International technology group ANDRITZ has recently started up the world’s first biomethanol plant using ANDRITZ’s self-developed A-Recovery+ concept at the Södra Cell Mönsterås pulp mill in southeastern Sweden.

The plant has an annual production capacity of 6.3 million liters of biomethanol from forest biomass. The fossil-free biomethanol can be used for applications in the pulp mill itself, or as a substitute for fossil-based methanol in the transport sector (biodiesel) and as a chemical base substance. The ANDRITZ delivery to Södra included proprietary process design and full EPC delivery, excluding automation, instrumentation, electrification and civil works.

Biomethanol plant (3D image) © ANDRITZ

The A-Recovery+ concept from ANDRITZ delivers commercial grade biomethanol by using a patented extraction process. It offers next-generation solutions for the chemical recovery cycle of pulp mills, with the target of utilizing the pulp mill side streams to the maximum extent possible. In addition to biomethanol production, A-Recovery+ also produces sulfuric acid from odorous gases and recovers lignin for the production of high-quality lignin to be used in advanced bioproducts.

With this first ever fossil-free biomethanol plant worldwide, ANDRITZ is strongly supporting Södra’s ambitions to make its operations entirely fossil-free and be climate-positive by the end of this decade. To achieve this aim, Södra is aiming at eliminating fossil fuel use throughout its operations and producing innovative products that replace fossil-based raw materials.

North America’s largest tissue-related gathering will again be staged at the Miami Beach Convention Center

Originally scheduled in March, Tissue World Miami 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak and has been rescheduled for Nov. 11-13, 2020, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. All existing exhibitor and delegate bookings will move automatically to the new dates.

Working in tandem with the MBCC, the show organizers secured a tenancy for both the Tissue World Miami conference and exhibition that are set to run concurrently. The Informa Markets team currently is discussing the revised dates with speakers and exhibitors with the expectation of securing their participation in November.

“We have been closely following developments since COVID–19 began spreading, and made the decision to postpone Tissue World Miami based on feedback from our customers,” said Agnes Gehot, deputy event director, Informa Markets. “By working closely with our venue partner Miami Beach Convention Center we were able to secure rescheduled dates for the conference and exhibition, which will now serve as an opportunity for our clients and exhibitors to gather in November.”

Holding the show later in the year “gives the market time to recover as demand catches up,” Gehot added.

“The rescheduled date provides clarity and ensures we have time and space to deliver the same fantastic event we promised, providing a safe and secure environment conducive to business, networking and professional education for the tissue production industry,” she said.

With the conference theme of “Ready for Reinvention, Ripe for Disruption: Will the 20s Roar for Tissue?” the conference and exhibition are expected to draw 200 exhibiting companies and more than 2,500 attendees from nearly 70 countries to South Florida.

Registration for North America’s largest gathering of the global tissue trade is still open and can be accessed at https://www.tissueworld.com/miami/en-us. Attendees typically include suppliers to the tissue industry, tissue converters, integrated tissue product makers, jumbo roll suppliers and retailers and distributors.

The Tissue World Miami conference brings fresh, critical and creative perspectives on America’s tissue business. Conference presenters will offer inspiration and interaction on these major themes:

Resilience

• Supply-side volatility and risk with a focus on fiber supply.
• Human risk factors such as attracting and retaining skills.
• Reliance on supplier knowledge as opposed to in-house skill.
• Cyber security and the vulnerabilities that increase with greater connectivity.

Operational Game Changers

• Change drivers such as sustainability — including the need to ditch single-use plastics, its implications through the supply chain and the potential gains from upgrading.
• Assessing the return on investment of upgrading America’s tissue-making assets.
• Managing change – from evolving routes to market to technological adaptation imposed by such external factors as legislation and customer demand.

Buyer Expectations

• Trends and forecasts.
• The contrasting shopper propositions of in-store vs. online.
• AfH – the rise of e-commerce and the challenge of cut-price entrants.

For more information about Tissue World Miami 2020, visit:

Registration: https://www.tissueworld.com/miami/en-us/register

Exhibitor List: https://exhibitors.informamarkets-info.com/tissue-world-miami-2020/

Conference Sessions: https://www.tissueworld.com/miami/en-us/conferencesessions

Due to current circumstances regarding the Covid-19 virus, BillerudKorsnäs postpones the major parts of the maintenance shutdown initially planned to be held week 13, 2020 at Gruvön.

– We have decided that during the current circumstances it is not possible to follow through the maintenance shutdown as initially planned. Further, we must also consider the risk of infection for our employees, but also the many suppliers and contractors who were scheduled to come to Gruvön, says Ivar Vatne, CFO at BillerudKorsnäs.

The additional negative financial effects of postponing the maintenance shutdown is calculated to MSEK 40-100 for the full year of 2020. BillerudKorsnäs closely monitors the development and is now planning, together with contractors, to carry out the maintenance shutdown in Gruvön during the third quarter of 2020.

The ramp-up of KM7 continues to be BillerudKorsnäs’ number one priority for 2020. An additional consequence of the postponed maintenance shutdown is that BillerudKorsnäs adjusts the previously communicated negative earnings interval by MSEK 100 to MSEK 250-450 for the full year 2020. Focus remains on producing coated material and we expect to launch the process of certifying materials during the second quarter of 2020.

Other financial effects related to Covid-19 have so far been fairly limited. At this stage, it is too early to estimate to what extent Covid-19 will affect BillerudKorsnäs long-term.

Leading US paper and packaging producer looks to increase reliability and performance with dry end drive system replacement.

WestRock Company—a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions—has selected ABB to replace its dry end drive system. This includes upgrades to its PM12 paper machine drives, motors and the installation of the ABB Ability™ System 800xA control system at its mill in Longview, Washington, USA. Installation and commissioning of the project is planned for completion by year-end 2020.

“ABB was chosen for this project based on the customer’s positive experience with our drives systems at its Longview mill and other WestRock sites,” said Steve St. Jarre, Head of Business Development, Pulp and Paper, Process Industries, ABB.  “We were able to provide a cost-effective, phased approach to this upgrade project. We set up a new 800xA system to control both existing and new drives. The existing drives can be replaced as needed and use the same control platform as the mill evolves.”

The new ABB drive system will have a smaller footprint and require minimal parts. The modular drives are extremely compact, but with all of the parts easily accessible. This not only reduces interruption to production for planned and unplanned maintenance, but also reduces spare part inventories.

“With our aim of improving reliability and productivity, without the need for extensive downtime during installation, ABB offered a practical approach to achieve our goals,” said Rick Siragusa, Project Manager at WestRock. “We look forward to moving forward with the replacement.”

Due to the current coronavirus outbreak, the Finnish government has announced its intention to issue a presidential decree to commission the Emergency Powers Act (Valmiuslaki 1552/2011, as amended) on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, adopting multiple restrictive measures, including the prohibition of public gatherings of over 10 people. Due to this, as Metso takes the threat of the coronavirus seriously, Metso’s Board of Directors has decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting, which was scheduled to be held on Friday, March 20, 2020. The Annual General Meeting will be held as soon as permitted by future developments concerning the coronavirus outbreak. A notice to the Annual General Meeting will be issued at a later stage.

METSO CORPORATION

Valmet has completed the co-determination negotiations in the Fabrics Business Unit’s operations in Tampere, Finland. The negotiations were started on January 21, 2020. The target is to ensure the unit’s profitability and future competitiveness.

Valmet will relocate the dryer fabric and wide filter fabric production from Finland to Portugal. As a consequence of the relocation and re-organizing of the work, the need for workforce reduction in Tampere will be 78 persons mainly during 2021. In addition, the possibility for temporary lay-offs and part-time work remains if capacity adjustments need to be done later this year. For those affected by the reductions, Valmet will provide support measures like support for studies and re-employment.

Earlier Valmet estimated that the co-determination negotiations would lead to a workforce reduction of 90 persons at the maximum and possible lay-offs and part-time work.

Fabrics Business Unit employs altogether approximately 500 persons in Tampere. Fabrics develops and manufactures press felts, shoe press belts, dryer fabrics and wide filter fabrics in Tampere. Valmet’s location in Portugal, to which the dryer fabric and wide filter fabric production is relocated, develops and manufactures filter fabrics and other industrial textiles.

Metsä Board is delighted to announce the winner of its international packaging design competition the Better with Less – Design Challenge. ‘Expandable Eco Street Food Ware’ is a smart and ecological solution that addresses the growing demand for street food packaging and to find an alternative to the use of plastic. This year sustainability, and the dual role of packaging, played an especially strong role among the participating designs.

The winner is a highly adaptable plastic-free packaging solution that can provide a simple and trendy alternative to plastic and styrofoam containers which are typically used to serve fast food. The paperboard container is 10 inches in diameter when laid flat and can be folded up to eight different ways ranging from a cone to a plate. The simple design therefore has many applications and can accommodate many types of food.

Besides saving material, the design minimises the space occupied by the container during storage as well as in disposal and recycling. The Expandable Eco Street Food Ware was designed by Christine Gamboa, a Senior Art Director, and Gaudy Danao III, an Associate Creative Director, both from the Philippines. Christine and Gaudy will receive the main prize of 7,000 euros.

“The winning design is a simple, smart and practical solution offering high variability with minimal material use – reflecting “Better with Less” at its best. It provides a good user experience and is truly environmentally friendly and economical.  Made of a plastic-free barrier board it is easily recyclable, compostable and biodegradable,” says the competition’s chairman, and the member of the jury, Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director at Metsä Board.

The winner of the second prize, 2,000 euros, is ‘Bruk’, a sustainable beverage carton that can be easily recycled with reduced plastic content, designed by Eric Smith from the United States. The third prize, 1,000 euros, went to ‘Razor’ that replaces standard plastic packaging by a minimalist paper box that covers only the razor heads while leaving the handles uncovered. The design was created by Magdalena Schmitz, Sarah Redlich, Mikayla Just and Alejandro Don Flores, all students in product design at the Münster School of Design.

“In the winning designs sustainability and circular economy aspects were well considered and innovatively implemented, and the competition between the top three was very tight. There were many inspiring solutions reflecting a shift in consumer trends from plastic towards more sustainable packaging materials. In some designs, the packaging had a dual role, becoming a part of the product when using it, which further strengthens the circularity of packaging,” says Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director at Metsä Board.

Metsä Board also offered an additional prize of an internship for one student at its new upcoming Paperboard and Packaging Excellence Centre in Finland. ‘Reload’ that allows the storage and sorting of full and empty batteries in the same package won the judges over in the student category. The package is designed by Hamzeh Za’balawi, Franziska Prior, Marcel Diederich and Oliver Ricker. In addition, an honorary mention went to Jasper Chou’s Project FF that is a sustainable glueless container for French fries and ketchup.

The international packaging design competition Better with Less – Design Challenge 2019–2020 was organised by Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group. The competition was arranged to challenge designers to create more environmentally friendly solutions for some of the most frequently used consumer packaging. As many as 146 entrants from 28 countries joined with their ideas. The jury included packaging design influencers from around the world.

Learn more about the winning design and the finalists from the competition website, betterwithless.org 

Valmet will supply a coated board making line (PM 2) with extensive packages of automation and Industrial Internet solutions for APP’s Guangxi Jingui Pulp and Paper’s (GJPP) Qinzhou mill in China. The start-up is scheduled for 2021.

The order is included in Valmet's orders received of the first quarter 2020. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The total value of an order of this type and scope is typically around EUR 150-200 million.

When started-up, PM 2 will be the world’s fastest and very modern coated board making machine with the highest capacity. It will follow the footsteps of APP’s Ningbo PM 4 machine that was started-up in 2014 and is currently the fastest folding box board (FBB) machine in the world. 

“The most important target for GJPP was that PM 2 will be a high-capacity board machine line with state-of-the-art technology. The customer also emphasized the importance of low operating cost. Valmet’s coated board line and its very low energy and water consumption values were proven to be the lowest ones when comparing to competitors,” says Timo Saresvuo, Senior Sales Manager, Valmet.

Technical information about Valmet’s delivery

Valmet's delivery for PM 2 will include a high-speed coated board making line from broke collection to reel and winders. Three OptiFlo Foudrinier headboxes, OptiFormer Multi forming section and OptiPress Linear press section produce high-quality base board. Four OptiCoat Jet blade coating stations ensure the high coating quality. OptiCoat Dry air dryers are very energy efficient in addition to maintaining the high coating quality. The delivery will also include complete process ventilation system for board machine with OptiAir high humidity hood and heat recovery. Center-driven OptiReel Linear reel combined with two OptiWin Drum two-drum winders with Dual Unwind deliver substantially high capacity level without any compromises on safety.

The wide automation package includes Valmet DNA Automation System for process and drive controls as well as runnability and condition monitoring. The Valmet IQ Quality Management Solution features scanning measurements, related machine and cross direction controls and profilers.

The delivery will also include a comprehensive Paper Machine Clothing, spare parts and consumables packages. The start-up and the further optimization of the new board machine will be supported remotely from Valmet Performance Center utilizing the latest Industrial Internet solutions. Data-based and proactive remote support is fast and efficient way to ensure that the machine is meeting the planned start-up curve.

The 8,850-mm-wide (wire) board machine will produce ivory board grades (folding boxboard, FBB) with the basis weight range of 190-300 g/m². The design speed of the machine will be 1,450 m/min and the daily capacity approx. 3,800 tonnes.

Information about the customer Guangxi Jingui Pulp and Paper

Guangxi Jingui Pulp and Paper was formally established in 2003 and is a part of APP-China. Total annual production volume of APP’s mills reached 11 million tons. Today, APP-China is delivering quality products to meet the growing global demand for tissue, packaging and paper from customers all over the world. Guangxi Jingui Pulp & Paper employs more than 1,500 employees.

Stora Enso is offering a possibility to follow its Annual General Meeting (AGM) via webcast as a precautionary measure to decrease any risk of infection of the new COVID-19 coronavirus.

The company strongly encourages any shareholders who

• have recently visited a risk area for coronavirus infection,
• have symptoms of illness,
• or who are part of the risk group,

to consider following the AGM by webcast or authorizing another person to represent them at the meeting.

Shareholders, who have registered for the event, but who decide not to attend the meeting, are asked to cancel their registration by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone +358 204 621 245. The AGM will be held on Thursday 19 March 2020 from 16:00 EET. Doors will open at 15:30 EET and shareholders will be asked to go directly to meeting hall after registration.

Stora Enso’s private shareholders can follow the AGM by webcast. Please note that this means the shareholder’s shares are not considered to have attended the meeting. It is not possible to speak or vote over the webcast. To follow the webcast, shareholders need to sign in with a Finnish bank ID or Finnish mobile certificate. The meeting language is Finnish, and some of the speeches are held in English. Simultaneous interpretation or subtitles are not available over the webcast.

More information on following the AGM via webcast and authorizing another person is available on the company website.

Stora Enso aims to keep the meeting as short as possible, fulfilling all legal requirements. That is why no refreshments will be served after the meeting and there will be no product displays prior to the meeting. Stora Enso follows the development relating to coronavirus and will take additional measures if needed. With these precautionary measures, Stora Enso aims at contributing to a safe environment. In normal circumstances about 300 shareholders attend Stora Enso’s Annual General Meetings.

The Austrian government has adopted further measures to stop the coronavirus from spreading. These measures also affect the Annual General Meeting of ANDRITZ AG on March 25, 2020.

From today’s perspective, it will not be possible, according to the new regulations, to hold an Annual General Meeting if more than 100 people attend.

The Executive Board will make every effort to hold the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2020, subject to any further measures and restrictions imposed by the authorities, also because a dividend can only be paid to the shareholders if the Annual General Meeting adopts a resolution to this effect.

However, the shareholders’ health must be our highest priority. That is why we recommend the shareholders of ANDRITZ AG to designate Dr. Michael Knap as voting proxy, bound by instructions, instead of personally attending the Annual General Meeting. A special proxy form can be downloaded below.

In addition, shareholders can contact Dr. Michael Knap directly c/o IVA – Interessensverband der Anleger, Feldmühlgasse 22, 1130 Wien, or by e-mail to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Unfortunately, we cannot allow any guests to attend either. The traditional buffet after the Annual General Meeting has been canceled. If necessary, we will also make arrangements to keep the number of persons in any one room to the limit permitted.

We kindly ask for your understanding concerning these precautions in the interests of our shareholders’ safety and of holding the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2020 in accordance with the restrictions applied by the Austrian government.

Depending on how the situation develops, ANDRITZ AG also reserves the right to implement further security measures in coordination with the authorities and to cancel the Annual General Meeting at short notice.

The ANDRITZ AG Executive Board kindly asks for your understanding concerning these measures and repeats its request not to attend the Annual General Meeting personally and to make use of a voting proxy instead.

Below you can download important information:

• INVITATION
• RESOLUTION  PROPOSALS

• ENCLOSURES OF ITEM 1 OF THE AGENDA:
  - Annual financial report 2019
  - Financial statement of ANDRITZ AG 2019 (German only)
  - Corporate Governance report 2019
  - Proposal for the use of the net earnings
  - Report of the Supervisory Board
• ENCLOSURES OF ITEM 7 OF THE AGENDA:
  - Wolfgang BERNHARD: Declaration pursuant to § 87 (2) AktG & Curriculum vitae
  - Overview Supervisory Board meetings and Committee meetings 2019

• ENCLOSURE OF ITEM 8 OF THE AGENDA:
  - Remuneration policy of ANDRITZ AG
  - Supplement to the ANDRITZ remuneration policy

• ENCLOSURES OF ITEM 9 OF THE AGENDA:
  - ANDRITZ Stock Option Program 2020
  - Explanations and comments on the ANDRITZ 2020 Stock Option Program

• PROXY

• PROXY WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROXY HOLDER, Dr. Michael Knap

• REVOCATION OF PROXY

• FURTHER INFORMATION ON SHAREHOLDERS' RIGHTS PURSUANT §§ 109, 110 118, AND 119 AktG AND INFORMATION ON PROTECTION OF SHAREHOLDERS' DATA