Scandinavian NGOs are requesting information on Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish pulp and paper-related firms' activities in the South. Such assistance can be very valuable for all, given that it may result in a collaborative relationship to support local struggles in the South. Many of these companies are crucial actors in pulp and paper projects, many of which are being resisted by local peoples. For example, the Norwegian multinational company Kvaerner Pulp & Paper is one of the major actors profitting from large pulp and paper projects in the South, by selling equipment to projects such as the following:
- PT Tel, Indah Kiat and Riau Andalan in Sumatra (Kvaerner is also trying to get a contract with Borneo Pulp & Paper in Sarawak)
- Arauco Constitucion in Chile (Kvaerner has won the contract for an evaporation upgrade)
- Alto Parana S.A. in Argentina (Kvaerner has won the contract for upgrade of the pulp mill at Puerto Esperanza).
- PT Kiani Kertas in Tanjung Redeb in East Kalimantan, Indonesia (Kvaerner delivers the bleaching chemical plant).
- Advance Agro in Prachinburi, Thailand (Kvaerner has delivered many different kinds of equipment; fibre line, recovery system, etc.).
- Klabin Fabricadora de Papel e Celulose in Brasil (Kvaerner has delivered different equipment; bleaching-system and other things).
- Compania Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones in Laja, Chile (Kvaerner has delivered recovery system).
- Cenibra in Brasil (Kvaerner has delivered a new fibre line).
- V.P.C. Votorantim in Jacarai, Brasil (Kvaerner has delivered a bleaching system).
- La Cellulose du Maroc in Morocco (Kvaerner has delivered new digester and modernisation of fibre line)
- Dong Hae in South Korea (Kvaerner has delivered boiling system and other systems)
- Usutu Pulp in Swaziland (Kvaerner has delivered different equipment)
- Sappi Saicor in South Africa.
Information requested includes:
1) Conflicts with local population on land issues because of plantations/plants, forced relocation, lack of compensation, court cases, etc.
2) Environmental problems; such as deforestation of natural forest, pollution from the plants/factories, etc.
3) Background information about the projects, especially how big their plantations are.
If you have any information to share on the above, please contact Harald Eraker, NorWatch-FIOH,
Regarding Swedish and Finnish companies, the following are of particular interest:
* AssiDoman
* STORA-Enso (has operations in Vera Cruz, Brazil)
* SCA Forest and Timber AB
* Korsnas AB
* MoDo
* Sodra
* Valmet in Karlstad AB (subsidiary of Finnish Valmet)
* Sunds Defibrator (owned by Finnish Rauma)
* ABB Ventilation Produkts (ABB Flakt)
* Alfa Laval Celleco
* Cellmark
Any information on these companies involvement in "controversial" operations is welcome . Sunds Defibrator, for instance, is heavily involved in South East Asia, for example in the construction of Riau Andalan in Indonesia and the Advance Agro Public CO Ltd pulp mill in Thailand.
