Almost 100 members of the Qld print community attended the LIA sponsored Open House at Platypus Graphics, where they saw the company’s new KBA Rapida 106 with coater put through its paces, with the print job in keeping with the evening of beer carton packaging.

Platypus has invested strongly in the last couple of months, with the new Rapida joined by a new Bobst die cutter. The new kit is housed in a dedicated separate building. Some 60 per cent of work at Platypus is now packaging print, with commercial making the other 40 per cent.

Aaron Lusch, sales director at Platypus says, “The new KBA will improve our productivity and complement our existing presses. Due to recent growth we found it necessary to invest in a machine which can assist us with our current work as well as provide potential for future work.”

The event attracted the cream of Brisbane’s print community, with a couple of natural exclusions, and was hosted by Ron Jackson at the LIA.

The new KBA is the first at platypus, and only the second Rapida 106 in the country, the first went into Percival Print & Packaging last month.  Dave Lewis, sheetfed director at KBA Australasia says, “It is very pleasing to see the response to the new KBA Rapida 106 in this country, the press is perfectly suited to the Australian market, and we expect further orders will follow soon.”

Following impressive gains in lumber and plywood prices, Douglas fir log prices delivered to mills in western Oregon and Washington increased from $432/MBF to $528/MBF, up more than 20 percent since the beginning of the year. For May, Southwest Oregon led log price levels, with increases of 10 percent on Douglas fir during the month.

For the first time in several years, the premium for export logs nearly disappeared over the past month. From January to May 2010, the average log length for 2S Douglas fir delivered for domestic use in the Lower Columbia region increased from 33.5 feet to nearly 35 feet. This additional 1.5 foot of average length indicates that sawmills have been challenging exporters for higher quality logs. However, this trend is quickly reversing. Even as dimension and stud lumber prices decline, export demand remains strong for most Doug fir and hem-fir log grades. Over the summer, the export premium spread will widen, making life tougher for mills struggling to stay in the black.

Inland Empire log prices lag behind those West of the Cascade Range. Douglas fir and hem-fir averaged about $360/MBF short-log scale. In comparison to long-log scale, these prices are still 10-13 percent below Westside prices for the month. Post-breakup, prices have generally been higher, though prices in North Idaho have been more conservative than those in the southern counties.

Expect a dramatic reversal to the feverish paced run-up in Northwest log prices since January. Sawmill log prices are tumbling and June purchase orders are off substantially. The uptick was driven by scarcity in the supply chain. Since it has become clear that demand for wood products has not improved, however, lumber and plywood orders and prices have dwindled. Prices for many items have now settled back to first of the year levels. Announcements of major production curtailments around the July 4 holiday have been commonplace.

Source: Forest2Market

Northern Pulp Nova Scotia is creating a new Forest Research Program in the province. Northern Pulp's initiative and $1 million investment over five years will drive research to study the impacts of current forest management practices and help shape and improve forest management strategies in the future.

"As one of Nova Scotia's largest forest products companies, the health and sustainability of the forest ecosystem is extremely important," said Michael McLarty, timberlands manager at Northern Pulp Nova Scotia. "We believe the best way to maintain a healthy forest and ecosystem, while producing forest products to meet society's needs in a safe and economical manner, is to continually gain more knowledge and understanding of the impacts of applied forest management strategies."
The Forest Research Program will be chaired by Dr. Peter Duinker, director and professor, School for Resource and Environmental Studies and associate dean research with Dalhousie University's Faculty of Management.

"I am deeply impressed that a Nova Scotia forest-products company would make such a huge commitment to improving forest-management knowledge through research", said Dr. Duinker. "There is strong potential to match the company's research funds with money from Canada's granting councils, so we are anticipating a vigorous research program on sustainable forest management."

Over the next several months, Dr. Duinker, along with Northern Pulp, will invite members of industry, academia and other stakeholder areas, including government, to join the Forest Research Program Advisory Committee. The next step will be a needs assessment to ensure the research conducted delivers relevant, meaningful and defensible results while maximizing resources.

"For more than 40 years, our team at Northern Pulp has successfully used existing science in managing Nova Scotia forests," said Wayne Gosse, CEO and CFO for Northern Pulp. "We have learned over this time that society's needs and our natural systems are ever-evolving and there is a need for up-to-date in-depth forest research like this Forest Research Program."
Northern Pulp also recently announced its participation in a working demonstration forest. The forest, in the Mooseland area at Otter Ponds in the Halifax region, will promote the philosophy, science, and practice of uneven-aged forest management in the Acadian Forest. It was established by the province, Northern Pulp, and the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association, with help from community and environmental groups.

A new division under the woodlot owners and operators association, the Otter Ponds demonstration forest division, will manage the initiative. The demonstration site will be managed and operated as a working woodlot, producing timber for processing and maintaining a sustainable ecosystem.

This project will test resource management options, and build on best practices. The working forest will also allow for field testing silviculture techniques and restoration practices.

"With time, the Otter Ponds forest will become an 'open air' classroom for anyone interested in learning and sharing ideas about forestry and ecology, on-the-ground and in the woods,." said Jamie Simpson, forestry program co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre.

At the annual shareholder’s meeting, Buckman appointed Otto L. Heissenberger, Jr., a 30- year veteran of the pulp and paper industry, to the board of directors.   Heissenberger retired in 2008 from Voith Paper, Inc. in Appleton, WI where he served as president and CEO of the company’s North American business since 2002.

In 1977, Heissenberger started to work for Sulzer Escher Wyss, later known as Voith Sulzer Papertec, as a design engineer, and progressed to senior vice president, paper machines board and packaging by 1996.  He served as a member of the board of Voith Sulzer Papiermaschinen AG in Austria from 1998 to 2001 with global responsibility for the company’s board and packaging business.  He has also served as a board member for the Syracuse Pulp and Paper Foundation, Syracuse, NY from 1989-2007 and the Association of Suppliers to the Paper Industry from 2004-2007

Heissenberger earned a graduate engineering degree in mechanical engineering from Technical College in Graz, Austria in 1977.  He completed the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development in 1988, and has participated in numerous management and industry seminars throughout his career.

UPM Raflatac has opened two new slitting and distribution terminals, in Istanbul, Turkey and Bangalore, India. The new terminals will supply local labelling markets with high-quality film and paper labelstock.

The Bangalore terminal complements UPM Raflatac’s already substantial Southeast Asian and South Asian logistics network, comprising a labelstock factory in Johor, Malaysia and terminals in Jakarta in Indonesia, Bangkok, Thailand and Mumbai, India.

“India is a promising market for us, having the highest growth percentage for labelstock in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Santosh Kumar, Area Sales Director, South Asia, UPM Raflatac. “Through the new facility, our customers especially in South India will receive their orders faster and have a wider range of products at their disposal.”

The Istanbul terminal answers growing demand for UPM Raflatac label materials in Turkey, and is in line with the company’s strategy of gradually expanding its market share in this rapidly growing region.

“High-quality products, a product range that covers a variety of labelling needs and fast, reliable deliveries are the core of our operation,” says Burak Yildirim, Country Manager for UPM Raflatac in Turkey.

The new terminals are an essential facet in UPM Raflatac’s global development programme. During 2007 to 2010, UPM Raflatac has opened new production facilities in the USA and China, a brand new production and logistics centre in Poland, and a new slitting and distribution terminal in Russia.

For further information please contact:
Mr Burak Yildirim, Country Manager, UPM Raflatac Turkey, tel. +90 530 391 9444
Mr Santosh Kumar, Area Sales Director, UPM Raflatac South Asia, tel. +91 98205 16300

From today I will be travelling to Zellcheming 2010, if you wish to contact me I can be found via the Woollard & Henry stand #905.

Press releases and news items will be posted each night this week only.

Norske Skog has entered into an agreement to sell excess electricity to the Norwegian company Elkem for NOK 800 million. The deal gives Elkem a yearly supply of 1.5 TWh until 31 December, 2020. The power sold is being delivered in southern part of Norway, where Norske Skog does not need it for its own operations.

“The market has shown a considerable interest for this volume of electricity, and we are satisfied with the terms and the constructive dialogue with Statkraft. The divestment is an important part of our work to improve Norske Skog’s financial position” says Sven Ombudstvedt, President and CEO of Norske Skog.

Limited transmission capacity between different market regions prevents Norske Skog from using power delivered in southern Norway for the operations at Skogn in central Norway at acceptable commercial terms. Norske Skog is working to secure a long-term power supply for its operations at Skogn through a new regime guaranteed by the Norwegian state.

The sale of excess power is expected to give a cash payment of around NOK 770 million after transaction costs. It will entail an accounting loss after tax of around NOK 290 million. The final accounting effects of the transaction will be published in the pre quarter release preceding the publishing of Norske Skog’s results for the second quarter of 2010.

Following the transaction, Norske Skog maintains sufficient power supply to meet the needs of its operations in southern Norway (Norske Skog Saugbrugs and Norske Skog Follum) until 31 December, 2020.

Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership has signed a letter of intent with Pacific Carbon Trust for a multi-year deal to sell carbon offsets related to emission reductions at the Northwood pulp mill in Prince George, B.C. The emission reduction project will generate up to 80,000 tonnes in CO2e reductions, announced PCT CEO Scott MacDonald.

"Canfor Pulp has made significant investments over the past two decades to reduce its carbon footprint," said Canfor Pulp president and CEO Joe Nemeth. "Between 1990 and 2010, Canfor Pulp has reduced its carbon emissions by nearly 40%. We are pleased that Pacific Carbon Trust has taken a leadership role in Canada, to provide a vehicle that financially recognizes proactive investments that further reduce carbon emissions."

Located at the Northwood Pulp Mill in Prince George, the aggregated emission-reduction project has three component sub-projects. One is the installation of a side stream scrubber which allows the mill to achieve higher biomass-fuel-burn rates, supporting a reduction in the burning of natural gas.

Also, equipment improvements to the biomass delivery systems will reduce the need to supplement the fuel supply with natural gas, resulting in reduced greenhouse-gas emissions.

In addition, major upgrades to the recovery boiler will increase mill pulp production, improve combustion efficiency, increase internal electricity generation and reduce steam requirements from the mill's power boilers.

Collectively, these improvements will also significantly reduce sulphur and particulate emissions.

Under the agreement, Pacific Carbon Trust will purchase all third-party-verified offsets originating from the project from 2010 to 2012, with future purchases dependent on the parameters of any cap and trade systems developed at the regional or national levels.

To qualify greenhouse gas emission reductions as carbon offsets, project developers must demonstrate financial, technological or other obstacles that are partially or fully overcome by revenues from offset sales.

"The growing demand for carbon offsets is a new and exciting opportunity for the B.C. forest sector," said Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell. "Recognizing the economic and environmental value of this opportunity, Canfor has upgraded its Northwood Pulp Mill with innovative technologies that will help fight climate change and supply the market for forest carbon offsets."

Pacific Carbon Trust is a Crown corporation established in 2008 to deliver B.C.-based greenhouse gas offsets.

A fire occurred during on 16 June Rexcell Tissue & Airlaid's mill in Dals Långed, Sweden. There were no personal injuries. The fire-fighting was completed during Wednesday night.

Rexcell Tissue & Airlaid is a subsidiary of Duni AB. At the unit in Dals Långed, airlaid tissue is produced. The fire started in a production unit producing the basis for production of table-top and hygiene products. A review of the damages and its consequences is taking place at present. The company is insured against possible stoppages in production, it stated in a press release.

source: UBMAsia