The 2008 Wallenberg Prize went to Prof. Bjarne Holmbom and Mr. Christer Eckerman of Finland's AboAkademi University for "breakthrough research and innovation creating large-scale separation, isolation, purification and applications of chemical components in wood." They have determined the fundamental chemistry of spruce tree knots, methods to remove knots from the pulping process and to isolate and purify chemicals from them. One such chemical is hydroxymatairesinol (HMR) which can be used as a human dietary supplement. Removing knots from pulping reduces process disturbances, the consumption of bleaching chemicals and energy, and increases quality consistency. www.mwp.org.

A $120-million pulp mill has been proposed for construction near Gallup,NM.Areport in the Gallup Independent and carried on the TimberBuySell.com web site said it would be the largest wood-processing plant in the Southwest US. It would be built on the old Carbon Coal processing plant in northwest Gallup. Navajo, Zuni and Jacarilla tribes would provide most of the timber. Moneywould come from venture capitalists in the US east.

Mohawk Fine Papers is now an HP Indigo Preferred Partner for HP Indigo presses. Partners, selected by HP on the basis of meeting stringent program criteria, are able to provide tailored substrate solutions for the presses. Mohawk's I-Tone process has helped it to meet the criteria, says the company. www.mohawkpaper.com

According to a report in Weekly News, W0822, from The Paper province in Sweden, Stora Enso is continuing its plans to integrate a pulp and paper mill in the area of Nizhny Novgorod in Russia. A pre-study is to be completed in April 2009. Initial studies started in July 2007. The mill will serve the Russian market using Russian raw materials.

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises will stop operating the corrugating medium machine situated in the Snowflake, AZ, newsprint mill now owned by Catalyst Paper of Vancouver, BC. SSCE operated the machine under a 10-year contract with previous owners, AbitibiBowater. The closure is effective by October 15 for the loss of 100 jobs. www.smurfit-stone.com

Brazil's Suzano Papel e Celulose plans to increase its pulp production volume by about 150% or 4.3 million tons. It will build three 1.3 million-ton lines Ð in the south of Maranh‹o (start-up 2013), in Piaui (2014) and at another site to be announced (2015). As well, a 400,000-ton expansion of the existing lines at Mucuri in Bahia state will bring its total capacity to just over 2.2 million tons/year by 2011. The total cost is put at $US6.6 billion including infrastructure and fiber-supply costs. www.suzano.com.br.

NewPage Corp. said it would close its Kimberly, WI, mill at the end of August. The mill's two operating machines, Nos. 96 and 97, produce about 200,000 tons/year of coated freesheet and 300,000 tons/year of coated groundwood. Falling demand, rising materials and transportation costs are blamed for the decision. As well, the mill must buy pulp on the open market and it is cheaper to continue operations at its integrated mills, says the company. Some 475 jobs will be lost, these in addition to the 125 employees affected by the shut-down of No. 95 machine in May 2008. Earlier this year, NewPage shut its Niagara, WI, LWC groundwood mill paper. The Chillicothe, OH, converting plant will be shut completely in 4Q08. www.NewPageCorp.com.

MeadWestvaco is to sell the MWV Specialty Papers Cedar mill, Potsdam, NY, to Potsdam Specialty Paper Inc. MWV will continue to own and operate itsWillow mill, South Lee, MA. Terms of the sale were not disclosed and closing is expected during 3Q08. PSPI is part of an investment company with offices in New York, Hong Kong and Toronto. Management and staff will remain with the mill. www.meadwestvaco.com.