Bioproduct mill project
Metsä Fibre, a part of Metsä Group, has started pre-engineering project to build a new bioproduct mill in Kemi, Finland. If implemented, at EUR 1.5 billion, this will be the largest investment in the history of Finland’s forest industry. The Kemi bioproduct mill would directly employ approximately 250 people and, in its entire direct value chain, roughly 2,500 people in total. There is an increase of 1,500 people compared to the current situation. The employment impact in the construction phase would be almost 10,000 person-years of which over half in Kemi.
The Kemi bioproduct mill would produce some 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp a year as well as numerous other bioproducts. The annual pulpwood consumption of the new Kemi bioproduct mill would be approximately 7.6 million cubic meters. The aim is to source the pulpwood for the mill from Finland. The bioproduct mill would be the world top regarding to productional, environmental and energy efficiency. The mill would not use any fossil fuels at all and its self-sufficiency in electricity is 250%.
The pre-engineering project includes pre-engineering, environmental impact assessment (EIA), environmental permit process and for example the equipment contracts. The Lapland ELY Centre issued its reasoned conclusion on the EIA report of Metsä Fibre’s Kemi bioproduct mill, thereby concluding the environmental impact assessment. Main equipment negotiations and the development of the logistics required for the new mill are also in progress, in addition to preliminary work for the construction phase, the environmental permit application process and the financing negotiations.
The pre-engineering project concerning the Kemi bioproduct mill continues, and the readiness to make the investment decision on this roughly EUR 1.5 billion mill is expected to be reached in the autumn of 2020.