Pre-engineering for a new paperboard mill in Kaskinen

In September 2022, Metsä Board announced it was initiating pre-engineering for the construction of a new folding boxboard mill with an annual capacity of around 800,000 tonnes in the Kaskinen mill area.

The pre-engineering phase encompasses technical design, the design of infrastructure and logistics solutions, and tendering for the main equipment. As part of the pre-engineering, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and necessary permit processes related to the project were initiated.

Metsä Board estimates that any investment decision will be made in 2024 at the earliest.

Aiming for world-class resource efficiency and sustainability

The design of the new paperboard mill is based on fossil free production and world-class resource, production and environmental efficiency
paperboard.

By employing the best available technology, the consumption of raw materials, energy and water per tonne of folding boxboard produced can be significantly reduced compared to current production units.

The product concept will make use of Metsä Board’s long-term development focusing on the production of premium lightweight paperboards.

Information about the EIA procedure

Metsä Board has started an environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure for a paperboard mill it is planning to build in Kaskinen, Finland. Metsä Board's EIA programme was open for public consultation from 12 January to 10 February 2023. The EIA authority gave its statement on the EIA programme on 10 March 2023.

Comments and opinions on Metsä Board's EIA report can be submitted to the South Ostrobothnia Regional Economic, Transport and Environment Centre (ELY Centre) from 25 May to 21 July 2023. The report is available at www.ymparisto.fi/kaskinenkartonkitehdasYVA and at the town halls and libraries of Kaskinen, Närpiö and Kristiinankaupunki.

What is the EIA procedure?

Metsä Board is planning a new paperboard mill in Kaskinen. The process requires an EIA procedure, meaning an assessment of environmental impacts. The EIA procedure aims to reduce or prevent any negative environmental impacts that the project may have. The EIA procedure will not result in decisions concerning the project but will instead produce information to support decision making. Anyone affected by the project can participate in the EIA procedure. The South Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment is the EIA authority for the project.

How will the EIA proceed?

The EIA procedure comprises two stages:

The environmental impact assessment programme is a plan describing the organisation of the EIA procedure and the surveys required for it.

The environmental impact assessment report presents the project’s properties, technical solutions and a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impacts. The assessment report is a description of the environmental impacts of the activities in the project area and the significance of the impacts.

At each stage, statements will be requested from the authorities, and residents and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to express their opinions to the competent authority, which in this case is the South Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.

The EIA procedure concludes when EIA authority provides its statement on the assessment report. The permit authorities and parties responsible for the project use the assessment report and the competent authority’s statement in their decision making.

How can I influence things?

The ELY Centre will make the EIA report prepared by Metsä Board available to the public for 60 days for comments and opinions starting on 25 May. During this period, the assessment report will be available on the internet at www.ymparisto.fi/kaskinenkartonkitehdasYVA and at the following locations:

• Kaskinen Town Hall and City Library
• Närpiö Town Hall and Main Library
• Kristiinankaupunki Town Hall and Library

A public information and discussion meeting on the project will be held on Monday 19 June at 17.00–20.00 at Kaskinen Sports Hall, Sulkukatu 11, Kaskinen. It is also possible to attend the public meeting via a Teams link. The link can be found at http://www.ymparisto.fi/kaskinenkartonkitehdasYVA before the meeting.

Why are the paperboard mill’s environmental impacts being assessed?

The production of paperboard comes under the scope of projects for which an EIA procedure is required under law. As well as this, the mill’s construction requires the industrial site to be levelled so that it blends naturally into the existing mill area. The operations call for an environmental impact assessment and an environmental permit in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act.

Read more about environmental impact assessments on the website of the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.
www.ely-keskus.fi/en/web/ely-en