Metso to Supply Two Tissue Lines to HengAn International Group in China


Helsinki, Finland, 31 October 2008 -- Metso will supply two complete tissue production lines to HengAn International Group in China. One of the lines will be delivered to the Group´s Hunan HengAn Living Paper Products Co., Ltd, Changde City, Hunan Province, and the other to Shandong HengAn Paper Co., Ltd, Weifang City, Shandong Province. The lines will be started up in December 2009 and in July 2010. The market value of a single tissue production line of this type is in the range of EUR 15–20 million, depending on the scope of the delivery and the production output. A part of the order will be included in Metso Paper´s and a part in Metso Automation´s fourth quarter orders received.

Metso’s delivery comprises two tissue production lines with stock preparation equipment. Both production lines include a tissue machine, including a multilayer headbox, a Yankee cylinder, a hood, a dust management system and a reel. The delivery also features Metso’s new patented pressing technology. Both production lines are optimized to save energy and to enhance final product quality. The delivery includes an extensive automation package with machine and process control systems, a scanner and quality controls, as well as a basis weight profiling system.

The new production lines will add another 120,000 metric tons of facial, toilet, and towel grades to HengAn Group's total production. The raw material for the new lines will be virgin pulp.

In 2006 and 2008, Metso successfully started up two similar tissue lines at the HengAn International Group´s Anhai mill in Fujian province.

HengAn International Group Co., Ltd. whose shares are listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, is a Chinese consumer product company with a nationwide sales and distribution network. The company has 16,000 employees; turnover in 2007 was HKD 5.7 billion (approximately EUR 520 million).

Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2007 net sales of more than EUR 6 billion and more than 27,000 employees in approximately 50 countries who serve customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry, and selected other industries.

www.metso.com