Andritz to Supply Core Systems for Complete Pulp Mill to Chinese Tiger Group

Graz, Austria, 28 August 2006 -- International Andritz Group received an order from Hunan Tiger Forest & Paper Group Co., Ltd., Changsha, Hunan Province, China to supply the main equipment and technologies for its greenfield pulp mill in Huaihua, Hunan Province. The order value for Andritz is approximately EUR 100 million.

The new mill will produce 400,000 metric tons/year of bleached kraft pulp. The raw material consists of 70% of softwood (masson pine and fir) and 30% of hardwood (alder, poplar, eucalyptus, etc.). Start-up of the mill is scheduled for the first quarter of 2008.

A decisive factor for the Tiger Group to award the order to Andritz was the capability of Andritz to secure all connecting parameters between the process islands based on proprietary Andritz key technologies for the mill and the experience from similar projects in the past.

Andritz's scope of supply comprises the equipment and technologies for wood handling, cooking, washing, screening and bleaching, pulp drying and bale handling, chemical recovery boiler and evaporation, as well as lime kiln and recausticizing. The mill will meet the highest environmental standards and will be extremely energy efficient by maximizing electricity production.