• Sales amounted to 1,285.6 million euros (MEUR) and were thus lower than the reference figure for the previous year (-8.5% versus Q1 2015: 1,404.3 MEUR). All business areas recorded a decline in sales.
• Order intake, at 1,247.4 MEUR, reached a satisfactory level, however, it was 12.8% below the reference figure of the previous year (Q1 2015: 1,430.6 MEUR). While the PULP & PAPER business area in particular and also SEPARATION were able to increase order intake compared to Q1 2015, HYDRO and METALS saw a significant decline in order intake.
• Order backlog as of March 31, 2016 amounted to 7,147.6 MEUR, thus decreasing slightly compared to the end of last year (December 31, 2015: 7,324.2 MEUR).
• Despite the decline in sales, EBITA increased to 83.9 MEUR (Q1 2015: 73.4 MEUR). This is due to the very positive development in the PULP & PAPER and HYDRO business areas. Thus, profitability of the Group (EBITA margin) increased to 6.5% (Q1 2015: 5.2%).
• Net income without non-controlling interests increased to 52.5 MEUR (Q1 2015: 44.0 MEUR).

The situation on the markets served by ANDRITZ basically has not changed compared to 2015. While unchanged good project and investment activity prevails in the PULP & PAPER business area, several projects in HYDRO and METALS have been stopped temporarily or delayed due to uncertain demand. Based on the business results achieved in the first quarter of 2016, ANDRITZ expects Group sales for 2016 to decrease slightly compared to 2015. At the same time, however, profitability is expected to remain at a solid level.

More specifically, Valmet will gain a clear and in-depth insight of the issues the pulp and paper industry is facing, with the opportunity to be part of CEPI’s activities with its stakeholders. CEPI will gain knowledge and expertise, building on its ever-strong eco-system around industry suppliers with the ultimate goal of strenghtening its innovation agenda. “Valmet and CEPI have a lot to gain from this partnership. It is a priviledge to collaborate with such a highly-valued industry supplier and we are very excited to see where this partnership will lead us”, says Marco Mensink, CEPI’s Director General.

Valmet Corporation is the leading global developer and supplier of technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. Valmet’s services cover everything from maintenance outsourcing to mill and plant improvements and spare parts. Their strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bio-energy production.

This is the second new partnership for CEPI in 2015, with Pöyry having joined the programme in March. The partnership programme, launched in 2011, currently includes Buckman, Pöyry, Omya, Valmet and Voith. It is open to machine and chemical suppliers active in the pulp, paper or board industry with a direct link to paper manufacturing.

The value of the order is not disclosed. Part of this order is included in Metso’s first-quarter 2015 orders received and divided bookings will follow during the remaining three quarters in 2015. Metso’s deliveries will take place during 2015, and the consumer board machine is scheduled to be operational at the beginning of 2016.

The valve delivery contains Metso’s Neles® ball valves, V-port segment valves and triple eccentric Neldisc® butterfly valves for on-off and control applications. The control valves are equipped with Neles® ND9000 series intelligent valve controllers, which have the capability for advanced performance follow-up. They also enable predictive maintenance planning activities.

“We are pleased that Stora Enso continues to count on our expertise and that our valve offering met their needs for the new mill. Our strengths are in understanding the mill processes and providing the best valve solutions. Reliable valves are crucial in maximizing pulp and paper process availability and increasing efficiency. Our strong valve services expertise will allow us to provide the needed predictive and preventative maintenance activities that our customers need and deserve,” states Hangpheng Tan, Vice President, Sales and Service, Flow Control, China.

Metso and Stora Enso have a long-term relationship. Metso’s valve solutions are contributing to Stora Enso’s process efficiency at several plants globally. In China, Metso has a remarkable installed base of valve technology in the pulp and paper industry, and the company serves all major pulp and paper companies in the country.

Metso has a long track record of delivering engineered performance and reliability to the pulp and paper industry. Metso is the market leader in control and on-off valves for pulp and paper customers globally – about 75% of the world’s pulp flows through Metso’s valves. Many of the pulp and paper industry-specific valve innovations come from Metso. They include the capping valve for batch cooking, high-consistency valve for bleaching, NelesACE(TM) valve for basis weight control, ceramic ball valve for erosive applications. Additionally, Metso is one of the leading suppliers of intelligent valve controllers.

Metso has strong pulp and paper industry expertise in valve solutions, and its comprehensive value-added services improve customers’ process efficiency. Metso’s flow control offering and services for the pulp and paper industry focus on three main areas: solving technical and process issues, improving business performance, and managing a business area. Today, Metso has more than 40 valve and field device service centers worldwide.

Metso’s valve technology centers and valve production facilities are located in Finland, the United States, Germany, China, South Korea, India and Brazil.