Montréal, Canada, January 28, 2003 --- ABB, the power and automation technology group, announced today a US$ 12.5 million ($20 million CAD) contract with Papiers Gaspésia Inc. to supply advanced technologies and solutions for its mill in Chandler, Québec.
"We have a proven ability to deliver on large-scale paper machine projects globally," said Sandy Taylor, head of ABB in Canada’s Automation Technology Products Division. "This is another example of ABB providing unique power and automation solutions to meet the demanding requirements of the pulp and paper market."
ABB, one of the key participants in the project, will supply in the Chandler mill Industrial IT solutions to enhance operations and optimize productivity, including world-class paper machine drive expertise and leading-edge technology for the operation of the thermo mechanical pulping (TMP) plant. ABB’s scope includes:
Power IT high voltage (HV) circuit breaker
Power IT utility tie transformers
Power IT synchronous refiner motors, 25 megawatt (MW), including switchgear and starting equipment
Drive IT paper machine drives and stand-alone drives
Power IT unit substations
Field IT instrumentation
Support IT engineering and training services
The mill is scheduled to be operational by mid-2004.
Spearheaded by a consortium made up of Tembec, the Solidarity Fund QFL and SGF-Rexfor, the project to reopen the mill calls for an investment of about $465 million. This project will see the facility’s conversion into a manufacturer of high-gloss coated paper.
The consortium includes Tembec Inc. and SGF-Rexfor, which both hold 25% equity interests and the Solidarity Fund QFL which holds a 50% interest. SGF-Rexfor, as subsidiary of the Quebec government, implements economic development projects in cooperation with partners and under normal profitability conditions.
The Solidarity Fund QFL, with assets in excess of $4 billion in 2002, is an investment fund that makes use of Quebecers' savings, particularly through its RRSP, to help create and maintain jobs in companies and to contribute to the economic development of Québec. With over 536,000 shareholders, the Fund has helped create, maintain and protect over 97,000 jobs, either on its own or with other financial partners.
Tembec is an integrated Canadian forest products company principally involved in the production of wood products, market pulp and papers. The Company has sales of some $3.5 billion, with close to 50 manufacturing sites in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as in France and the United States.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies enabling utilities and industries to improve performance while minimizing environmental impacts. The ABB Group of companies operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 146,000 employees. ABB in Canada (www.abb.ca) employs 2,300 people in some 30 facilities from coast to coast.
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Contact:
ABB Inc.
Raymond Beaulieu
Tel. 514-856-6224
Email: raymond.a.beaulieu@ca.abb.com
ABB Ltd
John Chapman
Tel. 614-261-2276
Email: john.chapman@us.abb.com