Metsä Group is getting ready to start up its new pulp mill in Kemi and increase kraftliner capacity at the adjacent paper mill by the end of September.
According to the group, the Kemi mill is currently preparing for a "maintenance and connection shutdown." The shutdown will begin on 10 September and the aim is to start up the mills on 20 September 2023.
During the shutdown, the existing 620,000 tpy Kemi pulp mill will be permantently idled. In addition, the kraftliner mill’s new investments will be deployed, and the connections between the new bioproduct mill and the kraftliner mill will be finalised.
The new Kemi bioproduct mill will produce some 1.5 million tpy of softwood and hardwood pulp, increasing Kemi's pulp capacity by almost 900,000 tpy. The facility will also generate 2 TWh of renewable electricity.
"The mill features world-class production, environmental and energy efficiency, and despite the considerable increase in production capacity, the mill’s emissions are lower than the limits specified in the currently valid environmental permit for the existing Kemi pulp mill," Metsä Group explained.
At the Kemi paperboard mill, Metsä can produce 425,000 tpy of white-top kraftliner. Renewal and bottleneck investments have been carried out to increase the annual production capacity of by approximately 40,000 t while reducing the mill’s water consumption by 40 per cent and energy use by 5 per cent per tonne produced.
