Metso to supply fiberline for production of chemical cellulose for Sappi’s Ngodwana mill in South Africa

HELSINKI, Oct. 20, 2011 (Press Release) - Metso will supply a new fiberline for chemical cellulose for Sappi's Ngodwana mill in South Africa. Start-up is scheduled for the first half of 2013. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

Metso's delivery will include the design and supply of the main equipment for the new fiberline, from cooking to bleaching. The batch cooking plant is to be designed according to the prehydrolysis process and TwinRoll wash presses will be used in all washing positions.

The equipment to be supplied, together with Metso's experience and know-how of this type of special pulp, will enable Sappi to produce high-quality chemical cellulose pulp for the growing market.

The new fiberline will produce around 215,000 air dried tonnes chemical cellulose hardwood pulp per year. In addition to the cooking plant and fiberline which will be new, Metso will also supply equipment for the upgrade of wood handling, evaporation and recausticizing as well as a new ash leaching system.

The main part of the order is included in Paper and Fiber Technology's third quarter 2011 orders received and the evaporation and ash leaching equipment delivery in Energy and Environmental Technology's third quarter 2011 orders received.

Sappi is today the world's largest producer of chemical cellulose with a production capacity of approx. 815,000 air dried tonnes per year from the Saiccor mill. The Ngodwana mill located in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa will convert all of its market pulp production to chemical cellulose.