Valmet to deliver key technology and automation solutions for the expansion project of Stora Enso's Oulu mill in Finland

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Jan 31, 2023, 06:54 ET

ESPOO, Finland, Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Valmet will deliver bleached chemi-thermo mechanical pulp (BCTMP), evaporation and non-condensable gas (NCG) technology as well as an extensive automation solutions package for Stora Enso's Oulu mill in Finland. The delivery is part of Stora Enso's approximately EUR 1 billion investment to convert the remaining idle paper machine at their Oulu site into a high-volume consumer board production line.

The order is included in Valmet's orders received of the fourth quarter 2022. The value of the order will not be disclosed, but a delivery of this size and scope is typically valued at around EUR 75–100 million. The deliveries are done in phases and the upgraded mill is scheduled to be in operation in early 2025.

"With Valmet's process technology and automation, we enable Stora Enso to produce carton board with excellent environmental performance and optimized fiber properties. Our leading BCTMP technology is built on Valmet's strong 'Fiber to Board' knowledge. With the extensive automation package, we are able to offer Stora Enso a good visibility to the mill processes and excellent operability to maximize the performance of the whole mill," says Sami Riekkola, Business Line President, Pulp and Energy, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

Valmet's technology delivery includes a BCTMP line, an evaporation plant, and a NCG boiler for odorous gas handling. The BCTMP line has low operating costs, high process flexibility and reliability with excellent pulp quality and high bulk for board production. The evaporation plant is tailored for BCTMP filtrate recovery with high energy efficiency, and low electricity and steam consumption. It includes a Valmet Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) Evaporator and the mechanically reliable Tube Evaporation technology. The NCG boiler is designed for very low NOx emissions. The delivery is supported by Valmet Industrial Internet solutions including connectivity and process support with analytics tools.

Valmet's automation delivery includes a mill wide Valmet DNA distributed control system with the new web-based user interface as well as an integrated Valmet IQ Machine Vision system.

In addition, Valmet has already earlier agreed on a recovery boiler rebuild delivery for the Oulu site. The rebuild includes an electrostatic precipitator upgrade to ensure required capacity for the future production.

About the customer Stora Enso

Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world. Stora Enso's strategy is that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has approximately 22,000 employees and the company's sales in 2021 were EUR 10.2 billion.

VALMET
Corporate Communications

For further information, please contact:
Kari Remes, Vice President, Global Operations, Pulp and Energy, Valmet, tel. +358 40 709 2015

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. The combined company's net sales in 2021 were approximately EUR 4.5 billion based on the respective company figures.

Valmet's shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.