Mar 10, 2006. /Lesprom Network/. Botnia is investing Euro 45 million in developing the bleaching process and wastewater treatment at its Rauma mill. The mill’s bleaching process will be modified to allow the production of both ECF (elemental chlorine free) and TCF (totally chlorine free) bleached pulps in the future. Work will begin immediately and is due for completion in May 2007. The purpose of the investment is to improve pulp quality characteristics in line with customers’ changing needs. The investment will also improve cost-effectiveness and raise the mill’s production capacity. The advantages of ECF bleaching include higher pulp brightness and better runnability on the paper machine, both of which are important from the point of view of papermaking and the final paper products. The ECF bleaching process is less energy-consuming than the TCF process. Wood consumption per tonne of pulp produced is also smaller than with the TCF process. Greater production efficiency will raise the mill’s production capacity by 10%. The technology behind ECF bleaching has undergone considerable development in recent years. It involves the use of chlorine dioxide alongside oxygen bleaching chemicals. In terms of environmental impact, there is little difference between the ECF and TCF bleaching processes. The forest industry company Oy Metsд-Botnia Ab - marketing name Botnia - was founded in 1973, and it manufactures high quality bleached pulp grades under the name Botnia. Botnia is owned by M-real Oyj, Metsдliitto Osuuskunta, and UPM-Kymmene Oyj.