Metsä Group and Itochu establish a joint venture for textile fibres

Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring Ltd. and Japanese Itochu Corporation establish a joint venture, which invests approximately EUR 40 million in building and operating a test plant, with the aim to demonstrate a new technology for converting paper-grade pulp into textile fibres. Business Finland, a Finnish governmental funding agency, participates in the financing of the demo project with an R&D loan.

The textile fibre demo plant will be located next to Metsä Group’s bioproduct

Staff Writer, 02 October 2018

Metsä’s Mänttä mill switches to LNG

At the mill in Mänttä, Finland, LNG will replace liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the paper drying process. The fuel switch from LPG to LNG will improve competitiveness and cut the company’s carbon dioxide emissions. LNG will be delivered to the Mänttä mill by road tanker from the Skangas Pori LNG terminal. Before being used, LNG will be regasified at the mill. In cooperation with the Technical Services of its parent company, Gasum, Skangas will carry out the modification and equipment

Staff Writer, 01 October 2018

Sappi reports gains from Cham integration

Sappi sees its takeover of the specialty paper business of Swiss-based Cham Paper Group (CPG) as offering big opportunities for the two companies and their combined customer base.

In late 2017, Sappi, one of the global producer of dissolving wood pulp, specialty and packaging papers, graphic (printing and writing) paper and biomaterials, entered into an agreement to acquire the specialty paper business of CPG. This included the acquisition of CPG’s Carmignano and Condino Mills in Italy, its

Staff Writer, 11 September 2018

Zanders invests €7m in plant conversion to natural gas

German paper mill Zanders has invested around €7m (£6.27m) in converting its on-site power plant from hard coal to natural gas.
Part of a long-term investment programme targeting sustainable increases in efficiency, the business said the gas has been flowing since the end of July and the commissioning of the first boiler is expected to be completed by the end of August.
“We will probably no longer need coal for the steam supply of our plant during normal operation by the end of September,” said

Staff Writer, 25 August 2018

Neenah introduces new 100% pure cotton paper range

Neenah announces its recent investment to reinvigorate the cotton fiber paper category with its new NEENAH® Cotton Papers, a 100% cotton paper expertly manufactured by the mill that has been crafting the finest, pure cotton papers since the late 1870’s.
Available in four shades of white and three colours (Mint, Blush and Gray), Neenah describes the new offering as the “perfect palette for modern design applications as well as personal and business correspondence.” The new cotton papers boast the

Staff Writer, 16 August 2018

Metsä Board receives EcoVadis Gold rating for corporate environmental and social responsibility

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards, has been awarded the Gold level rating by EcoVadis for the second consecutive year for its approach to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Overall Metsä Board was ranked in the top 1% of suppliers assessed by EcoVadis across all categories.
“This is a significant achievement, as the EcoVadis assessment is becoming an increasingly important guide for our customers when judging their suppliers’

Staff Writer, 13 August 2018

Stora Enso CWF conversion could be ‘game-changer’

Stora Enso is evaluating options to convert its entire one million-plus tonnes of Lumi coated woodfree paper production to packaging board instead.
The paper and wood products group has announced a feasibility study for its Oulu Mill in Finland, which runs two paper machines and has an annual capacity of 1.08m tonnes, alongside a chemical softwood pulp plant with a capacity of 360,000 tonnes.
The mill currently makes various grades of fine paper, including LumiArt and Silk sheets, LumiForte reels

Staff Writer, 13 August 2018

Idempaper restarts under new name Virginal Papers

The former bankruptcy and closed paperwork Idempapers in Virginal, Belgium, now re-launches the business with the help of expertise and capital from Sweden and Norway. Thanks to the joint venture, where Avida contribute with a part of the funding, 70 new jobs are now being created in the Belgian city. The mill is already up and running, now under the new name Virginal Papers.
The Norwegian-Swedish investment group led by Terje Haglund, new CEO of Virginal Paper, with many years of experience in

Staff Writer, 13 August 2018

Mondi offers new papers

Mondi has recently enhanced the portfolio of its key paper brands Color Copy and PERGRAPHICA in new digital formats to offer bulk-packed paper options saving its professional printing customers time and money while increasing speed and efficiency.
The digital colour printing Color Copy is now offered with new digital formats as SRA3, SRA3+, A3+ and 33 x 48.3 cm, all of them available in long grain (LG) and short grain (SG).
PERGRAPHICA has also extended its offer to the creative and premium

Staff Writer, 13 August 2018

International Paper and World Wildlife Fund Collaborates

As part of collaboration work with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), International Paper (IP) is investing in a new restoration project in the Mogi Guaçu river basin of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. IP has operations and is already investing in restoration in this region, work that will ideally inspire other organizations to invest in forest restoration in Brazil and beyond.
“Our entire business depends on the sustainability of forests,” said Sophie Beckham, IP Senior Manager of Natural Capital

Staff Writer, 09 July 2018

Mondi Group completes acquisition-Powerflute

Further to the announcement made on 22nd December 2017, Mondi confirms that all conditions have been satisfied and it has completed the acquisition of 100% of the outstanding shares in Powerflute Group Holdings Oy (“Powerflute”), a division of Nordic Packaging and Container Holdings, for a total consideration of €365 million on an enterprise value basis.
Powerflute operates an integrated pulp and paper mill in Kuopio (Finland) with an annual production capacity of 285,000 tonnes of

Staff Writer, 09 July 2018

Suzano’s net income raises

Suzano has announced its results for the 1Q 2018, with operating cash generation of R$1.3 billion ($361 million). In the period from April 2017 to March 2018 (last 12 months), operating cash generation amounted to R$4.2 billion ($1.2 billion), which is an unprecedented mark in its 94‑year history.
The company ended the quarter with net income of R$813 million ($226 million), compared to R$450 million ($125 million) in 1Q 2017.Adjusted EBITDA in the 1Q 2018 came to R$1.5 billion ($416 million)

Staff Writer, 09 July 2018

EUROSAC Congress demonstrates commitment of paper sack

This year’s annual EUROSAC Congress “Paper sacks – the natural commitment” was held in Malta from 24 to 25 May 2018.
It provided a forum to discuss the circular economy approach of the European paper sack and sack kraft paper industry, recent market developments as well as the activities of the association, and customer needs in the food sector. Moreover, the latest innovations were honoured with the EUROSAC Grand Prix Award. The Austria-based company Mondi received the trophy for its packaging

Staff Writer, 01 July 2018

Mondi Group invests in global safety initiative

Every year around the world, some 374 million people are injured at work, according to the International Labor Organization. Creating a safe work environment has always been Mondi’s top priority and it is this intense focus that has led it to invest in an annual event when its 26,000 employees down tools for the day to work together on improving local health, safety and the environment.
Currently 30 countries are taking place to highlight the personal contribution that Mondi’s employees can make

Staff Writer, 12 June 2018

Paper supply squeeze in face of ‘perfect storm’ for some grades

A “perfect storm” of global events has resulted in long lead times for some paper grades – with mills resorting to allocation for the first time in over a decade – and printers and paper buyers have been warned to plan ahead for the rest of the year.
The combination of factors affecting the supply of graphical papers includes increasing demand for pulp for other markets, such as tissue and hygiene products, which has pushed prices up to almost $1,200 (£883) a tonne. A year ago, it was

Staff Writer, 12 June 2018

Stora Enso launches ReadyReel service in woodfree paper grades

Stora Enso has launched a new service called ReadyReel from its Lumipaper NV converting services site located in Antwerp, Belgium. ReadyReel is a rewinding and palletizing service that offers rapid delivery of reels ready in the format and position needed for loading on to the press directly.
The ReadyReel service for narrow format reels has been developed to serve digital printers as well as direct mail and envelope converters. This allows customers to manage the ever-growing demands for

Staff Writer, 11 June 2018

Smurfit Kappa to get Parenco

Irish paper and packaging group Smurfit Kappa (SKG) has announced a deal on the acquisition of the Dutch paper and recycling company Reparenco. The acquisition, which is valued at €460m, will reportedly accelerate the group’s strategic objectives and strengthen its paper integration in Europe.
Reparenco operates a paper mill in Renkum that is doing business as Parenco with a capacity to produce 405,000 tpy of recycled containerboard and 270,000 tpy of SC paper and improved newsprint on two

Staff Writer, 11 June 2018

Metsä Group unveils plans for demo plant

Metsä Group has established a new innovation company, Metsä Spring Ltd. The company will, together with partner organisations, invest in new endeavours with the target to identify and develop new business opportunities in sustainable forest-based bioeconomy and circular economy. Niklas von Weymarn has been appointed CEO of the company. He transfers to Metsä Spring from the position of VP, research in Metsä Fibre, also part of Metsä Group. The office of Metsä Spring is in the heart of the

Staff Writer, 11 June 2018

Asia Pulp & Paper Marks 5th Anniversary of its Forest Conservation Policy

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) marked the 5^th anniversary of its landmark sustainability commitment, the Forest Conservation Policy (FCP). Under the policy, which was developed with the assistance of NGOs and other partners, APP committed itself to achieving deforestation-free supply chain, and to advance towards becoming a more sustainable business. At an event for stakeholders, APP reviewed the progress it has made since 2013, identified challenges, and restated commitments to areas of

Staff Writer, 27 May 2018

Smurfit Kappa invests in Facture Paper Mill

An upgrade of the mill, which is in South West France, was successfully completed in March following a three-week shutdown and included the implementation of a new pulp washing line, and a complete overhaul of the black liquor recovery boiler.
SKG next plans a series of improvements to the paper machine No. 5 commencing in 2019, which on completion, will increase its production capacity of white top kraftliner from 174,000 tonnes to 220,000 tonnes per annum, and further enhance the quality of

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

Sappi announces price hike, launches project

Due to continuing cost increases of pulp and other raw materials, Sappi announced that it is forced to increase its Dye Sublimation and Large Format Inkjet paper prices as from 1 May 2018. This measure is necessary to mitigate continuing margin erosion and keeping the business sustainable.
The increase will be 5 to 8% for all Dye Sublimation grades and 6 to 9% for the Large Format Inkjet papers. The price rise will apply to all European and Overseas markets.
Practical implementation will be

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

APP shows a little sign of progress on zero-deforestation policy

Local and international watchdogs have criticized Indonesia’s biggest pulp and paper producer for what they consider an inability to satisfy its lead zero-deforestation strategy.
The joint statement lambasting Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) comes on the fifth anniversary of the launch of the company’s Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) in February 2013, in which it pledged to not destroy natural forests for its pulpwood plantations.
According to estimates by Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Smurfit Kappa rejects the bid

Revised proposal from International Paper fails to reflect Smurfit Kappa’s intrinsic value, track record and superior prospects as an independent business.
Under the terms of the revised proposal, Smurfit Kappa shareholders would receive €25.25 in cash (which would be reduced to €24.605 after payment of the final dividend of 64.5% recommended on 7 February 2018 and to be paid on 11 May 2018) and 0.3028 new shares of International Paper common stock for each Smurfit Kappa ordinary share held by

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Insolvent German paper mills advances

German paper mills Feldmuehle Uetersen and Papierfabrik Scheufelen, which both filed for insolvency in January, have updated on their progress with days to go until bankruptcy proceedings kick off at both companies.
Lenningen-based Papierfabrik Scheufelen initiated preliminary insolvency proceedings on 30 January. The company said talks with potential investors are continuing but that production is temporarily suspended as insolvency proceedings get under way from 1st April.
The “vast majority”

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Papers Worldwide unveils two swatchbooks for ME region

Dubai based paper distributors, Papers Worldwide has released 2 new swatchbooks for the Middle East region.
Ashita Judge, CEO of Papers Worldwide says: “Our 2 new swatchbooks for the ME region consist of ‘Arabesque Swatchbook”, which is our master book with all paper products and brands offered through Papers Worldwide displayed in one place and  the other one is the ‘Neo Collection’ featuring our newly launched coated fine paper selection.  The Arabesque Swatchbook is divided into 4 books for

Staff Writer, 19 December 2017

International Paper to convert UFS to linerboard, containerboard

International Paper  announced plans to invest approximately $300 million to convert its paper machine in Alabama from uncoated freesheet to high quality whitetop linerboard and containerboard. The conversion is targeted to be completed by mid-year 2019. The investment will add 450,000 tons of annual capacity, with flexibility to shift between containerboard products.
“Our customers expect us to support their growth and this machine conversion will meet their needs,” said Tim Nicholls, IP’s

Staff Writer, 19 November 2017

UPM strengthens its digital presence

UPM Specialty Papers has strengthened its digital presence by launching www.upmspecialtypapers.com.
The new website offers a quick and easy access to comprehensive information on UPM Specialty Papers’ extensive range of specialty papers, service solutions and responsible operations. The UPM Paper Online Catalogue, where UPM’s vast paper portfolio can easily be browsed, can also be accessed via the new website. Visitors can also stay informed with the latest news of the company on the new

Staff Writer, 16 October 2017

Mondi to postpone investment

Mondi announced that it has decided to postpone its $159.4 million investment in a new 90,000 tonne per annum machine glazed speciality kraft paper machine at its Steti mill in the Czech Republic.
In January of this year, Mondi announced plans to invest a total of EUR 470 million in the modernisation and expansion of the Steti mill. The project consists of the installation of a new recovery boiler, the rebuild of the fibre lines, the debottlenecking of the paper machines and an investment in a

Staff Writer, 16 October 2017

UPM launches magazine paper for CSWO printing

Paper manufacturer UPM has launched a new innovation, UPM Impresse plus C, an SC paper custom-developed for coldset web offset printing. UPM Impresse plus C offers a smoother, glossier finish and magazine-quality result for CSWO printing.
“Customers with coldset presses told us they needed to make better use of their capacity and expand into new areas of commercial printing but they couldn’t compete with the quality of heatset and rotogravure printers,” explains Olli Juntunen, product manager at

Staff Writer, 16 August 2017

Mills to hike prices of paper due to increasing cost of raw materials

More paper price rises are on the way with global suppliers James Cropper and Mitsubishi HiTec Paper both announcing significant price hikes that will take effect in coming weeks.
Mitsubishi HiTec, manufacturer of coated specialty papers, is increasing prices for its Thermoscript thermal paper and Giroform carbonless paper by 6-7%, effective Sept.
“Further increases in costs for pulp, chemicals and logistics make this adjustment necessary,” the company told customers in a letter.
About 700

Staff Writer, 16 August 2017