OREANDA-NEWS. July 18, 2012. As part of his working visit to Bratsk Sergey V. Eroschenko, Governor of the Irkutsk Oblast, has visited the Bratsk Mill where Ilim Group is implementing its Big Bratsk priority investment project. Paul Herbert, CEO of Ilim Group, reported to the Governor on the progress of the project.

As he toured the Big Bratsk facilities, Mr. Eroschenko commented on the scale and importance of the upgrade both for Bratsk and for the whole Irkutsk Oblast.

Paul Herbert took the Governor to the key areas of the new line, such as woodyard, cooking, bleaching and drying shops. Annual capacity of the new fiberline will amount to 720,000 tons of pulp. The project is nearing completion.

“When preparing and implementing the project, we have always enjoyed an overwhelming support from the government of the Irkutsk Oblast and local authorities”, Paul Herbert said. — We are pleased with how the upgrade is going and believe that the investment decision made 3 years ago has already paid off. When the new line is launched, Ilim Group will have the world's largest softwood pulp mill”.

Mr. Eroschenko also commented that Ilim Group shows an example for other companies to follow. "Ilim Group is a versatile company which pursues not only its business interests but also cares about the local community", the Governor said.