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Alliance for water stewardship releases draft for public comment
World’s first International Water Stewardship Standard aims to provide water users with a credible means to evaluate water impact and implement joint solutions across all sectors and regions
The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), a global multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to promoting the responsible use of freshwater globally, today released the first draft of its International Water Stewardship Standard at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France. The AWS Standard, which is now open for public input, aims to support water users in taking appropriate actions to evaluate and improve their impacts on watersheds. It aims to build on other water-related tools, helping users to reduce their water risk and generate social, environmental and economic benefits. The Standard is designed for global application in all relevant sectors.
The draft Standard focuses around four principles: water governance, water balance, water quality, and important water areas. Each principle includes criteria and indicators against which compliance will be measured. The Standard recognizes both performance and process, aiming to both ensure rigour and maximize uptake. The Standard is accompanied with guidance materials for interpretation and, ultimately, a third-party verification system.
Following today’s release, this first draft Standard will be open for a formal 90-day public consultation period during which stakeholders are encouraged to submit feedback through the AWS website. In addition, AWS will use this 90-day period to organize regional and international events to introduce the Standard to stakeholders, ensure understanding of both the process and content, and receive feedback from individuals and institutions. This period may be extended in order to ensure balanced stakeholder input. Feedback via the AWS website and stakeholder events will be passed to the ISDC and will inform subsequent drafts of the Standard. To view the standard and provide a comment between now and June 15, 2012, please visit the AWS website at http://allianceforwaterstewardship.org. A second draft of the Standard, based upon stakeholder feedback, will be released in late 2012 with a final Standard expected in mid-2013.
The Standard is being developed through an ISEAL Alliance standard-setting process that follows the best-practice model for developing social and environmental standards. The standard is the work of a multi-stakeholder committee appointed by AWS to represent the diversity of stakeholder interests from around the world: from industry, public sector and civil society. This committee, the International Standard Development Committee, uses input from stakeholders around the world, including that gathered by AWS regional initiatives.
The water roundtable is central to the work of AWS, whose board organizations are The Nature Conservancy, Water Stewardship Australia, the Pacific Institute, WWF, Water Witness International, the Water Environment Federation, the European Water Partnership, the International Water Management Institute, the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, and the Carbon Disclosure Project.
“CEPI has been an active partner in the development of a globally harmonised understanding of Water Stewardship as a member of the International Standard Development Committee and the European Water Stewardship process. The launch of the draft global standard is an important step for the European paper industry and the start of a stakeholder process defining good water stewardship operations”, said Marco Mensink, CEPI Deputy Director General.
PMT Industries celebrates 50 years of production at its Bolton site
PMT Industries has celebrated 50 years of production of Yankee Dryers at its Bolton site.
The site opened in February 1961 and the official opening was performed by Sir Keith Joseph Bt. M.P. Minister of State, Board of Trade, on 1 December 1961.
Dryers have been produced by associated companies since 1860.
In 1961 when the Bolton site opened four foundries from Bury & Wigan - Walmseys (Bury) Ltd, Walmsleys (Wigan) Ltd, Bentley & Jackson Ltd and Ashworth & Parker Ltd were consolidated on the one site.
The site has had various names including Walmsleys (Bury) Ltd, Beloit Walmsley, Beloit Bolton, and Sandusky Walmsley Limited.
In October 2006 the site closed and 3 months later the Foundry and Yankee Dryer Machining & Assembly facilities were re-opened by PMT Industries.
Retaining the skills and experience of many of the former employees of the previous company, and having purchased the intellectual property rights to all Yankee Dryers produced by the previous site occupants, a new era began in January 2007.
PMT Industries Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of PMT Italia SpA, which is part of the Nugo Group. The group has two main divisions, power generation and paper machinery; PMT Industries being part of the paper machinery division.
As one of only a few foundries in the world with deep pits, the company has the capability to produce very large cast iron components, not only for the paper industry but also for other industries.
It is recognised for its excellence in quality castings.
PMT Yankee, MG and Paper Dryers continue to be designed and manufactured at the 14,000 m factory where state of the art computerised design, engineering, foundry and machining resources combine with traditional skills and craftsmanship in a unique single location.
Around 330 Yankee and MG dryers have been designed and manufactured since 1961 and many hundreds of paper dryers, continually developing the designs and production techniques and building up a vast experience and know-how in this specialised area of papermaking technology.
The castings produced are up to 150 tonnes in weight and some unusual moulding techniques are necessary in order to produce the very large castings.
The foundry has one of the largest melting capacity medium frequency electric furnace installations in Europe. The twin 9 MW inverter powered and computer controlled furnaces melt 38 Tonnes of iron per hour, with each 12 Tonnes charge being melted to 1450° C in just 38 minutes.
NewPage Reports Year-End 2011 Financial Results
NewPage Group Inc. and subsidiaries released today a narrative report describing financial performance for years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010. The narrative report is available on the company's website www.NewPageCorp.com.
About NewPage
NewPage is the leading producer of printing and specialty papers in North America with $3.5 billion in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2011. NewPage is headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, and owns paper mills in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. These mills have a total annual production capacity of approximately 3.5 million tons of paper.
The company's product portfolio is the broadest in North America and includes coated, specialty, supercalendered and uncoated papers. These papers are used in commercial printing to create corporate collateral, magazines, catalogs, books, coupons, inserts and direct mail as well as in specialty paper applications including beverage bottle labels, food and medical packaging, pressure-sensitive labels and release liners. To learn more, visit www.NewPageCorp.com.
SOURCE NewPage Corporation
Boosting Performance for Better Quality, Sustainability and Profitability
NOW is the time to register for the Tissue World Americas Conference next week in Miami Beach! Over 350 conference delegates from 32 countries are already signed up to be part of the Conference Meeting Sessions and an additional 500 Trade Show Visitors are already pre-registered.
To be held under the theme of -
"Boosting Performance for Better Quality, Sustainability and Profitability”
the conference program features nearly 60 speakers and topics which are sure to be of interest to you:
- Senior executives from Kimberly-Clark, Greenpeace, Cascades, SCA, FSC and EcoLogo in a top-level panel discussion on Sustainability in the Tissue Business
- Market Developments and Fiber Supply session looking deeply at Market Developments in North and South America as well as Where the Fiber for Tissue Making Will Come From
- Yankee Dryer Summit, held for the first time in Miami, covering a full day and going into critical technical details on Yankee reliability, efficiency and sustainability
- Technical sessions and workshops featuring world-leading experts giving timely, concise knowledge on key areas such as paper making, energy, converting wrapping, logistics, stock prep and other crucial topics.
And the Best Networking Opportunity available to pick up ideas and solutions to the operational and profitability challenges you face in your plants and your company
Outokumpu - Announcement regarding an agreement
Outokumpu Oyj (business identity code: 0215254-2, “Outokumpu”) has 12 March 2012 received a notification based on Chapter 2, Section 9 of the Finnish Securities Market Act from Kansaneläkelaitos (business identity code: 0246246-0).
Such notification by Kansaneläkelaitos contains the following information:
In connection with the rights offering upon which the Board of Directors of Outokumpu decided on 7 March 2012, Kansaneläkelaitos has on 12 March 2012 entered into the sale and purchase agreements relating to the subscription rights. If such sale and purchase agreements are completed, Kansaneläkelaitos’ holdings in Outokumpu would fall below 5 percent of the shares and voting rights of Outokumpu. Kansaneläkelaitos currently owns 14 652 666 shares in Outokumpu.
The share capital of Outokumpu consists of 183 018 749 shares. Each share carries one vote.
The notification did not contain any other information.
Also following the above
Outokumpu Oyj (business identity code: 0215254-2, “Outokumpu”) has 12 March 2012 received a notification based on Chapter 2, Section 9 of the Finnish Securities Market Act from Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company (business identity code: 0107638-1, “Ilmarinen”).
Such notification by Ilmarinen contains the following information:
Ilmarinen has on 12 March 2012 entered into a sale and purchase agreement pursuant to which the seller sells such amount of the subscriptions rights of Outokumpu received on the basis of the shares of Outokumpu owned by its Eläkevastuurahasto that, on the basis of this sale and purchase agreement and the similar and simultaneous sale and purchase agreement relating to the subscription rights to be entered into with another buyer, it is possible to subscribe for, by using cash received from the sale of the subscription rights and the seller’s cash amount of EUR 20 million, as many new shares of Outokumpu as possible pursuant to the subscription rights received on the basis of the shares of Outokumpu owned by Eläkevastuurahasto. In addition, the seller sells to Ilmarinen and to the above-mentioned other buyer all the subscription rights received on the basis of the shares of Outokumpu owned by its Kansaneläkerahasto.
If such a sale and purchase agreement is completed, Ilmarinen’s holdings in Outokumpu would be between 5.1 and 6.61 percent of the shares and voting rights of Outokumpu (flagging threshold to be exceeded: 1/20).
Ilmarinen’s share of the subscription rights that are to be sold will be confirmed on the trading day which is the day before the last trading day of the subscription rights pursuant to the terms and conditions of the rights offering, i.e., on 26 March 2012.
The share capital of Outokumpu consists of 183 018 749 shares. Each share carries one vote.
ABB wins contract from Shell to build power plant in Iraq
ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won a $60 million contract from Shell Gas Iraq B.V. to build a new power plant in southern Iraq.
The power plant will be operated by the Basrah Gas Company, a joint venture company to be set up as part of the Iraq, South Gas Project, following signature of the main project agreements in November 2011. The project includes the rehabilitation of the existing facilities and addition of new facilities. ABB’s optimized technical solution and ability to execute the project on a tight schedule were both important factors that contributed to its success in winning this order.
“This project will ensure a stable and reliable power supply to support existing and future infrastructure,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. “ABB’s capability to fully execute all aspects of this complex project will help provide the Basrah Gas Company with the electricity it needs to successfully power its complete production process.”
The Khor Al Zubair project is part of an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract to build a power plant with a total capacity of 50 megawatt (MW), which will feed electricity to the facilities of the Basrah Gas Company.
ABB will be responsible for the overall project management, engineering, procurement, construction, supervision, commissioning and start-up services, as well as performance. The plant is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2013.
ABB’s scope of supply for the plant includes process control systems, fire and gas, and emergency shutdown systems, power management systems, step-up and distribution transformers, medium- and low-voltage power equipment, and site utilities such as the diesel generator, flare control and compressed air system. Shell Gas Iraq B.V. is a wholly owned Shell Company participating in the Iraq South Gas project, and will be the Shell shareholder (44%) in the Basrah Gas Company.
The other shareholders in the Basrah Gas Company will be the Iraqi South Gas Company (51%) and Diamond Gas Iraq B.V. a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (5%).
Sonoco Reels Increasing Prices for Plywood Reels
Sonoco is increasing the price of its plywood reels by nine (9) percent as a result of its decision to roll the surcharge for reels into base prices. The increase, which is the direct result of escalating market costs for plywood, is effective immediately.
"Plant closings in late 2011 by a key plywood producer, along with an increase in overall demand for plywood, have significantly driven up prices," said James Harrell, vice president of Sonoco's Industrial Converting Division. "We are seeing plywood costs at levels we haven't seen since the last economic rebound in 2004 and 2005.
"Since implementing the plywood surcharge a year ago, we have worked diligently to maintain stable pricing to our customers. We've now reached a point where base prices must be adjusted to reflect this fundamental shift in plywood input costs."
Sonoco Reels is the most comprehensive provider of reels produced from nailed wood, plywood, polyfiber, molded plastic and steel materials. Reels produced by Sonoco are used by the wire and cable industry to serve the power transmission and distribution; telecommunications; commercial and industrial building; oil and gas; mining and marine industries.
For more information about Sonoco's complete line of reels or to learn more about current pricing, please visit the Company's Web site at http://www.sonoco.com/productsservices/reelsspools.aspx or contact Sonoco Reels at +800/633-3962.
BASF Venture Capital invests $13.5 million in U.S.-based company Allylix
BASF Venture Capital GmbH has invested $13.5 million in Allylix, Inc., a U.S.-based renewable specialty chemicals company. The BASF subsidiary led a $18.2 million financing round , joined by existing investors Tate & Lyle Ventures, Avrio Ventures and Cultivian Ventures.
Allylix has a proprietary technology platform to produce a wide variety of renewable specialty chemicals,such as terpenes and their derivatives, for several industries – including flavor and fragrance, food ingredients and cosmetics. The technology, based on fermentation, allows for the creation of highly pure, renewable compounds that have previously only been available from natural resources in limited quantities.
“Our investment in Allylix could allow us to broaden our use of renewable raw materials for sustainable chemical solutions in the future and leverage our competency in aroma chemicals, nutrition and cosmetic chemicals ,” said Dr. Daniela Proske, Principal at BASF Venture Capital America. “The company has demonstrated the ability to produce high-quality products at scalable commercial quantities and at a lower price point, which is one of several compelling reasons to invest in Allylix.”
Carolyn Fritz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allylix, said: “Our biotechnological and cost-competitive manufacturing process for specialty chemicals, such as aroma chemicals, will address the consumer preference for affordable and naturally derived products . This round of funding will support the development and delivery of new compounds in Allylix’s pipeline, and will allow us to expand the market for our existing products.”
Terpenes and their derivatives are rarely accessible by chemical synthesis and have previously only been available from natural resources in limited amounts. Allylix’s technology platform combines biotechnology with molecular biological methods. P rotected by 57 patents, it allows the company to quickly develop and produce by fermentation high-value specialty chemicals at relatively low investment, and at a lower cost than traditional production methods.
Outotec to acquire all shares in Numcore Ltd, an innovator of 3D-imaging measurement technology
Outotec strengthens its process control technologies by acquiring all shares in Numcore Ltd in Kuopio, Finland. Numcore is a start-up company developing and marketing innovative online process control solutions based on 3D-imaging. With a strong focus on R&D, the company has designed high-tech instruments for process optimization of minerals processing, food as well as pulp and paper industries. The parties have agreed not to disclose the acquisition price.
The acquisition supports Outotec's growth strategy and strengthens Outotec's competitive edge in providing advanced technology solutions. Numcore's technology is already proven in flotation and thickener applications. Furthermore, EIT technology can be utilized in other Outotec's business segments. The acquisition will not have any significant short term impact on Outotec's revenues.
Outotec has a strong position in providing flotation and thickening solutions for the minerals processing industry with over 4,000 installed flotation units and more than 1,400 thickeners in the last 20 years. Numcore's Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) technology can be applied to all new flotation cells and thickeners. It increases metals recovery by optimizing the froth flotation process as well as production efficiency and reliability.
"By combining Numcore's innovative 3D-imaging technology with our leading minerals processing technologies will further strengthen Outotec's position as the forerunner and technology leader and will provide us a significant competitive advantage particularly in flotation and thickening solutions", says Pertti Korhonen, CEO of Outotec.
"For Numcore's development, the equity funding from Finnvera Venture Capital and support from the Tekes Young Innovative Companies programme has been essential. I am happy that Numcore now has the opportunity to utilize resources of Outotec", says Anssi Lehikoinen, CEO of Numcore.
Alfa Laval wins SEK 60 million diesel power order
Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has won an order from Wärtsilä Corporation to supply heat exchangers, boilers and separators for a combined cycle power plant to be built in Central America. The order value is approximately SEK 60 million and delivery is scheduled for 2012.
The Alfa Laval equipment will be installed in a combined cycle power plant. The heat exchangers will be used for engine cooling, the separators for oil treatment and the boiler system for recovering heat from the engines’ exhaust gases to produce steam for the steam turbine.
“This order confirms our strong position within the marine and diesel industry”, says Lars Renström, President and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group. “With our extended offer, thanks to the acquisition of Aalborg Industries last year, we are now able to provide an even stronger product portfolio to these customers.”
Did you know that... Alfa Laval’s equipment is used in about 80 percent of the world’s diesel power plants?
About Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.
The company’s equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.
Alfa Laval’s products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications.
Alfa Laval’s worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to help them stay ahead in the global arena.
Alfa Laval is listed on the Nordic Exchange, Nordic Large Cap, and, in 2011, posted annual sales of about SEK 28.6 billion (approx. 3.2 billion Euros). The company has 16 000 employees.