Rottneros improves environment and energy efficiency at Vallvik mill in Sweden

UPPLANDS VASBY, Sweden, Dec. 17, 2009 (Press Release) - The board of Rottneros has approved an investment to be made in the evaporator facility at Vallvik Mill amounting to SEK 77m. This investment is the first stage of measures to improve the environment and energy efficiency described in Rottneros' prospectus regarding the recent new share issue carried out. The investment is also a part of the increase in capacity planned for the next few years. Installation is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2010 in connection with the annual maintenance stoppage.

"The increased capacity for evaporation means that more of the mill's process water can be evaporated, which in its turn makes it possible to recover and burn the organic material. This increases Vallvik's output of bioenergy," says Ole Terland, President and CEO of Rottneros.

"What's more, by using special equipment, steam from the evaporation is divided into the bio gas that is burned and the water vapour that is condensed into pure water. Both of these are recycled while producing pulp and reduce the need for oil plus the quantity of wastewater. This reduces the impact on the external water environment and the external water treatment facility that is planned can be of a much smaller size and cost less," Terland explains.