Metso to rebuild Sabah pulp mill in Malaysia in Euro 30M project

HELSINKI, June 09, 2008 (Market Wire) - Metso Paper will supply Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), a subsidiary of India's largest paper company Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), a major rebuild of its pulp mill in Sabah, Malaysia. The rebuild project will be started during the second half of 2009. The value of the order is approximately EUR 30 million.

The order includes a new wood handling line, rebuild of the cooking plant and the fiber line and an upgrade of the white liquor plant.

The new wood handling line will include log feeding, debarking, chipper and screen room. The cooking plant will be completely rebuilt. The rebuild of the fiber line includes installation of new wash presses, oxygen reactors, medium concistency pumps and mixers. The upgrade of the white liquor plant will include a rebuild of the recausticizing plant including pressure disc filter technology for white liquor separation and a number of main machinery including slaker and filter as well as an upgrade of the lime kiln.

Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT) is India's largest manufacturer of writing and printing paper and part of the US$ 3 billion Avantha Group, one of India's leading business conglomerates. Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), a subsidiary of BILT, is Malaysia's largest pulp and paper company.

Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2007 net sales of over EUR 6 billion. Its over 27,000 employees in approximately 50 countries serve customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries.