideration for the cash tender offer for Verso's outstanding 9⅛% second priority senior secured fixed rate notes due 2014 (the "Existing Fixed Rate Second Lien Notes"), (2) to redeem any remaining Existing Fixed Rate Second Lien Notes, following the expiration of the cash tender offer, at the applicable redemption price plus accrued and unpaid interest and (3) to pay certain related transaction costs and expenses. The proposed offering of the Notes is subject to market and other conditions, and may not occur as described or at all.

The Notes are being offered only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and outside the United States only to non-U.S. investors pursuant to Regulation S. The Notes will not initially be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from registration requirements or in a transaction that is not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act or any state securities laws.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Verso

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Verso Paper Corp. is a leading North American producer of coated papers, including coated groundwood and coated freesheet, and supercalendered and specialty products. Verso's paper products are used primarily in media and marketing applications, including magazines, catalogs, and commercial printing applications such as high-end advertising brochures, annual reports, and direct-mail advertising.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this press release, all statements that are not purely historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "plan," "estimate," "intend," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on currently available business, economic, financial and other information and reflect management's current beliefs, expectations and views with respect to future developments and their potential effects on Verso. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties that may affect Verso and its business. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to Verso's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Verso assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this press release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances or actual outcomes.

Verso Paper Corp.
Robert P. Mundy, 901-369-4128
Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.versopaper.com

Source: Verso Paper Corp.

Monday, 10 January 2011 13:19

Rottneros makes New Banking Agreement

Rottneros has concluded a new agreement for operations financing with Danske Bank. Under the agreement Danske Bank will take over the operations financing arrangement previously placed with a bank consortium comprising five banks, where Danske Bank was one of the participating banks.

The agreement, which enters into force on 31 January 2011, does not contain any covenants.

For further information please contact:
Tomas Hedström, Chief Financial Officer, tel +46 8 590 010 00

Rottneros discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The Information was submitted for publication on Monday, 10 January 2011 at 13.15 CET.

Cariboo Pulp and Paper Co.’s mill in Quesnel and Canfor Pulp's Northwood mill in Prince George are the latest pulp mills in B.C. to be earmarked for federal government money to reduce their environmental footprint.   The Cariboo and Canfor mills have qualified for $41.5 million and $100.2 million respectively in funding from Natural Resources Canada's $1-billion Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program.

Conservative MPs were out in full force at four mills across Canada on Thursday in what some politics-watchers viewed as campaigning in anticipation that a federal election could be announced in the weeks or months ahead – following the return of MPs to Parliament Hill in February and the yet-to-be announced release of the 2011 budget.

The federal government has readily accessed the green transformation program’s funds since it was created in June 2009, as a means to address competitive disadvantages the mills face as a result of subsidy programs in the U.S.

As BIV reported in November, West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (TSX:WFT), received $37 million to upgrade its Hinton pulp mill. (See “Federal credits fund West Fraser mill upgrade” – BIV Daily Edition; November 15.)

The Hinton mill is one of at least eight facilities in B.C. to be earmarked for funds through the program.

An upgrade to Northwood Mill’s recovery boiler is expected to result in a 70% reduction in sulfur emissions at the plant as well as reductions in particulates.

The Cariboo mill is upgrading its existing power boiler, adding a new steam turbine and making improvements to its hog fuel handling system.

Through the upgrades, Cariboo will create 160 gigawatt hours of steam-generated clean electricity annually that will be sold to BC Hydro – enough to power more than 14,500 homes annually.

The upgrades will save the mill close to eight gigawatt hours of electricity annually and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 18,000 tonnes a year.

Through its Integrated Power Offer, BC Hydro is providing Cariboo Pulp and Paper with financial incentives to make the upgrades.

BC Hydro created the Integrated Power Offer in 2009 to help B.C.'s pulp and paper producers identify ways to secure funding through the green transformation program.

Cariboo Pulp and Paper Company and BC Hydro have reached an agreement that will allow the mill to upgrade its systems to create 160 gigawatt hours of steam-generated clean electricity to sell to BC Hydro each year – enough to power more than 14,500 homes annually. The upgrades will also save the mill close to eight gigawatt hours of electricity annually and reduce the mill’s greenhouse gas emissions by 18,000 tonnes a year, which is the equivalent to reducing emissions from 4,500 cars.

Working with BC Hydro through the Integrated Power Offer, Cariboo Pulp and Paper identified renewable power generation and energy conservation opportunities that enabled the mill to qualify for $41.5 million in funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program.

“I commend Cariboo Pulp and Paper’s creative thinking and commitment to sustainability and BC Hydro’s innovation and dedication to working with its customers,” said Minister of Forests, Mines and Lands Pat Bell. “Clean, renewable energy, its generation and the technology and knowledge around it, are key to a prosperous future for British Columbia.”

“With these funds from Natural Resources Canada and the support we are receiving from BC Hydro, we will be making continuous improvements to our mill’s energy management and efficiency that will enable us to become a significant generator of clean, renewable power,” said Peter Rippon, President of Cariboo Pulp and Paper.

Introduced in June 2009, Natural Resources Canada's Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program supports innovation and investment in areas such as energy efficiency and clean energy production. Up to $1 billion has been set aside for pulp and paper producers. BC Hydro created the Integrated Power Offer in the summer of 2009 to work specifically with B.C.’s pulp and paper producers to help them identify opportunities to secure Green Transformation Program funding, with cost-effective energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects. Cariboo Pulp and Paper is one of eight companies that BC Hydro is working with.

“BC Hydro is committed to powering B.C. with clean, reliable electricity and partnerships like this one with Cariboo Pulp and Paper, help us deliver on our clean energy goals, while driving economic development,” said Bev Van Ruyven, deputy CEO and executive vice-president, BC Hydro. “The Integrated Power Offer capitalizes on the synergies presented when energy efficiency and electricity generation are considered together and I congratulate Cariboo Pulp and Paper for recognizing the benefits of this approach and supporting clean energy.”

To generate electricity for sale to BC Hydro, the mill will be upgrading its existing power boiler, adding a new steam turbine and making improvements to its hog fuel handling system. Cariboo Pulp and Paper, with financial incentives provided by BC Hydro, will also implement energy efficiency upgrades such as pump replacements, control system upgrades and compressed air system improvements.

BC Hydro’s Integrated Power Offer approach gives customers access to dedicated technical advisors who help them assemble the right mix of incentives and contracts to optimize their pulp mills’ energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy production. To learn more about BC Hydro’s Integrated Power Offer, visit www.bchydro.com

About Cariboo Pulp and Paper:
Cariboo Pulp & Paper is a joint venture between West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. and Daishowa-Marubeni International Ltd. With an annual capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year of northern bleached softwood kraft pulp, the mill produces a product that meets the stringent requirements of the world's most demanding markets for high brightness, cleanliness and strength. The mill is located at Quesnel, in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Cariboo Pulp & Paper began production in 1972.

About BC Hydro:
BC Hydro is a commercial Crown corporation owned by the Province of British Columbia and is one of North America’s leading providers of clean, renewable energy. As the largest electric utility in British Columbia and third largest in Canada, BC Hydro serves approximately 95 per cent of British Columbia’s population and 1.8 million customers. BC Hydro provides clean energy solutions to its customers by balancing British Columbians' energy needs today with respect for the environment and future generations to come.

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