TissueFirst

In Pannes (France), 78% of the heat produced at the ICT paper mill will be renewable by 2027 thanks to a biomass boiler facility

Against a backdrop of accelerating industrial decarbonization, ICT is reaching a key milestone at its Pannes facility (Loiret) with the launch of construction on its future biomass boiler plant, designed, financed, and operated by ENGIE. This Thursday, July 2, Johan Lemarchand, Managing Director of ICT, and Benoît Martin, Central-Western Director of Local Energy Infrastructures at ENGIE, in the presence of Mohamed Amjahdi, Regional Director of ADEME Centre-Val de Loire, laid the first stone, marking the official start of the construction site.

François HENIN

TURBAIR® vacuum technology for premium tissue machine in the U.S.

Everllence to supply two RC vacuum blowers for an ultra-premium tissue production machine in the United States

François HENIN

Metsä Group and Qutwo take the next step in advancing AI in the forest industry

Metsä Group and Qutwo, a Finnish AI and quantum technology company, are launching a collaboration aimed at deepening the use of artificial intelligence at Metsä and bringing next-generation AI into the core processes of the forest industry. Next-generation AI refers to solutions that can take into account a broader range of variables and simultaneously optimise complex systems.

François HENIN

40°C on-site: When 3D scanning defies extreme conditions!

Even in stifling heat (40°C outside and an overheated production hall inside), scanning doesn't stop. Our teams were recently at the Papeterie Le Bourray mill near Le Mans, France, to scan a machine for MECABRIDE.

François HENIN

Valmet’s new technology introduces a new type of tissue that has fabric-like strength and softness

Valmet launches new Valmet Advantage NTTe technology that enables the production of a completely new type of tissue paper with exceptional softness and a distinctive textured appearance. The technology, introduced for the first time at Valmet’s Tissue Making Days in Karlstad, Sweden on June 24, 2026, offers tissue manufacturers the ability to produce premium tissue paper that has the look and feel of fabric.

François HENIN

Water consumption for cleaning forming fabrics 90% reduced with FabriCare

The IBS Paper Performance Group, technology leader in paper machine optimization, has successfully started up two FabriCare ultra-high-pressure cleaning systems at a customer site in Germany. Thanks to the FabriCare systems, water consumption for cleaning the forming fabrics on a gap former machine was reduced from 330 l/min to just 32 l/min - a significant reduction of more than 90%.

François HENIN

Lisbon to host Tissue World for the first time in 2027

Tissue World, the global tissue industry's premier event, will make its highly anticipated debut in Portugal's vibrant capital from 7-9 April 2027 at Feira Internacional Lisboa.

Stephane RICHARD

Fibre Excellence: the management team withdraws its bid to facilitate a new plan to revive the sites

Another turn of events. Following Matthieu Pigasse’s expression of interest (letter of intent) regarding the takeover of Fibre Excellence, the French producer of market pulp (FE; see our news last 18 June), on 22 June, in a press release, Jean-François Guillot, chairman of FE (photo), announced the withdrawal of the bid he had put forward alongside the management team, in light of “the doubts raised by the Minister for Industry and various stakeholders regarding the governance of the bid.” The Toulouse Commercial Court is due to rule on this case on 6 July.

François HENIN

Tero Kokko to assume the position of President & CEO Voith Paper effective next October 1

Andreas Endters has informed the shareholders and Group management of his decision to leave Voith at the end of the current fiscal year. This request has been accepted. Effective next October 1, 2026, Tero Kokko (photo) will join the Corporate Board of Management of Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA and, as President & CEO of Voith Paper, will assume responsibility for the Group Division.

François HENIN

Fibre Excellence: Matthieu Pigasse is the investor interested in Fibre Excellence

According to the regional and national press (La Marseille, Les Echos, Libération, etc.), the investment banker and media businessman Matthieu Pigasse has submitted the letter of intent with a view to supporting the takeover bid led by the company’s management (see our news dated June 17). Other investors may yet come forward to bolster this bid. In any event, hopes are being revived for a possible takeover of the company, even though many uncertainties remain to be resolved, such as the amount of funding required or the government’s fulfilment of the conditions precedent to the management’s bid (electricity purchase price, timber price, etc.). The hearing at the Toulouse Commercial Court has been postponed until 6 July.

François HENIN

Fibre Excellence: Toulouse Commercial Court postpones hearing to July 6 to solidify takeover plan with “a new, renowned French investor”

The Toulouse Commercial Court has decided to postpone the hearing scheduled today June 17 to July 6. Here is the press release received from Fibre Excellence:

François HENIN

KPMG report: EUR 3.4 billion in value added to Finland – Metsä Group’s impact extends across the domestic economy

Metsä Group’s impact on the Finnish economy is significant: the company’s value-added impact amounts to approximately EUR 3.4 billion per year, and its operations employ more than 30,000 people in Finland. The figures are based on an assessment by KPMG Oy Ab of Metsä’s economic impact in 2023–2025.

François HENIN

Fibre Excellence: Management Team Indicates It Is "Awaiting the State's Response to Its Proposals to Save the French Paper Industry"

Time is running out. When questioned by MPs during this week’s Question Time, the French Minister for Industry, Sébastien Martin, expressed his regret at the absence of “an industrial investor” in the sole bid to take over Fibre Excellence (FE). This bid is being led by the current management team, headed by Jean-François Guillot. In a Press Release received this Friday, June 12, and which we are publishing in full, FE outlines its perspective on the situation. The Toulouse Commercial Court is scheduled to rule on the site's future on June 17.

François HENIN

SCA updates MTN programme and publishes prospectus

Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ) on May 8, 2018 established a Medium Term Note program (MTN) with a loan framework amounting to SEK 8 billion. In connection with the annual update in 2026, SCA’s Board of Directors has resolved to increase the borrowing limit from SEK 8 billion to SEK 12 billion to ensure flexibility and diversification in the financing.

François HENIN

Reduced logging delivers limited climate benefits at high cost

Proposals to reduce forestry activity and increase protected forest areas have become an important part of the European forestry debate. However, according to a new impact assessment, such measures risk leading to lower production, tens of thousands of lost jobs, and higher societal costs – without delivering any climate benefits.

François HENIN

ABTCP 2026 places bioeconomy at the center of the pulp and paper industry’s strategy

ABTCP (Brazilian Pulp and Paper Technical Association) in partnership with IPEF (Institute for ForestResearch and Studies), and TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry), will host ABTCP 2026 – 58th Pulp and Paper International Congress and Exhibition, from October 6 to 8 in São Paulo, at the Transamerica Expo Center.

Stephane RICHARD

Next-generation Valmet DNAe DCS to strengthen gas boiler operations at Lenzing in Austria

Valmet’s long-time customer Lenzing AG, an Austrian global leader in dissolving wood pulp and regenerated cellulose fibers, is upgrading their Lenzing production site by incorporating a complete Valmet DNAe Distributed Control System (DCS) to the 1K6 gas boiler. The new system will replace an obsolete third-party system, enabling state-of-the-art DNAe technology with long-term availability, highest cybersecurity standards, improved reliability, and future-ready platform capabilities. As a mission-critical solution, it ensures continued safe, secure, and high-performance plant operations.

François HENIN

Valmet’s flexible optimization suite accelerates process performance

Valmet introduces the Valmet DNAe Optimization Suite, a scalable software suite of optimization applications designed to improve plant performance and operational efficiency. It can be delivered to process plants using control systems supplied by Valmet as well as those from other providers.

François HENIN

1.44 GWh in energy savings with FabriCare

The IBS Paper Performance Group, technology leader in paper machine optimization, has successfully started up a traversing FabriCare ultra-high-pressure cleaning system on a packaging paper machine. Following a comprehensive audit of the vacuum systems, the existing standard wire suction system was replaced with FabriCare. This measure eliminated the need for a 180 kW vacuum pump entirely, including the associated maintenance and spare part costs. The result: enormous energy savings of 1.44 GWh per year - while maintaining or even improving product quality and a return on investment in just a few months.

François HENIN

Fibre Excellence: Management submits takeover bid with several conditions precedent; a shareholders' agreement must be finalized by June 17

The management of the Fibre Excellence (FE) group submitted a takeover bid to the Toulouse Commercial Court on June 1. The company has been under court-ordered receivership since April 27. "Having received no external offers to date, the company has decided to commit itself both to its employees and to the long-term viability of the wood and paper industry, as well as to ensuring France's sovereignty over a product as essential as pulp. This offer aims to build a sustainable solution for the operations of all its industrial and forestry entities. Convinced of the future of combined pulp and power production in France, management aims to ensure the profitability necessary to preserve the group, which contributes to the local economy, employs nearly 700 people, and generates some 10,000 indirect jobs in the forestry-wood-paper sector,” explains the press release received this afternoon.

François HENIN

Tissue World returns to Istanbul for 2026

Informa has confirmed that Tissue World Istanbul will return for 2026, taking place on 18–19 November at the Istanbul Congress Center, following a well-received edition in 2024.

Stephane RICHARD

Metsä Fibre once again achieves EcoVadis Platinum rating

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has once again been awarded the highest Platinum rating by EcoVadis. The company ranks among the top one percent of companies assessed globally in the pulp, paper and board industry – a position it has held since 2019.

François HENIN

Valmet’s new R&D program Industrial NEXUS advances industrial renewal through an ecosystem focused on digital technologies and operating models

Valmet is launching a research and development program Industrial NEXUS to drive industrial renewal in Finland through digital technologies and further strengthen the appeal of industrial careers together with the program’s ecosystem partners. Business Finland has granted EUR 15 million in funding for the Industrial NEXUS program and is also preparing to fund Valmet’s ecosystem projects with EUR 40 million. Valmet will invest EUR 55 million in the program over the next five years. Through this investment, the company advances its technology vision and drives growth. The estimated global export potential of the program is EUR 6.5 billion by 2035.

François HENIN

Georgia‑Pacific announces plans to expand premium tissue capacity

To better meet growing customer and consumer demand for premium bath tissue and paper towels, Georgia-Pacific today announced that it has begun final engineering and planning for additional structured paper machines and associated converting equipment. The company expects to shorten project schedules and optimize capital deployment by leveraging existing site infrastructure and is evaluating its facilities in the central and western portions of the U.S. Site selections will be announced at a later date.

Stephane RICHARD