Andritz to supply gasification plant to Metsä-Botnia’s Joutseno mill in Finland

GRAZ, Austria and HELSINKI, Feb. 21, 2011 (Press Release) - International technology Group ANDRITZ has been selected to provide a gasification plant to Metsä-Botnia's Joutseno mill, Finland. The 48 MW plant will generate green fuel gas from local biomass, thus making the mill independent of fossil fuels. After completion scheduled for September 2012, the mill will solely use renewable fuels as energy sources and fully replace all fossil fuels in the mill's lime kiln during normal operations. ANDRITZ's scope of supply includes engineering, equipment, erection, start-up, and optimization of the entire gasification process.

The gasification plant is based on the Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) technology of ANDRITZ. Upon start-up of the plant, energy generation at the Joutseno mill will become carbon dioxide neutral during its standard production. Special attention has been paid to availability of the mill and environmental factors. The fuel handling system includes an innovative dryer which utilizes the mill's excess heat for bark drying. The gas produced is finally burned in the lime kiln with a burner developed by ANDRITZ