Espoo, Finland 13 October 2016 -- Sofidel America is continuing its expansion in USA and recently announced their plans for a new greenfield plant in Circleville, Ohio. Valmet will deliver two Advantage NTT tissue lines including stock preparation equipment and automation systems to the new mill. Both lines will be started up during 2018.

The order is included in Valmet's third quarter 2016 orders received. The value of the order is not disclosed.

Valmet and Sofidel share a long history of partnership including eleven conventional tissue machine installations in various countries. Earlier this year Sofidel decided to invest in their first Advantage NTT line which will be started up at Delitissue mill in Poland in the second half of 2017.

"The Advantage NTT technology fits very well in our expansion plans for North America. We have a strong focus on the most innovative and high performance technologies and see this as an investment for the future which allow us to take the next step into the premium quality segment," says Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO of Sofidel.

"We are excited to continue our shared journey forward together with Sofidel, and are proud to support their expansion plans into new markets and segments. We are convinced that the innovative Advantage NTT lines with its flexibility, product quality and energy saving capabilities is the solution for the future," says Anders Björn, Vice President, Tissue Mills, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

Valmet's scope of supply comprises two complete tissue production lines including Advantage NTT tissue machines, with OptiFlo headbox and cast alloy Yankee cylinder. The machines will also be featured with the Advantage tissue technology including AirCap hoods with Air systems, WetDust systems and SoftReel B reels. Valmet has also deliveres detailed mill engineering, stock preparation equipment as well as automation packages including DCS (distributed control) and QCS (quality control) systems.

The new tissue machines will have a design speed of 1,800 m/min in textured mode and 2,000 m/min in plain mode. The production lines are optimized to save energy and fiber as well as add possibilities for product differentiation and increased capacity of premium quality products. Each line will have an annual production capacity of 70,000 tons.

About the customer Sofidel Group and Sofidel America

The Sofidel Group, a privately held company, is one of the leading manufacturer of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide. Established in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries with more than 5,500 employees, a consolidated turnover of EUR 1,809 million in 2015 and an annual production capacity of over one million tonnes. Sofidel is a member of UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers programme. Sofidel America is a subsidiary of the Sofidel Group. It was established in 2012 through the acquisition of the Cellynne tissue company which was founded in 1988 with three production sites in the USA - Haines City (FL), Green Bay (WI) and Henderson (NV).

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.

Valmet's net sales in 2015 were approximately EUR 2.9 billion. Our 12,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.