ASPO Plc STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE December 1, 2011 at 15.15 ESL Shipping Ltd, part of Aspo Group, has made a new agreement with the Swedish- based SSAB EMEA AB (SSAB) for the marine transport of ingredients on the Baltic Sea. The agreement is valid until the end of March 2014. Both parties will be able to plan and develop their operations through the long-term partnership and commitment. In its steel production, SSAB annually consumes approximately two million tons of pellets, loaded from the port of Luleå. "Extending the long-term cooperation is a prime example of the reliability with which we have also been capable of taking care of shipping in difficult winter conditions. Our fleet, which is being renewed, is particularly designed for taking care of this kind of transport," says Markus Karjalainen, President of ESL Shipping. ESL Shipping transports dry bulk materials, mainly in the Baltic Sea region. In 2010, it handled approximately 13 million tons. The steel industry's share of transports was 70 percent, and the energy industry represented 25 percent. The shipping company's fleet consists of 16 vessels, 12 of which it owns in full. Three are time-chartered and one is partially owned. The total dead weight capasity of the fleet is approximately 210,000 tons. Two supramax vessels have been ordered from Korea, and they will start sailing in the first half of 2012. ASPO Plc Aki Ojanen CEO For more information: Tom Blomberg, Executive Vice President, ESL Shipping Ltd, phone +358 9 5211, +358 40 848 8030 ortom.blomberg@eslshipping.com DISTRIBUTION: NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Key media www.aspo.fi Aspo is a conglomerate that owns and develops business operations in northern Europe and growth markets, focusing on demanding B-to-B customers. Our strong company brands - ESL Shipping, Leipurin, Telko and Kaukomarkkinat - aim to be the market leaders in their sectors. They are responsible for their own operations, and building and developing their own customer relationships. Together they generate Aspo's goodwill. Aspo's Group structure and business operations are continually developed without any predefined schedule. [HUG#1568166]