+++ IMPORTANT +++ SCA divests newsprint mill in Aylesford SCA has divested its 50% shareholding in the UK-based newsprint facility Aylesford Newsprint to the private equity company Martland Holdings. Martland Holdings has acquired all of Aylesford Newsprint, which was equally owned by SCA and Mondi. › more

+++ IMPORTANT +++ Holmen: Closing PM 3 at Hallsta mill, Sweden Holmen Paper is starting work aiming to concentrate production at the mill in Hallstavik to two paper machines with strong positions in their respective product segments: MF Magazine and book paper. The result of this is that the mill’s oldest machine, PM 3, is being shut down. › more

Mika Viljanmaa: Awarded the 29th Marcus Wallenberg Prize During a ceremony at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm on 1 October, the Swedish King, His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf awarded the Marcus Wallenberg Prize 2012 to Mika Viljanmaa for his ground-breaking development of metal belt calendering technology resulting in better paper print surfaces with less fibre materials and higher production efficiency. › more

Andritz: Start-up of ninth tissue machine at Hengan Group, China Andritz has successfully completed a total of four tissue machine start-ups planned for this year at Hengan Group, China. The Hengan Group is thus running nine Andritz tissue machines – two of which are fitted with the largest steel yankees in operation worldwide. › more

Port of Brunswick: To triple wood pellet handling capacity to 3 million t/y Strategic investments in Georgia Ports Authority's Brunswick terminals have facilitated explosive growth in both the auto-machinery and biomass fuel cargos at that port, GPA executive director Curtis Foltz told local news. › more

Mondi Group: Completing acquisition of Nordenia International AG Further to the announcement made on 11 July 2012, Mondi Group confirms that all conditions have been satisfied and today it has completed the acquisition of 99.93% of the outstanding share capital of Nordenia International AG (“Nordenia”) from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.1 and minority shareholders for a final cash consideration of EUR 259 million. › more

UPM: Producing first newsprint to carry the EU Ecolabel UPM has positioned itself as the frontrunner in the sustainable transformation of the paper industry by obtaining the first EU Ecolabel for newsprint. UPM News and UPM EcoBasic have obtained the EU Ecolabel after fulfilling strict criteria that include requirements related to energy and chemical use, forest sustainability (origin of wood), and production-related emissions to water and air. › more

Ungricht: Design prototyping with the new laboratory line Up to now, developing a new embossing pattern was a challenging task for many tissue producers, where several risks had to be calculated. Starting with the aesthetic aspects of the new pattern, the acceptance by the end user, the running ability of the roller in the converting machine in respect of vibrations and consumption of the rubber coated counter roller. Now, Ungricht closed the circle with a new laboratory line. › more

Portucel Soporcel Group joined “FSC Friday” In line with its strategy of promoting certified forest management in Portugal, and the adoption of the principles established by the FSC system, in 2007, when it first obtained certification, the Group again joined the “FSC Friday” initiative, held this year for the fifth time on 28 September. › more

BYK Additives & Instruments: Opening up social media channels Dr. Uwe Zakrzewski, managing director Marketing & Sales, gave the starting signal for a target group-specific use of social media: “We are certain that social media represents a useful addition to the classical communication mix. The significant rise in social media needs to be taken into account by our company. Moreover, there is sufficient potential to also offer selected target groups up-to-the-minute information via social media platforms.” › more

Wood costs for the world’s pulp industry continued downward Wood costs for the world’s pulp industry continued downward in the 2Q/12 with the biggest declines in Brazil, Russia, Australia and Europe, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly › more

VTT: Brave visions of a smarter world – watch this video! Can technology help us generate a better world, make our everyday lives easier, and enable sustainable growth? VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, who are constantly thinking about these challenges, now put forward five answers in a new video “True today or true tomorrow?”. › more

UPM: Taking frontrunner steps with global EMAS registration All of UPM’s European pulp and paper mills are now certified in accordance with the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), a voluntary environmental management system. In addition, the Fray Bentos pulp mill in Uruguay is the first non-European mill to be included in the EMAS. Altogether UPM’s corporate registration and the respective environmental statement cover total 21 pulp and paper mills. › more

Tieto: Helping Billerud to integrate former UPM paper machines Billerud, Swedish manufacturer of strong primary fibre-based packaging material, recently acquired two paper machines in Finland from UPM. Tieto helps Billerud to dismount the production systems from UPM and later integrate them into Billerud with Tieto Integrated Paper Solution TIPS. It will also modify the parts that will be shared between the two companies. › more

CEPI: Launch of the good health and safety practice report CEPI and industriAllEurope launched a good practice report on health and safety in the European paper industry. CEPI – the Confederation of European Paper Industries – and industriAllEurope – the European Trade Union Federation – worked jointly on this new report compiling a set of 22 exemplary practices that were collected from members under the auspices of the paper sector social dialogue, funded with the support of the European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. › more

SCA: Again been included in Dow Jones Sustainability Index SCA has once again been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index, which is one the world’s most prestigious sustainability indexes. › more