Metsä Board to Upgrade the Folding Boxboard Machine at its Simpele Mill in Finland

The board machine modernization project at Metsä Board's Simpele mill will improve the quality of folding boxboard and increase production efficiency.

April 24, 2024 - Metsä Board announced an investment decision to upgrade the folding boxboard machine at its Simpele mill in Southeast Finland.

The investment value is approximately EUR 60 million, divided over the period 2024-2026.

According to Metsä Board, the machine modernization project will improve the quality of folding boxboard and increase production efficiency.

The investment also will enable the replacement of fossil fuels in paperboard production and supports Metsä Board's target of fossil free production at all its mills by the end of 2030.

"The renewal of the board machine is part of a wider investment program to modernize the Simpele board mill," explained Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board. "This investment will improve the quality of folding boxboard, meeting the strictest requirements, especially in food and pharmaceutical packaging.

"In addition, the investment will improve our cost competitiveness and enable almost entirely fossil free production at Simpele," Joukio added.

The modernization will increase the mill's production capacity by around 10,000 tonnes, which will bring the annual production capacity of Simpele folding boxboard to around 310,000 tonnes. The Simpele mill produces high quality lightweight folding boxboard, mainly for food and pharmaceutical packaging.

The investment will start immediately and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.

In March of this year, Metsä Board announced a major investment program to modernize the Simpele board mill, which will be implemented in phases over the next ten years. The planned investment program includes renewals in the mechanical pulp production, in the finishing area as well as a new power plant. However, the company has not yet taken investment decisions on these.

Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards with a focus on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners.

SOURCE: Metsä Board