Sappi
has temporarily
swtiched from a five- to a four-shift system at its Maastricht mill in the
south of the Netherlands. The move was made on September 1, and as a result 40
temporary positions have been cut.
The
Maastricht mill has a capacity of 280,000 tonnes/yr of coated woodfree (CWF)
paper on one machine. The shift change is due to decreasing demand for paper, a
company spokesperson said, and it will reduce the mill's production by about
60,000 tonnes/yr.
Speculation about Lanaken Mill:
With
rumors of impending capacity reductions by Sappi in Europe swirling, Belgian
newspapers have zeroed in on the fate of the 470,000 tonne/yr Lanaken coated
mechanical paper mill and rumors of its possible closure. Sappi Fine Paper
Europe CEO Berry Wiersum has taken issue with those reports, however.
The
rumors are fuelled by Sappi's recent statements about it preparing to cut some
capacity in Europe. According to the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Sappi
will probably announce news on the restructuring in late September. Rumor has
it there is talk of closing the Lanaken facility, located in the northeast of
Belgium, the paper said. Furthermore, Sappi's decision
last year not to build a combined heat and power plant at the factory has
only intensified the talk.
