KONECRANES TO DELIVER TRAIN LOADING SYSTEM TO METSÄ GROUP BIOPRODUCT MILL IN FINLAND

Konecranes recently received an order for a train loading system for Metsä Group's bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Finland. The automatic train loading system comprises two cranes that will be used for loading pulp units on railway wagons. The system will be delivered to the bioproduct mill in 2017.

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, is building the bioproduct mill in the existing mill area in Äänekoski. It will be the world’s first next-generation bioproduct mill that can convert wood raw material into a diverse range of bioproducts. In addition to high-quality pulp, the mill will produce bio-energy and various bio-materials in a resource-efficient way.

“We are very proud to deliver lifting equipment to this state-of-the-art bioproduct mill,” says Hannu Piispanen, Industry Specialist, Pulp and Paper, Konecranes. “The ordered train loading system is of a new innovative application design, which is able to move 1,100 tons of pulp per hour onto the railway wagon. It offers a fast, clean and energy-efficient train turnaround. We trust this installation will raise a lot of interest in the pulp industry globally.”

The two cranes will be fully automated when filling the 1,400-ton buffer storage twice a day and when feeding the trains. Both cranes have driver cabins with operator interface for surveillance. It will also be possible to drive the cranes manually, assisted by Konecranes smart features for positioning and safety. In addition, the crane system has an interface for personnel access control to prevent anybody entering the working area when cranes are on automatic mode.

Furthermore, the cranes will include Konecranes TRUCONNECT® remote service, providing 24/7 access to a global network of support centers, offering expertise to help solve possible problems and reduce downtime. The cranes will have a span of 18 meters and a total lifting capacity of 32 tons payload

In addition to the recently ordered train loading system, Konecranes will also deliver five industrial cranes to the same Metsä Group project in Äänekoski, Finland. These were ordered in June 2015 and will be used in the production line, drier, power station and debarking.


Further information:
Press
Hannu Piispanen, Industry Specialist, Pulp and Paper, Konecranes
Email: Hannu.piispanen@konecranes.com or phone: +358 20 427 2214

Investors and analysts
Miikka Kinnunen, Director, Investor relations, Konecranes
E-mail: Miikka.kinnunen@konecranes.com or phone +358 20 427 2050

This press release, and a downloadable photo, is available on our website www.konecranes.com.

For more interesting stories about Konecranes, please visit wayup.konecranes.com.

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity-enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment and machine tools of all makes. In 2014, Group sales totaled EUR 2,011 million. The Group has 12,000 employees at 600 locations in 48 countries. Konecranes is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR1V).