Holmen Interim Report January-March 2021

Mercer International Inc. reported first quarter 2021 Operating EBITDA increased to $82.0 million from $57.0 million in the first quarter of 2020 and from $49.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. In the first quarter of 2021, net income was $5.9 million compared to a net loss of $3.4 million in the first quarter of 2020 and a net loss of $13.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. Mr. David Gandossi, the Chief Executive Officer, stated: “In the first quarter, our mills continued to run well and safely due to our extensive COVID-19 protection measures. Our Friesau sawmill’s strong operating results allowed us to take full advantage of the strong U.S. lumber market.

Stora Enso has signed an agreement to divest its paper production site in Hylte, Sweden and all its related assets to Sweden Timber, a Sweden-based sawmill and planing mill company. The enterprise value is approximately EUR 18 million. The completion of the transaction is expected in the first half of 2023. Concerning the Anjala paper site in Finland, Stora Enso has decided to discontinue the divestment process. The Hylte site transaction, along with the discontinuation of the Anjala divestment, concludes Stora Enso’s plan announced in March 2022 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 for its renewable products in packaging, building solutions and biomaterials innovations. The retained Anjala and Langerbrugge sites will continue paper production and serving their respective customers. The agreement to divest the Hylte paper site to Sweden Timber has no immediate impact on production nor customer deliveries.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. held a ceremony to inaugurate its new commercial-scale plant for the production of cellulose filaments at its Kénogami paper mill in Saguenay, Quebec. Cellulose filaments, also known as nanofibrillated cellulose, are a novel biomaterial derived from wood fiber, which can be used as a natural additive in many products to improve technical performance. Announced in 2020, the construction of the $27 million facility was part of a $38 million investment project in the company's Kénogami mill. Remi G. Lalonde, Resolute's president and chief executive officer, led the inauguration ceremony, also attended by Andrée Laforest, Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, as well as by local officials, dignitaries and Resolute employees.