Stora Enso's consumer board machine at Beihai Mill in China successfully started production on 26 May. The first consumer board on reel was produced 18 months after the start-up of Stora Enso's large-scale mill construction project in Beihai, Guangxi region.
The project started from a greenfield site. In addition to the board machine, it includes a full site with infrastructure, power plant, water and effluent treatment capacities. Highest levels of work safety standards have been followed. With a peak of 5 500 workers on site, over 16 million working hours have been accomplished with only one Lost Time Accident.
“Today I feel very proud and happy for the whole team that has been able to achieve such a great milestone in the history of Stora Enso,” says Stora Enso’s CEO Karl-Henrik Sundström. “Our aim now is to benefit from the growing demand in China and Asia Pacific for high-quality consumer board.”
The total investment in the project is EUR 800 million, including a bleached chemi-thermomechanical (BCTMP) pulp mill with an annual capacity of 220 000 tonnes, operational in the fourth quarter of 2016. The board machine is expected to reach full production within 18‒24 months. In full operation, the mill will have an annual capacity of 450 000 tonnes of liquid packaging board and other high-grade paperboard products.
The official inauguration will be held on 16 June 2016, at the Beihai Mill.
Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper on global markets. Our aim is to replace fossil based materials by innovating and developing new products and services based on wood and other renewable materials. We employ some 26 000 people in more than 35 countries, and our sales in 2015 were EUR 10.0 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY) on the International OTCQX over-the-counter market. storaenso.com