Valmet will supply start-up clothing to Stora Enso’s Oulu Mill in Finland. The start-up clothing includes forming fabrics, press felts, shoe press belts and dryer fabrics. The clothing order is related to Stora Enso’s paper machine (PM 7) grade conversion project delivered by Valmet.

The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the third quarter 2020. The clothing will be delivered for the start-up of the rebuilt BM 7, which is scheduled for the end of 2020. The value of the order is not disclosed.

“Valmet has been our main clothing supplier in Oulu for a long time. We are pleased to continue working together in this strategic project, too, as the performance of the fabrics and felts is crucial for end product quality and production efficiency. We have set high requirements for the technical support at the start-up and during optimization. We trust that Valmet can meet our expectations,” says Janne Myllykangas, Area Manager BM 7 and Deputy Project Director at Stora Enso.

“We are happy that Stora Enso has chosen our clothing for the start-up of BM 7. All in all, the order includes 50 percent of the forming fabrics and press felts, and 100 percent of the dryer fabrics for the first two years with an option for the third year. Valmet Black Belt shoe press belts were already included in Stora Enso’s earlier order for this project. Our Industrial Internet application for PMC (paper machine clothing) remote analytics is also included into the delivery,” says Martti Heinola, Director, Paper Machine Clothing, Valmet.

Valmet and Stora Enso have also signed a Performance Agreement including technical support to accelerate the start-up curve.

Information about the customer Stora Enso

Stora Enso is a leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions, and paper. The company employs some 26,000 people in more than 30 countries. The Oulu Mill in northern Finland currently produces wood-free coated paper and bleached softwood pulp.