Espoo, Finland 23 January 2013 -- Metsä Board Corporation, a part of Metsä Group, has divested the property and production assets of its Alizay mill site in France to Conceil Général l’Eure for EUR 22 million.

Conceil Général l’Eure is intending to sell the Alizay property and assets further to one or several other operators.

The divestment of the Alizay assets does not impact Metsä Board’s annual sales and it does not have any material impact on operative result. Related to the divestment Metsä Board books approximately EUR 16 million in positive non-recurring items in the Paper and Pulp business area’s operating result. Of the non-recurring items EUR 11 million reversal of impairment according to IFRS5 will be booked in the 4Q 2012 operating result and EUR 5 million capital gain and reversal of provisions in the 1Q 2013 operating result. 

Metsä Board permanently closed down the pulp production at the Alizay site in 2010 and the paper production in early 2012 as part of the company’s strategic transformation from a paper producer to a profitable paperboard company.