Metsä Group’s Kemi mills are getting ready for a maintenance and connection shutdown to prepare for the deployment of the largest ever investment of the forest industry in Finland – the new bioproduct mill and paperboard mill expansion in Kemi.
The shutdown will begin on Sunday, 10 September 2023, and the aim is to start up the mills on 20 September 2023.
During shutdown, odours may occur, and there may be temporary traffic congestion around the mill area, especially at the beginning of the week starting on 11 September. Odours may also occur before the shutdown due to preparations for the bioproduct mill's start-up.
The work carried out prior to start-up will ensure the mills come online smoothly and safely. During the shutdown, the existing pulp mill will be safely shut down, the paperboard mill’s new investments will be deployed, and the connections between the new bioproduct mill and the paperboard mill will be finalised.
The new Kemi bioproduct mill will annually produce some 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp and many other bioproducts, including 2 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity. The mill features world-class production, environmental and energy efficiency, and despite the considerable increase in production capacity, the mill’s emissions are lower than the limits specified in the currently valid environmental permit for the existing Kemi pulp mill.
At the Kemi paperboard mill, renewal and bottleneck investments have been carried out to increase the annual production capacity of white top kraftliner by approximately 40,000 tonnes. The investments will reduce the mill’s water consumption by 40 per cent and energy use by 5 per cent per tonne of paperboard produced.
The investments are a major step towards Metsä Group’s 2030 sustainability targets and will support our customers’ sustainable business.
Metsä Group
www.metsagroup.com
Metsä Group is leading the way in advancing the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, bioproduct development and a fossil free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, as well as tissue and greaseproof papers.
Metsä Group’s annual sales amount to approximately EUR 7 billion, and we have around 9,500 employees in around 30 countries. We promote a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forests: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative which is owned by over 90,000 forest owners.