METSO TO SUPPLY APPROX. EUR 110 MILLION PAPER MACHINE TO PAPIERFABRIK PALM

Metso Paper has received an approx. EUR 110 million order from Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. in Germany for the main equipment of a papermaking line. The line will be the core of a new greenfield mill to be built at Wörth, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. The new line will include the world's largest paper machine. Start-up is scheduled for early October 2002.

The Metso Paper delivery will consist of complete recycled fiber lines and stock preparation systems, the paper machine, two winders, and roll handling systems. The complete, 2000 tons per day recycled fiber process lines include pulping, detrashing, cleaning, screening, fractionation, thickening, dispersion, post-refining and all related engineering services.

With a wire width of 11.0 meters (433 in.) and a design speed of 1800 m/min (5,906 fpm), the paper machine will have an annual capacity of approximately 600,000 tons of liner and corrugating medium grades in a basis weight range of 60 to 150 g/m2.

Metso Drives, part of Metso Engineering, will supply all mechanical drives for the paper machine.

Papierfabrik Palm is one of Europe's most experienced users of recycled fiber, having utilized it since 1872, when the company was established. The Palm Group consists of three paper mills and several converting and box plants. Prior to this project, the Group's annual capacity was 750,000 tons of paper and more than 600 million m2 of corrugated board. In 2000 the Group had net sales of DEM 1 billion and employed approx. 2,400 people.

Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems. Corporation's fiber and paper technology business area, Metso Paper, is the world's leading supplier of technology, systems and equipment for the pulp, paper, converting and panelboard industries. Metso's other core businesses are divided between Metso Minerals (rock and mineral processing) and Metso Automation (automation and control technology). In 1999, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 3.4 billion, and the personnel totaled approximately 23,000. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.