Pöyry and Metsä Group have signed a frame agreement for technical consulting and engineering services. The frame agreement will enable easy cooperation in small and medium sized operations improvement and engineering assignments and provide Metsä Group access to Pöyry's global service network.

According to the agreement, Pöyry will provide Metsä Group with mill lifecycle services ranging from project development services to daily operational engineering work and document management services.

The new agreement is a further step in the long history of cooperation between Metsä Group and Pöyry, which started already in 1958 with Pöyry's first assignment for the engineering of the Äänekoski pulp mill.

"This agreement further strengthens our co-operation with Metsä Group by bringing value added services for the whole life cycle of a mill", comments Nicholas Oksanen, President, Pulp & Paper.

"From now on Pöyry's project management, technology know-how and engineering services are easily available for the client through our broad international office network", says Stefan Nyström, President, Local Service Network.

"We have a long history with Pöyry, who has provided us wide range of engineering services. As we want to focus on the continuous and efficient development of our mills, we needed a partner who knows our operations and is capable of providing state-of-the-art know-how and services. I look forward to our extended co-operation", says Arto Kankaanpää, Head of Main Category, Mill related Support Services from Metsä Group.

Metsä Group is an international forest industry group present in some 30 countries. Metsä Group combines responsible forest economy and innovative technology to produce high-quality products and solutions from renewable Nordic wood in a sustainable way. The Group's five business areas are Wood Supply, Wood Products, Pulp, Board and Paper, and Tissue and Cooking Papers. Metsä Group's sales total EUR 5.3 billion and it employs 12,500 persons.

PÖYRY PLC

Domtar Corporation has announced an offering of $250 million aggregate principal amount of fixed-rate senior notes. The notes are being offered pursuant to the Company's registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 7, 2012.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund the purchase price of the 10.75% Notes due 2017, 9.5% Notes due 2016, 7.125% Notes due 2015 and 5.375% Notes due 2013 tendered and accepted by the Company for purchase pursuant to its previously announced tender offer and, to the extent there are remaining proceeds, for general corporate purposes.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. are acting as the joint book-running managers of the offering. The proposed offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. The preliminary prospectus may be obtained on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, a copy of the prospectus for the offering can be obtained from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179, telephone at 1-212-834-4533; from Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 100 Plaza One, Jersey City, New Jersey 07311, telephone at 1-800-503-4611; or fromGoldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, NY, 10282, telephone at 1-866-471-2526.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer or sale of the senior notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any jurisdiction. Any offer, solicitation or sale will be made only by means of the prospectus.

SOURCE DOMTAR CORPORATION

OMNOVA Solutions has announced that it has sold its U.K.-based Muraspec commercial wallcovering business to affiliates of a2e Venture Catalysts Limited, and its principal Amin Amiri based in Manchester, United Kingdom.  Muraspec produces and distributes wallcoverings and other interior surfacing products, primarily to commercial markets in the U.K., Europe and the Middle East.

This stock transaction involves the entire Muraspec business including all brands, a plant in Kent, U.K., a design and distribution center outside London, plus sales offices in Paris, Warsaw and Dubai.  Muraspec has approximately $40 million in sales.  OMNOVA operated Muraspec as a stand-alone business. 

"The sale of our European wallcovering business allows us to focus our resources on our global Performance Chemicals business as well as the coated fabrics, laminates and performance films product lines within Decorative Products that offer greater global growth potential," said Kevin McMullen, OMNOVA Solutions' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  "Due to the very different design preferences of countries and cultures throughout the world, the global commercial wallcovering market tends to require a regional focus, which a2e will be in a better position to serve. 

"I want to thank each of our associates in the Muraspec business for their dedication and service to the Company.  Their efforts have built a strong reputation for the Muraspec name and its related brands.  We wish them continued success," McMullen said.

Under key terms of the transaction, OMNOVA will receive approximately US$7.0 million in cash and notes.

This announcement follows the December 2011 sale of certain assets of OMNOVA's North American commercial wallcovering business to J. Josephson.  Going forward, OMNOVA's decorative products portfolio will include coated fabrics, laminates, performance films, digital wall murals and laminated surfaces for the interior construction systems market.

Metso and Fortum Power and Heat have signed a contract regarding a delivery of a bio-oil production plant and a related automation system to the Fortum power plant in Joensuu, Finland. The delivery involves a demonstration plant, in which bio-oil is produced from forest residue and other biomasses. The bio-oil produced in the plant can be used instead of heavy fuel oil, and it may be used as raw material in the chemical industry and biodiesel production in the future.

The nominal output of the plant will be 30 MW oil production and the planned annual production will be 50,000 tons. The annual production will equal to 210 GWh of energy, which corresponds to the yearly heating consumption of more than 10,000 private houses. In its process, the production plant will utilize 225,000 solid cubic meters of forest residue and sawdust a year. The integration of bio-oil production into the power plant process enables the utilization of the side product from the production process in the generation of electricity and district heating. The utilization of bio-oil produced at the Joensuu plant helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 59,000 tons a year.

"Metso actively researches and develops new technologies, which support sustainable development in power generation. Demonstration ventures of this type are important for the commercialization of new products. In this delivery, a bio-oil production plant is integrated profitably to a fluidized bed boiler, in which the uncondensed gases and coke generated in the pyrolysis can be combusted", says Kai Mäenpää, Director, Metso Power business line.

Bio-oil will be produced by means of pyrolysis. In this process, wood-based biomass is quickly heated up to approximately 500°C, a temperature at which the biomass is vaporized to gases, which are condensed to bio-oil when cooled. Metso has developed the pyrolysis technology in collaboration with VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland), Fortum and UPM since 2007. The development work is based on the basic research and patents of VTT.

Metso will deliver the plant to Fortum as a turnkey delivery. The scope includes foundations and building work, necessary production equipment, a Metso DNA automation system, and electrification. This demonstration venture will test and further develop integrated pyrolysis technology and the control solutions of the Metso DNA system, which will be utilized in the pyrolysis processes of larger-scale power plants in the future.

The new bio-oil production plant is scheduled for start-up in the autumn of 2013. The value of the order has not been disclosed, and the order is included in Pulp, Paper and Power's first quarter orders received. 

On February 23, 2012, the Metso-supplied PM 2 containerboard machine at Propapier PM2 GmbH in Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany, set yet another 24-hour world speed record of 1,675 m/min. The PM 2 thus became the first containerboard machine to break the 100 km/h milestone. During the record run, the 10.85-m-wide PM 2 was producing corrugating medium at a basis weight of 80 g/m2 at a total efficiency of 91%.

This is already the third 24-hour world speed record set by Propapier PM 2 in a fairly short time. The first was set on November 25, 2010, when PM 2 set a record of 1,620 m/min at a basis weight of 90 g/m2 becoming the world’s first containerboard machine to exceed the 1,600 m/min speed level and to exceed 1 mpm. A few months later on April 14, 2011, producing corrugating medium at a basis weight of 80 g/m2, a new speed record was set at 1,650 m/min. The PM 2 was started up in March 2010.

“A third world record in a row is truly a great example of results that can be achieved with highly skilled and motivated teams working together, determined to get the most out of modern papermaking technology,” says Jürgen Heindl, CEO of Progroup AG.

The gigantic PM 2 features Metso paper making and automation technology from the stock preparation plant to the OptiConcept paper machine. The design speed of the machine is 1,900 m/min.

Propapier PM2 GmbH is part of Progroup AG, a group of companies offering products and services for the corrugated board-converting industry. The annual tonnage of Progroup AG's two paper mills equals 1 million tonnes of containerboard.

The global AC drive manufacturer Vacon announces the renewal of its entire Vacon NXP premium product range. The update involves improvements to both the air-cooled and liquid-cooled units in the complete power range from 0.55 kW to 5,300 kW. The Vacon NXP will maintain its strong position in Vacon's product portfolio and in the highly competitive AC drives market.

"The Vacon NXP is a high-performance product range, and with this update we have further improved its performance, robustness and reliability," reports Heikki Hiltunen, Executive Vice President. "As a dedicated AC drives company, we are committed to pioneering trends in product design and provide innovative solutions for demanding industry applications and high power ranges." 

"At the end of 2011, we introduced a new compact AC drive product family for OEM customers. With this new Vacon NXP update we are refreshing one of our most popular AC drives range in the premium range. We have done our homework and are focused on providing customers with the drive solutions they are asking for," Hiltunen continues.

One of the most significant improvements concerns the control circuit boards, which have been significantly redesigned and conformally coated. Certain critical components have been replaced in order to increase their temperature sustainability. However, the range of functionality and compatibility of the circuit boards remain unchanged.

Varnished cards and option boards, which are provided as standard in the power modules above 72 A, improve protection against dust and moisture. Performance and durability have also been enhanced via improved cooling channels for optimal cooling and experience-based optimization of protection limits. In the air-cooled Vacon NXP, new fans improve the reliability of the drive, thus ensuring a longer lifetime. Thanks to the new cooling concept, fan efficiency has been improved by more than 50%.

In the liquid-cooled high-power modules, new options, such as an integrated brake chopper, have been implemented to minimize cabinet size and cost.

"The processor in the control card has also been changed, boosting calculation power by 15%. This benefits especially OEM customers who make their own software for applications," says Kurt Hofman, Product Marketing Director, Liquid Cooled Drives.

The Enhanced Vacon NXP range has been tested extensively, and HALT* (Highly Accelerated Life Test) tests have been carried out to assure excellent product performance.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) (formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change), and The Climate Registry (TCR) named International Paper (NYSE: IP) among the winners of the inaugural Climate Leadership Awards. International Paper was recognized for aggressively managing and reducing green house gas (GHG) emissions.

"This award reaffirms our commitment to continuous improvement and reductions in our environmental footprint.  Efforts to improve the environment are most successful when stewardship and business results go hand-in-hand," said Teri Shanahan, International Paper vice president of Sustainability.

During the past decade, International Paper has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels by 40 percent and has committed to reducing another 20 percent by 2020.  "We are also proud of the fact that close to 70 percent of our energy needs are being met with carbon- neutral biofuels," Shanahan added. 

"International Paper and all of our Climate Leadership Award winners demonstrate that organizations who are taking action to mitigate climate change are also operating more efficiently, more innovatively, and more competitively," saidGina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation.

International Paper was one of 20 organizations, and the only forest products company, recognized for its leadership in addressing climate change and reducing carbon pollution. 

"C2ES joins EPA and our partners in congratulating International Paper as an inaugural recipient of the Climate Leadership Awards," said C2ES President Eileen Claussen. "International Paper demonstrates every day that it's possible to manage your carbon footprint without compromising your bottom line. Corporate leadership is essential to meeting our climate and energy challenges. International Paper's accomplishments will inspire other companies to act and contribute to strong, sensible policies benefiting both our economy and our climate."

The awards were presented at the inaugural Climate Leadership Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The conference brought together leaders from business, government and academic institutions who are interested in exchanging best practices on how to address climate change while simultaneously running more competitive and sustainable operations.

More information about the Climate Leadership Awards and award winners can be found at  http://epa.gov/climateleadership/awards/2012winners.html

Bluewater Energy Services in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, has placed an order with Siemens Industry Automation Division for supplying a pump skid that features Brise dissolved gas flotation (DGF) technology. The skid is part of the produced water system on the Glas Dowr, which is a floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO). The FPSO has been relocated to the Kitan field in the Joint Petroleum Development Area, offshore East Timor, Australia.

The Brise DGF pump technology from Siemens has been installed on an existing degassing tank for the upgrade to the produced water treatment plant of the Glas Dowr. The Brise DGF technology helps optimize gas bubble size for the flotation process, which in turn yields improved capacity and efficiencies. It also saves required chemicals and offers end-users maximum flexibility because the bubble sizes can be instantly adjusted to meet requirements.

The DGF technology can be used with new flotation units, existing systems, and as part of an upgrade or retrofit. Siemens has completed more than 200 retrofits/upgrades successfully on a wide range of Siemens equipment as well as that of third parties - equipment such as skimmers, degassers and mechanical flotation tanks. Using the DGF technology results in substantial savings for end-users, due to improved efficiency of existing equipment. Depending on how complex the equipment is, necessary adjustments can be made and recommissioning done within a few days. This makes the Siemens technology a more cost- and time-effective alternative to completely replacing the system with new equipment.

Brise is a trademark of Siemens and/or its affiliates in some countries.

Further information about solutions for water treatment is available at: http://www.siemens.com/water

Domtar Corporation has announced the completion of the acquisition of privately-heldAttends Healthcare Limited ("Attends Europe"), manufacturer and supplier of adult incontinence care products in Europe, from Rutland Partners for €180 million, pursuant to a definitive agreement entered into on January 26, 2012.

Attends Europe sells and markets a complete line of branded and private-label adult incontinence care products distributed through several channels, with sales organizations in nine European countries.  The company has 413 employees and operates a world-class 374,000 square foot (34,000 square meter) manufacturing facility with eight production lines, a research and development center and a distribution center in Aneby, Sweden, along with distribution centers in Scotland and Germany.

About Domtar

Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a wide variety of fiber-based products including communication papers, specialty and packaging papers and adult incontinence products. The foundation of its business is a network of world class wood fiber converting assets that produce papergrade, fluff and specialty pulps. The majority of its pulp production is consumed internally to manufacture paper and consumer products. Domtar is the largest integrated marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America with recognized brands such as Cougar®, Lynx^® Opaque Ultra, Husky^® Opaque Offset, First Choice® and Domtar EarthChoice^®. Domtar is also a leading marketer and producer of a complete line of incontinence care products marketed primarily under the Attends^® brand name. Domtar owns and operates Ariva^TM, an extensive network of strategically located paper and printing supplies distribution facilities. In 2011, Domtar had sales of US$5.6 billion from nearly 50 countries. The Company employs approximately 9,100 people. To learn more, visit www.domtar.com.