BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Sales of the Business Area increased to 1,462.2 MEUR, increasing 12.1% compared to 2006 (1,304.2 MEUR). All Divisions of the Business Area showed a satisfactory development of Sales. In line with Sales, EBITA also increased, to 83.5 MEUR (2006: 75.9 MEUR).
The Business Area’s Order Intake amounted to 1,406.4 MEUR in 2007, thus slightly lower compared to 2006 (1,432.4 MEUR).
Global forestry company UPM, the Andritz Group, and Andritz’s associated company Carbona started a joint development project for biomass gasification and synthetic gas purification. Gasification technology is essential to the production of synthetic gas that will feed a Fischer-Tropsch based second-generation biodiesel production facility. Testing is being conducted at the Gas Technology Institute’s pilot laboratory in Chicago in the United States. Pilot testing is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. Andritz has a comprehensive product portfolio for biomass starting from wood handling equipment, dryers, and pellet machines to fluid bed boilers and gasifiers for lime kilns. The recent addition of Carbona’s gasification technology enables the development of future applications to complement the product family.
In June 2007, Andritz acquired a 50% stake in Brazilian Sindus Human Technology, the leading provider of outsourced automation, instrumentation, and electricity maintenance services for the pulp and paper industry in Brazil. Sindus, which has annual Sales of approximately 20 MEUR, specializes in sophisticated analysis systems for the process industry, including outsourcing of human resources to the leading pulp and paper mills in Brazil. (more about Sindus ...)
Metsä-Botnia S.A., Uruguay successfully started up a 1,000,000 t/a bleached kraft pulp mill near Fray Bentos in November. This site is the first to have all major production systems provided by one supplier – Andritz. Andritz supplied proven and best available technology for the woodyard, fiberline, pulp drying/baling plant, and chemical recovery/energy island. In addition, Andritz is providing maintenance services for the mill’s production area through a multi-year contract. (more about Metsä-Botnia ...)
CMPC Celulosa S.A., Chile reached the top of its start-up curve for a new 780,000 t/a bleached eucalyptus chemical pulp line, supplied by Andritz to the Santa Fe mill. Full production – on a 30 days rolling average – was reached in just 171 days, beating the previous world record of 174 days. Andritz supplied the main equipment for the fiberline – from digester to dried pulp bales – as well as the recovery boiler and white liquor plant on an EPC basis.
In 2007, Veracel Celulose S.A., Brazil, set two new world records with its 9.34 m pulp dryer supplied by Andritz in 2005. The machine delivered 3,796 t/d of prime quality bleached eucalyptus pulp; a speed record of 247 m/min was achieved at the cutter/layboy.
The Wood Processing Division and Fiberline Systems Division successfully started up systems for the new eucalyptus fiberline at Suzano Bahia Sul Papel e Celulose S.A.’s Mucuri mill in Brazil. The woodyard systems include three chipping lines and circular stacker reclaimer-type chip storage. The fiberline systems include washing, oxygen delignification, knot separation/screening, and bleaching. The bleaching line includes four of the largest DD washers ever delivered.
In April, the Wood Processing Division started up a debarking and chipping line for Natron-Hayat Maglaj in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In September, the Division started up a two-line debarking and chip screening system with JetScreen™ for Stora Enso Fine Paper in Varkaus, Finland.
Several Divisions of the Pulp and Paper Business Area contributed to the successful start-up of a major new production line for Marusumi Paper in Ohe, Japan. Marusumi is one of Japan’s major newsprint producers. The new line increases the mill’s pulping capacity from 100,000 to 252,000 t/a. The Andritz scope of supply encompassed the fiberline (including a continuous digester with the first TurboFeed® chip delivery system in Japan), a six-effect evaporation plant (the first complete evaporation plant delivered by Andritz to Japan), and a white liquor plant (including a StiroX™ white liquor oxidation system). Andritz delivered the project on an EPC basis. Start-up of the fiberline occurred in mid-May 2007, two weeks ahead of schedule.
In the area of mechanical pulp grades, Estonian Cell AS signed all acceptance certificates and took over the entire BCTMP mill in Kunda, Estonia.
In March 2007, Andritz successfully handed over a 100,000 t/a market pulp mill to Shandong Zhongmao Shenyuan Co. Ltd, China. The fast and successful project execution, installation, and start-up provided the best approach for Shandong Zhongmao Shenyuan Co. Ltd. to use this project in order to produce market pulp, thus entering a new business segment. Andritz supplied its proven P-RC™ APMP technology, which is the best available technology for hardwood mechanical pulping systems, allowing the most economical production of all kinds of hardwood mechanical pulp grades.
Klabin, one of the largest manufacturers of paper, board, and paper products in South America, successfully started up the Andritz CTMP line based on Andritz’s proprietary P-RC™ APMP technology at its Monte Alegre mill. The line is among the first in the world to use eucalyptus as raw material. This order once again underlines Andritz's dominant position in hardwood CTMP production technology.
Stora Enso Kvarnsveden, Sweden made a very fast start-up of its new bleaching plant supplied by Andritz in 2007.
The Paper Machines Division reports a new world speed record for CrescentFormer machines set by PT. Lontar Papyrus, Jambi, Indonesia. The Andritz tissue machine broke the 2004 record set by the same mill. In July 2007, the machine ran at 2,125 m/min for over 54 hours producing 13.5 g/m2 of facial tissue. Procter & Gamble’s new Andritz machine was successfully started up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.