Displaying items by tag: paper

CTS has got a membership of SRO for practicing design activities in Russia. Scope of this engineering license covers company´s earlier Russian engineering licenses.

The earlier license obtaining practice has been changed at the end of year 2009 to a system where companies apply for membership of so called self-regulated organizations (SRO) which have been established especially for this purpose. Federal environment and technology organization Rostechnadzor has given for particular, non commercial organizations a right to grant certificates for practicing design activity in Russia.

The certificates can be granted without time limitations for activity for both domestic and foreign companies.

CTS Engtec has a lot of experience in the design of demanding paper, board and pulp mill projects as well as in the design of energy systems for paper, pulp and the mechanical forest industries in Russia. The company has an excellant technical knowledge of renewable energy sources e.g CHP- plants (combined heat and power) and bioenergy plants.

The company can provide Russian clients conceptual study, pre-study and pre-engineering, basic and detail engineering, environmental technology services, project management and maintenance engineering.

CTS's flexible organization and working methods are particularly adapted for implementing rebuild projects as well as green field mill projects in Russia and around the world.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today released its 50^th Annual Survey of Paper, Paperboard, and Pulp Capacity,  which reported that U.S. paper and paperboard capacity declined 2.5 percent in 2009 to 93.9 million tons. The decline took place against a backdrop of a severe global economic recession.  Paper and paperboard production is rebounding from the recession-induced lows reached in early 2009.

The Survey also reported that 14 U.S. mills were permanently closed in 2009, shutting down 16 paper and paperboard machines, and an additional 11 machines were permanently shut down at other mills.  Furthermore, several mills and machines have been indefinitely idled in response to weak market conditions, but have not been removed from the Survey base because they may be restarted at some future date.

According to data reported to the Survey, total paper and paperboard capacity is expected to decline 3.4% in 2010 and then remain essentially stable in 2011 and 2012.

The Survey reports U.S. industry capacity data for the years 2009 through 2012 for all major grades of paper, paperboard, and pulp, based on a comprehensive survey of all U.S. pulp and paper mills. Survey respondents represent about 90 percent of the U.S. industry capacity.

The complete Survey with detailed tables can be purchased for $1,650 by contacting Michelle Gaskins at AF&PA (202-463-5162, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

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After installation of a long nip style press in the board machine at Porstendorf, Germany, MultiFlex V3 press felts from Voith Paper were installed for start-up. The decision was thus made to introduce a clothing supplier not previously active in Porstendorf. The concept was customized. In particular, the outstanding service at start-up confirmed to the team in Porstendorf that the right decision had been made in choosing the clothing supplier. Meanwhile the new press has already been running several weeks and in summary it can be said that all technological specifications have been met or surpassed. "Especially noteworthy are the 52% dry content achieved and the width shrinkage which was reduced by more than 10%", observes plant manager Steffen Söll.

The board machine with 2.32 m net width and a speed of 80 m/min produces 40,000 tons of chipboard per year. At the turn of the years 2009/2010, the two previous reversed presses were replaced by a long nip style press for press loads up to 500 kN/m. A straight-through press was positioned at the end of the press section for setting the desired surface characteristics. The goals of the conversion were: improvement of the energy balance, reduction of production disturbances due to vaporization bubbles and improvement of ply bond strength.

The success of MultiFlex V3 is based on Voith Paper's specialty for the challenges in the press section, the well-proven Vector technology. This comprises a tri-axial non-woven base fabric structure that provides elasticity in all three spatial directions for excellent compaction resistance and self-cleaning properties. It also has high active void volume for controlled dewatering and handling large amounts of water. Even pressure distribution leads to more uniform drying whilst the multi-axial structure provides low flow resistance and maintained permeability.

Voith Paper is a division of the Voith Group and the leading partner to and pioneer in the paper industry. Through constant innovations, Voith Paper is optimizing the paper manufacturing process, focusing on developing resource-saving products to reduce the use of energy, water, and fibers.

Voith is setting the standard in the paper, energy, mobility, and service markets. Established on January 1, 1867, Voith currently has 39,000 employees, € 5 billion in sales, and over 280 locations worldwide and is one of the largest family-owned businesses in Europe.

Voith is an official partner in the "Germany - Land of Ideas" initiative.
Christina Bauer
Voith Paper | Germnay
Tel +49 7321 37 2026 | Fax
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NewPage Corporation (NewPage) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Domtar Corporation to purchase Domtar's coated groundwood paper product lines and book of business. The purchase follows Domtar's decision to exit this business and close its Columbus , Mississippi , paper mill.

The purchase will include the coated groundwood paper book of business, the Choctaw ® , Saturn ® and Jupiter ™ brands, and the coated groundwood product inventory remaining after the Columbus mill closes. The transaction is expected to be completed in April.

"With Domtar's decision to permanently close its Columbus mill and exit the coated groundwood product sector, we will be working closely with Domtar to ensure that the immediate needs of their customers are met without any disruption of service," stated Tom Curley, president and chief executive officer for NewPage. "Going forward, we look forward to the opportunity to transition these customers to NewPage product and service offerings that meet their future business needs. We recognize that customers have a choice in paper suppliers, and we want to earn their business by ensuring they have a seamless transition to NewPage, should they desire to do so."

To read the offical Release go here....>

Domtar Corporation (NYSE/TSX: UFS) announced today that it will permanently close its coated groundwood paper mill in Columbus, Mississippi. The Domtar coated groundwood paper mill has an annual production capacity of 238,000 tons of coated groundwood and 70,000 metric tons of thermo-mechanical pulp. The mill currently has 219 employees. Operations are expected to cease by the end of April 2010.

"Market conditions for coated groundwood paper are challenging and despite the best efforts of our employees - and these efforts have been commendable - the mill continues to suffer from a weak cost position," said John D. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer of Domtar. "With this permanent closure, Domtar is exiting the coated groundwood paper business."

Domtar also announced the sale of its Choctaw(R), Saturn(R) and Jupiter(TM) coated groundwood product lines and trademarks to NewPage Corporation. The sale to NewPage also includes the mill's paper inventory and book of business. Domtar intends to dismantle and dispose of remaining assets as deemed appropriate.

Domtar will take measures to assist employees affected by these decisions in accordance with its policies.

Apollo Management, Avenue Capital and Franklin Templeton are consolidating more than 50% of NewPage’s USD 1bn worth of second lien bonds, four persons familiar with the matter told Debtwire. The vulture trio’s bet is that the second liens will prove the fulcrum in a near-term restructuring.

Taking over the struggling coated paper producer would align strategically with Apollo’s and Avenue’s other investments in the industry. Apollo controls Verso Paper, while Avenue is a lender and creditor to bankrupt AbitibiBowater and will hold a large stake in the company upon exit from Chapter 11, the sources said.

Apollo, Avenue and NewPage’s equity sponsor Cerberus Capital Management, declined to comment. Calls to officials at Franklin and NewPage were not returned.

NewPage faces a real threat of running out of cash this year, said three buysiders and two sellside analysts. Stripping out the USD 304m one-time benefit the company received from the IRS’ black liquor tax credit that expired in December, NewPage’s underlying EBITDA in 2009 totalled USD 84m, down 86% from USD 584m generated in 2008. Over the same time period, liquidity fell to USD 223m at YE09, down from USD 344m at YE08.

The company will struggle to generate positive EBITDA in 1H10, and with USD 30m of projected capex and USD 180m of interest costs, Newpage could burn through its available funds quite quickly, said the buysiders and analysts. Management did pad its cash pile last week by issuing a USD 70m first lien incremental add-on.

Cerberus has several balance sheet levers it can pull to buy more time. The sponsor has amassed majority positions at the unsecured bottom of NewPage’s capital structure by buying its USD 150m 12% senior sub notes due 2013, and its USD 196m L+700bps senior unsecured PIK notes due 2013. The fund could tender the notes back to the company, and use its own cash augmented by USD 150m of prospective asset sale proceeds to sweeten a de-leveraging exchange of the second lien notes.

However, given the control positions in the seconds accumulated by aggressive hedge funds, any exchange offer that doesn’t involve giving up the equity keys will prove challenging to execute, the buysiders said.

Financial advisors are reaching out to second lien bond holders to open dialogue with management before a steep USD 160m interest tab falls due in 2Q09. However no formal broad organization of the class has taken hold, said a source familiar and a buysider.

NewPage’s USD 804m 10% second lien notes due 2012 traded at 60.5 last week, from 56 on 23 February, according to MarketAxess. Its USD 225m L+625bps second lien notes due 2012 last traded at 55 on 2 March from 59 on 26 January.

The USD 150m 12% senior sub notes due 2013 have been trading in small lots in the mid-30s for the past month. The USD 196m L+700bps senior unsecured PIK notes due 2013 last traded at 15 on 25 November.

Rolling up the paper

If NewPage’s well runs dry, Apollo is in a prime position to benefit from the spoils.

The firms loan- to-own strategy in NewPage puts into play a potential synergistic payoff with its Verso Paper portfolio company, noted one of the person familiar, several buysiders and sellside analysts. Between the two of them, NewPage and Verso control 55% of coated free sheet and 50% of coated ground wood paper production in North America, according to trade service Resource Information Systems Inc (RISI).

Together, Verso and NewPage reported USD 4.7bn of revenue in 2009. Assuming a conservative 4% of revenue synergy rate, a pairing of the two companies could unlock an additional USD 188m of revenue, said two buysiders and one sellside analyst. More important, the ability to control supply would usher in much needed pricing power to the struggling manufacturers, they added.

As for Avenue, an ownership stake in NewPage could further consolidate the ground wood and supercalendered paper grades AbitibiBowater produces. AbitibiBowater controls 15% of coated ground wood paper production in NorthAmerica and is the leading producer of supercalendered paper with 28% market share. Newpage is number two supercalandered producer with a 21% market share, according to RISI.

Granted, any transaction that involves the potential for such massive consolidation will invite heavy scrutiny from antitrust regulators. But the radical repricing afflicting the paper industry will play in Apollo’s and Avenu’s favor.

The possible consolidation of 50% of one paper grade may seem aggressive, but the Department of Justice typically focuses on the pricing impact of a merger over the consolidation of market share, said an antitrust lawyer. “If there is secular decline and there are other technologies coming online that will keep pricing from going through the roof after the merger, that can justify a merger,” the lawyer said.

The DOJ approved the 2007 merger of Abitibi and Bowater, which consolidated 47% of North America’s newsprint capacity. That deal went through with only one mill divestiture required, dropping the combined company’s market share to 45%.

Source www.ft.com

Domtar Corporation (NYSE/TSX: UFS) announced today that Mr. Daniel Buron, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, will be presenting at the Goldman Sachs Montreal Paper and Forest Products Investor Event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. (ET). Financial analysts, media and other interested individuals are invited to listen to the live webcast on the Domtar corporate website at www.domtar.com

The government of Brazil this week released the final retaliation list on U.S. goods in its dispute over U.S. cotton subsidies, and the final list does not include pulp, paper or wood products.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) authorized Brazil to retaliate against the U.S. for non-compliance with its ruling in a dispute on cotton subsidies.  A preliminary retaliation list issued by Brazil’s government last November included several pulp and paper products with a value of about $120 million, which if included on the final list could have been subject to 100 percent tariffs.

“We support free and fair trade and are especially pleased that pulp and paper products were removed from the final retaliation list by the Brazilian government,” said American Forest & Paper (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman.

For More Information:
Carlton Carroll
(202) 463-2587
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The ZELLCHEMING General Meeting and Expo as the leading annual meeting of the pulp and paper industry in Europe takes place from June 29 until July 1, 2010 in the Rhein-Main-Halls in Wiesbaden. Congress und Expo offer a platform for branch experts and specialists of industry, research and development.

The technical lectures at the 105th ZELLCHEMING General Meeting provides an excellent programme for further training, networking and exchange of experiences.

Supporting the General Meeting, the Expo presents machines and accessories for the entire process chain: from product development and production to service and consulting.

In spite of the economic crisis, about 200 exhibitors have already registered for the ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2010. This underlines the importance of the event for the branch even in difficult times. In 2009, ZELLCHEMING-Expo could welcome 278 exhibitors and about 3,000 visitors. The event is organised by the GzF Expo Team.

The ZELLCHEMING General Meeting and Expo establish not only the biggest yearly event for the pulp and paper industry in Europe, but offer also a central and easy-reachable venue with the city of Wiesbaden. You have direct connections by plane and train as well as by car. The event will be accompanied by a comprehensive supporting programme.

More information for the ZELLCHEMING General Meeting and Expo are available on www.zellcheming.com and www.zellcheming-expo.de.

Your contact persons:

ZELLCHEMING
Verein der Zellstoff- und Papier-Chemiker und -Ingenieure e.V
Mrs. Patricia Vorbach
Emilstrasse 21
64293 Darmstadt/Germany
Phone             +49(0)6151-332 64
Fax                  +49(0)6151-31 10 76
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Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Maschinenbaues mbH (GzF)
- Expo Management –
Mrs. Jennifer Höhn
Lyoner Strasse 18
60528 Frankfurt am Main/Germany
Phone             +49(0)69-6603 1982
Fax                  +49(0)69-6603 2284
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Following the rebuild of the wet section of paper machine PM4 at Cartiere Modesto Cardella S.p.A., Italy, by international technology Group ANDRITZ, the PrimeFlow TW two-layer headbox with PrimeProfiler F dilution water control, and the first PrimeForm TW gap former to be supplied by ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER have gone into operation successfully.

The concept ANDRITZ has supplied provides high dewatering performance and production of corrugated base paper grades with a minimum of two-sidedness. Initial results after production start showed a significant improvement in paper formation and strength properties. The paper machine has a design speed of 1,200 m/min and a wire width of 3,180 mm; the corrugated base paper, with a basis weight range of 90 to 170 gsm, is produced from 100% waste paper.

Thanks to the presence of the ANDRITZ experts on site, the rebuild went very smoothly. All systems have been started up successfully and we are very pleased with the components ANDRITZ has supplied', says Modesto Cardella, Managing Director of Cartiere Modesto Cardella.

For further information please contact:
Oliver Pokorny
Group Treasury, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Phone: +43 (316) 6902 1332

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The ANDRITZ GROUP is a globally leading supplier of plants and services for the hydropower, pulp and paper, metals, and other specialized industries (solid/liquid separation, feed and biofuel). The Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of approximately 13,000 employees worldwide. ANDRITZ operates over 120 production sites, service and sales companies all around the world.

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER is a leading global supplier of turnkey systems and services for the production of all types of pulp, paper, tissue paper, board, fiber-board (MDF), nonwovens, as well as of biomass boilers and gasifiers for energy production. The technologies available are employed for the processing of logs and annual fibers, the production of chemical and mechanical pulps as well as recycled paper fibers, recovery and reuse of chemicals, generation of energy from biomass, preparation of paper machine furnish from virgin or recycled fibers, production of paper, tissue paper and board, calendering and coating of paper, and the handling of reject materials and sludges. Services include complete mill maintenance, equipment upgrades and rebuilds, engineered wear products, and spare parts.