Helsinki, Finland, 17 August 2007 – UPM will start a comprehensive renewal project at the end of August at the Kymi paper mill. This will include the upgrading of paper machine (PM) 9, maintenance, and connecting work related to the ongoing recovery plant project. Therefore, the mill will be closed down from 20 to 24 August. The process to shut down the operations started 16 August 16; the mill will be in full operation after 28 August.

The modernisation of PM 9 will improve the runnability, increase the efficiency, and facilitate maintenance of the machine. The value of the investment is approximately EUR 10 millions.

In the recovery plant project, the mill's raw water pipe lines, pumps, and other interfaces will be connected and brought into use during the shutdown.

The construction of the new recovery plant is the biggest ongoing investment project for Kymi, UPM, and the whole Finnish forest industry. This involves the replacement of two outdated chemical recovery lines by one modern line. The new single-line recovery plant will go on stream by summer 2008.

Other production units of the paper mill also are under service, maintenance, and investments work. During the shut down there will be some 1300 external employees working at the mill.