HELSINK, Finland, Aug. 20, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Metso Panelboard will supply a Medium/High Density Fiberboard (MDF/HDF) production line to Guangxi Sunway Forest Products Industry Co. Ltd. in Guangxi, China. Also the Swedish Swedspan AB has ordered particleboard production equipment from Metso. The total value of the orders is EUR 30 million, and the deliveries will take place during the first half of 2003.
The delivery for Sunway in China will include equipment for wood handling, fiber processing and panel handling as well as an intermediate storage system and an energy plant. Metso Panelboard will also supply process automation for the line. The production line will start up in the end of 2003. When in full operation, the line will produce 700 cubic meters of HDF or 800 cubic meters of MDF a day.
Guangxi Sunway Forest Products Industry Co. Ltd manufactures particleboard, MDF board, floor surface materials and furniture. Metso has previously delivered for the company a particleboard line, a MDF line and a defibrator system.
Metso Panelboard's units in Finland, Germany and Sweden will participate in the project.
Swedspan AB's particleboard factory in Sweden has ordered a dryer and screening equipment as a supplementary order: In May 2002, Swedspan ordered a continuous particleboard line from Metso. Both orders are a part of the renewal of the particleboard production line at Swedspan's Hultsfred plant. The new line will start up in the middle of 2003.
Swedspan AB is a part of Swedwood AB, which is a fully owned subsidiary of IKEA.
Metso Corporation (NYSE:MX) is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems, as well as know-how and aftermarket and 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). Metso Panelboard, which is a part of Metso Ventures business area, supplies complete panelboard production lines. In 2001, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 4.3 billion and the personnel totaled approximately 30,000. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.