Metsä’s new bioproducts mill up and running

A new, next-generation bioproducts mill is up and running in the town of Äänekoski, Finland. The mill, operated by Finnish forestry company Metsä Group, came into operation on schedule on 15 August at 6:00am.

According to a statement from Metsä, pulp deliveries from the mill to customers will begin in early September 2017.

Before the bioproduct mill could be started up, the old pulp mill in Äänekoski had to be shut down. The dismantling of the old facility is currently in progress. Construction of the new mill meanwhile, has been created as planned and within the €1.2 billion budget allocated to it.

Within a year of start-up the mill will achieve its full nominal capacity. It will produce 1.3 million tonnes of pulp per year as well as other bioproducts such as tall oil and turpentine.

New bioproducts that already complement the product concept include product gas from bark, sulphuric acid from the mill’s odorous gases, and biogas and biofuel pellets from sludge.