The highly prestigious Marcus Wallenberg Prize, the forest industry's Nobel prize for technological achievement, has once again been awarded to a Finn. The Marcus Wallenberg Prize will be received by Paul Olof Meinander, the President of POM Technology Oy. The prize, which totals some 218,000 euros, was granted for an innovation that reduces water circulation, decreases discharges and saves energy in a paper machine.

With Meinander's innovation, the POM System, a paper machine's wet end can be built much smaller and simpler. Water circulation and, consequently, the amounts of water to be treated can be reduced by as much as 70 to 90 per cent of the present level.

The invention makes the paper-producing process extremely stable, easier to control and cleaner. The driveability of the process, paper quality and process response also improve. Faster changes of paper grades on paper machines bring considerable cost savings and the production capacity can be made more efficient.

The innovation has been described as the first real invention to come for a paper machine for a long time. "A small, clean and convenient system which can remove problems that big machinery causes," says Paul Olof Meinander.

Being used at 25 locations

The innovation has been approved as a realistic option compared with others used up till now, and it is in operation at 25 locations in Europe, Asia and North America. It was first used at Myllykoski's Albbruck mills in Germany.

The award of two million Swedish crowns is given by the independent Marcus Wallenberg Foundation for the promotion of scientific research in the forest industry. This will be the twenty-first Wallenberg Prize, and it will be handed over by King Carl XVI Gustav in Stockholm in the autumn of 2004.

This is the second year in succession that the prize has been won by Finns. Last year it was received by a research group that included Finns Johanna Buchert, Maija Tenkanen and Tapani Vuorinen and the Swede Anita Telman. Recognition was given for an innovation promoting environmental and cost effectiveness in the pulp industry.

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With the POM System the wet end of a paper machine can be built much smaller and simpler, as a result of which water volumes can be reduced considerably.