Joint Venture

Stora Enso and Cordenka have signed a joint development agreement to develop precursors for bio-based carbon fiber. The co-development is driven by the need for high performance carbon fiber in transportation, construction and power generation.

Researchers at Saint Mary's University in Halifax are investigating whether Nova Scotia fir and spruce can be converted into pulp for use in medical masks, disposable gowns and even bedpans..

Ahlstrom-Munksjö and Metsä Fibre continue the collaboration by focusing on responsible wood sourcing. As part of a resource-intensive industry Ahlstrom-Munksjö, as a significant wood pulp consumer, and Metsä Fibre, as the world's leading producer of bleached softwood pulp, have a particular responsibility to advance environmental performance and sustainability throughout their operations and supply chains.

Mercer International Inc. reports that its joint venture Cariboo pulp mill in British Columbia, Canada will be taking approximately 4 weeks of downtime starting on or about April 20, 2020, resulting in an approximate reduction of NBSK production of 30,000 tonnes of which Mercer's share is 15,000 tonnes.

West Fraser says it will further reduce its SPF production by 30M to 40M board feet of production per week which represents between 45 and 60% of SPF production.

Huhtamaki has announced a donation of EUR 0.5 million in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' (IFRC) COVID-19 appeal. The funds will be channeled via Finnish Red Cross to go towards boosting emergency relief efforts in Asia and Europe and improving the lives of the world's most vulnerable.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö and Suominen have signed a multi-year commercial agreement that renews and strengthens the existing co-operation at Ahlstrom-Munksjö's Ställdalen plant in Sweden. The agreement secures supplies from Ställdalen to Suominen's customers for several years and will also considerably improve the companies' joint service to the customers.

Huhtamaki has completed the acquisition of full ownership of its joint venture company Laminor S.A. in Brazil. Laminor is specialized in high-quality tube laminates, particularly for oral care applications, and was set up in 2002 as a 50/50 joint venture together with Bemis Company, which is now part of Amcor.

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, is one of the founding members of the recently established European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA).

Under the collaboration agreement signed between Football club HJK and Kotkamills, a manufacturer of fully recyclable food service board, HJK is aiming to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of its matches in the upcoming season.

Reference is made to the stock exchange notice on 14 February 2020 where it was informed that the board of Sniace, Borregaard's partner in Spain, intended to apply for liquidation of the company.

Bast Fibre Technologies Inc. (BFTi) and Georgia-Pacific, through its consumer products business, announced that they have entered into a global licensing agreement for a suite of patents related to the application of intact plant-based bast fibres in a variety of nonwoven products and processes.

Mondi, leading global packaging and paper manufacturer, has partnered with Cartro, a leading provider of corrugated packaging in Mexico, to enter the fresh produce segment with a new avocado box that is sustainable by design.

DS Smith and Keep Scotland Beautiful have teamed up on the Cup Movement® - an initiative designed to offer coffee cup recycling in the Greater Glasgow area.

Performance BioFilaments Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of high performance nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) starting in 2021.

As a result, International Paper's ownership interest in the partnership will decrease to 18.3% from 21.6%.

Kotkamills, a manufacturer of fully recyclable barrier boards, has signed a significant collaboration agreement with Lavazza Professional.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. says it will spend $27 million to add a plant to produce cellulose filaments at its Kenogami paper mill in Quebec.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is participating in a joint project called SEED, led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, in which forest companies are developing new digital solutions together with companies in the ICT industry.

The Lenzing Group and Duratex will build a 500,000 tons dissolving wood pulp plant in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The start-up is planned for the first half of 2022.

Huhtamaki has agreed to acquire full ownership of its joint venture company Laminor S.A. in Brazil. Laminor is specialized in high-quality tube laminates, particularly for oral care applications, and was set up in 2002 as a 50/50 joint venture together with Bemis Company, which is now part of Amcor.

Pinnacle Renewable Energy ("Pinnacle") announced the planned construction of a new industrial wood pellet production facility in the southeast United States in close proximity to Pinnacle's Aliceville, Alabama facility.

Oji Holdings Corporation announces that Oji HD and ISHIZUKA GLASS Co., Ltd. have concluded a basic joint venture agreement on paper container-related business.

Innovation Norway has allocated NOK 17 million for research and development of fiber composites at Norske Skog Saugbrugs and Borregaard.

EcoVadis announces its sustainable procurement partnership with Klabin, Brazil's largest paper and board producer and exporter. Together, the two companies will drive sustainability excellence across the global pulp and paper supply chain through proactive monitoring and assessment of supplier performance and risk.