OREANDA-NEWS. On 24 June 2009 was announced, that presentation of the Polar Bear investment project providing serious reconstruction of Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill took place In Helsinki. The project was presented to Investlesprom, one of the largest timber industry companies of Russia which part the Karelian enterprise is.

At the presentation of the project both Finnish and Russian experts have stated their views. On behalf of the government of Karelia the First Assistant to the Prime Minister of the Government of the RK Anatoly Markov and Minister of Forestry of the RK Vladimir Yuriev welcomed the audience.

In his statement Vladimir Yuriev has noted, that in the republic there operate three pulp-and-paper mills: Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill, Kondopoga Pulp and Paper Mill and Pitkaranta Pulp and Paper Mill which are the basic consumers of coniferous balance, and also a number large woodworking plants constructed during the Soviet time. There are preconditions to increase outpit volumes of available capacities. Considering it, the most actual is creation of conditions for involvement of investments into reconstruction and modernisation of the operating processing enterprises directed on release of high-quality competitive production of high-level processing of wood, meeting requirements of the international market and ecological standards. According to Vladimir Yuriev, the Polar Bear project is one of vivid examples of such productions.

The project is directed on increasing cellulose production capacities up to 800 thousand tons a year and development of production of bleached coniferous and deciduous sulphatic cellulose which requires 4,1 million cubic meters of raw material. Strategy of the project provides use of both internal source of raw materials of Karelia, and import of wood from the neighbouring regions.

Minister of Forestry of the RK has noted, that the Polar Bear project is comprehensively supported by Government of the Republic of Karelia and recognized significant for development of forestry.

According to Vladimir Yuriev, in Helsinki there has been held active discussion on the project realization in which both parties ready to launch it and structures intending to finance the project have taken part.

It is supposed, that in the fall at the Russian-Finnish Forestry Summit the Polar Bear project will be presented to governments of the two countries.