Stora Enso has signed an agreement to divest its Maxau paper production site in Germany, and all related assets to Schwarz Produktion, part of Schwarz Group, one of the top retailers in the world. The enterprise value is approximately EUR 210 million. Closing is expected in the beginning of 2023, at the latest, subject to regulatory approvals. This transaction is part of the earlier announced plan to divest four of Stora Enso’s five paper production sites. In line with its strategy, Stora Enso’s focus is on long-term growth potential for its renewable products in packaging, building solutions and biomaterials innovations. Schwarz Produktion is expected to assume ownership for the Maxau site in the beginning of 2023. Schwarz’s plan is to continue paper production at the site, and the 440 employees belonging to the mill organisation at Maxau will be part of the transaction. Stora Enso will continue to operate the Maxau site and serve its supercalendered paper (SC) customers until the closing of the transaction.

Massimo Reynaudo, President and CEO, comments on the results: "Our Q3 results improved both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, with a significant contribution from the fully ramped-up UPM Paso de los Toros pulp mill. The earnings improvement, albeit good, was lower than earlier expected as the market demand of our products slowed down after the encouraging start of the year. We took measures in several of our businesses to safeguard profitability and we continue to take decisive actions to ensure the competitiveness of our businesses and support our growth ambitions. Our Q3 sales were EUR 2,521 million and our comparable EBIT increased by 32% to EUR 291 million. Our net debt was EUR 2,804 million, 1.59 times EBITDA. Cash funds and unused committed credit facilities totalled at EUR 3.7 billion at the end of the quarter, following the successful issuance of our fourth Green Bond, for EUR 600 million, in August."

Trayforma by Stora Enso is a new wood fibre-based material composition designed for microwavable food tray packaging. The renewable material is free of PET, has a very low share of PP and a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional meal tray products. The material contains up to 95% wood fibres, making it widely recyclable in most existing carton packaging recycling schemes. Microwavable meals are typically packed in fossil-based PET trays as the material is safe for heating. Stora Enso’s Trayforma material replaces fossil-based plastics with renewable, light-weight paperboard that significantly lowers the carbon footprint of each tray. By changing to recyclable, low-carbon trays, brand owners and retailers selling microwave ready-meals can act on circular economy commitments.