Metsä Fibre Lays Foundation Stone for Its Kemi Bioproduct Mill in Finland

Preparing the masonry foundation stone for Kemi bioproduct mill in Finland: (l-r) Jari-Pekka Johansson, Project Director of the Kemi bioproduct mill project; Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre; and Mika Vuoti, on-site contact person.

Sept. 14, 2021 - Metsä Fibre said that the Kemi bioproduct mill project in Finland is progressing according to plan and the mill's foundation stone was laid yesterday, September 13. The foundation stone was laid to the area of fibre line of the new mill by Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre, Jari-Pekka Johansson, Project Director of the Kemi bioproduct mill project, and Mika Vuoti, the on-site contact person. To ensure safety in terms of the coronavirus, the foundation stone was laid without the presence of guests.

Totaling EUR 1.6 billion, the investment in Metsä Group's Kemi bioproduct mill is the largest in the history of the Finnish forest industry. Through its direct value chain, the new bioproduct mill will employ around 2,500 people in Finland once it is completed. This translates into some 1,500 more than the employment effect of the current Kemi pulp mill.

The bioproduct mill project has a high degree of Finnish origin, approximately 70 percent.

"The impact of this large-scale industrial investment is significant. The Kemi bioproduct mill will increase Finland's annual exports by around EUR 0.5 billion and its annual positive income effect through the value of the wood raw material and the purchasing of Finnish labour is likewise roughly EUR 0.5 billion," Nousiainen said.

Johansson explained, "We are proceeding purposefully towards the start-up of the new mill in the third quarter of 2023. At the moment, the project is focused on earthworks and this autumn, we will be moving on to the first equipment installations. Some 450 people are currently working on the site."

Operating entirely without fossil fuels, the Kemi bioproduct mill will produce annually some 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp, as well as many other bioproducts. It will also produce 2.0 TWh of renewable energy a year, which is equal to approximately 2.5% of Finland's total annual electricity production.

Metsä Fibre, part of the Metsä Group, is a leading producer of bioproducts and bioenergy. Metsä Fibre produces pulp and other bioproducts at four mills in Finland: Joutseno, Kemi, Rauma and Äänekoski; and also has six sawmills: Kyrö, Lappeenranta, Merikarvia, Renko and Vilppula (in Finland) and in addition, Metsä Svir sawmill in Russia. To learn more, visit: www.metsafibre.com.

SOURCE: Metsä Fibre