Metsä Board launches a development programme for its white-top kraftliner mill in Kemi, Finland enabled by Metsä Fibre's new bioproduct mill investment. The development programme is a significant step towards the company's sustainability targets for 2030. Metsä Board and Metsä Fibre are parts of Metsä Group. Metsä Board owns 24.9% of its associated company Metsä Fibre.
The development programme will increase the mill's annual paperboard capacity by approximately 40,000 tonnes. The programme includes a series of modernisation and bottleneck investments in the paperboard production line, and as part of the programme, Metsä Board will purchase the modernised unbleached pulp production line with an annual capacity of approximately 180,000 tonnes from Metsä Fibre in 2023. The total investment value of the programme is approximately Euro 67 million, divided in 2021–2023, and mainly in 2023.
The development programme will reduce the Kemi paperboard mill’s water consumption by about 40% and energy consumption by about 5% per tonne of paperboard produced. Metsä Board's company-level target is to reduce water consumption by 30% and energy consumption by 10% per tonne of paperboard produced by 2030 compared to 2018.
Metsä Board’s annual net surplus in pulp will increase by approximately 325,000 tonnes in 2023, consisting of Metsä Board's 24.9% share of Metsä Fibre's new bioproduct mill’s capacity increase, the transfer of the unbleached pulp production line to Metsä Board's direct ownership and the impact of the increased paperboard capacity on pulp consumption.
Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards.
