Metso Paper, together with its Chinese joint venture company Valmet-Xian, will supply an on-machine coater to Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Ltd., in Shouguang, eastern coastal province of Shandong. The new line is scheduled to start-up in the beginning of 2005. The value of the order is approx. EUR 15 million.
Metso Paper's delivery consists of a 4-station on-machine coater with air dryers and stock preparation systems. The web width of the board machine will be 5,650 mm and design speed 800 m/min. The main end product will be coated high quality folding boxboards.
Metso Paper units in Järvenpää and Valkeakoski in Finland and joint venture located in Xian, China will participate in the delivery. Valmet-Xian is established in 1989 and it employs about 1,300 people.
From 2000 onwards, Metso has sold around 20 coating stations for the production of coated board and fine paper in China.
Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Ltd. is one of the largest paper companies in China. Its production capacity will be 1.5 million tons of paper and board after this and other ongoing investments. Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Ltd. is listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems, as well as know-how and aftermarket services. The Corporation's core businesses are fiber and paper technology (Metso Paper), rock and mineral processing (Metso Minerals) and automation and control technology (Metso Automation). In 2002, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 4.7 billion and the personnel totaled approximately 28, 500. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.