Metsä Spring and Valmet Begin Construction of 3D Fibre Product Pilot Plant
The new pilot line will convert wood fibre into ready-to-use 3D products, which, in turn, can replace similar packaging made from plastic and aluminium.
Dec. 10, 2020 - Metsä Spring and Valmet have started construction of a 3D fibre product pilot plant in Äänekoski, Finland. The pilot plant will enable testing and further development of a novel process for producing a new type of packaging solution. The greenfield building will host the pilot line, which converts wood fibre into ready-to-use 3D fibre products, which, in turn, can replace similar packaging solutions made from plastic and aluminium. The goal of the pilot plant project is to develop a new competitive product and the supporting production process and equipment. "Our project is a good example of our role as a pioneering company," said Jarkko Tuominen, Project Lead at Metsä Spring. "We have an ambitious goal to build a significant business based on the top-class know-how of Metsä Group, Valmet and several other companies. We use familiar, sustainably-produced wood fibre as our main raw material and strive to process it into first-class packages while minimising the environmental impact." Metsä Spring noted that the site of the pilot plant is ideal as it includes Metsä Fibre's bioproduct mill, Metsä Board's paperboard mill and Excellence Centre, Metsä Wood's veneer mill, Pro Nemus visitor centre, and Metsä Spring's and Itochu Corporation's demo plant producing textile fibre from wood pulp. Construction of the pilot plant began today and the plant is scheduled to start operations in late 2021. About Metsä SpringMetsä Spring, part of the Metsä Group, invests expertise and financial resources into initiatives with the ambition to reshape the forest-based bioeconomy, aiming to increase the value for Metsä Group’s stakeholders in the long-term. To learn more, visit: www.metsaspring.com. SOURCE: Metsä Spring |