FAQ of Kemi bioproduct mill

What kind of new bioproduct mill are you building to Kemi, Finland?

We are building a modern fossil-free mill, which produces 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and birch pulp annually. The investment is 2.02 billion euros which stands for the largest investment in the Finnish forest industry history. The new mill uses wood 7.6 million cubic metres per year which is 4.5 million m³ more than the current Kemi pulp mill. Our pulp production increases by 0.9 million tonnes in Kemi. The new mill will be started-up according to plan in Q3/2023.

The Kemi bioproduct mill will be the world top regarding to material, environmental and energy efficiency. The mill will not use any fossil fuels at all and its self-sufficiency in electricity is 250%. The economical effects of the new mill are significant, e.g. income effects to Finland will be 0.5 billion euros annually.

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Why is the Kemi mill the one that will be replaced now?

Kemi mill is the oldest of Metsä Fibre’s four mills. Kemi pulp mill has been modernised in phases, and most of the technology dates back to the 1980s. The pulp mill would have required considerable investments over the next decade. The result of the prefeasibility study carried out between 2018–2019 was that there are all the qualifications to build a new bioproduct mill to Kemi. The new modern mill will be significantly larger than the current mill when considering e.g. the production capacity and employment effects in Finland.

The starting point to build the new mill is also globally growing demand of pulp that we want to respond sustainably. When investing we always consider the entire production capacity of Metsä Fibre and investments we make guarantee the forerunner position.

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What is the Äänekoski bioproduct mill?

Äänekoski mill is the first totally new modern and fossil-free mill that has been built according to Metsä Fibre's unique bioproduct mill concept. The mill was started-up according to plan in 2017. Similar to our other mills, the Äänekoski bioproduct mill produces high-quality softwood and birch pulp and also a broad range of other products, such as tall oil, turpentine and bioenergy. In addition, the fossil-free Äänekoski bioproduct mill produces producer gas, sulphuric acid and biogas. Possible new products to be manufactured from pulp or side streams of production include textile fibres and lignin products. There is also a new textile fibre demo plant next to the Äänekoski mill.

The modern Äänekoski bioproduct mill was designed from the very start to enable a wide range of products and further expansion of the bioeconomy system formed by companies that manufacture different bioproducts. Our mill in Äänekoski has been the reference for the plans for the new Kemi bioproduct mill. Read more about Metsä Fibre's unique bioproduct mill concept: www.metsafibre.com/en/about-us/Pages/Bioproduct-mill-concept.aspx.

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What does Metsä Group's current mills in Kemi produce?

Metsä Fibre’s pulp mill in Kemi produces softwood and birch pulp to be used as raw material for high-quality board and soft tissue. The current production capacity of the Kemi pulp mill is approximately 620.000 tonnes per year, and the mill uses over three million cubic metres of wood per year. The mill’s electricity self-sufficiency rate is over 150 per cent, and the mill employs approximately 1.500 people in its direct value chain in Finland.

Metsä Board’s board mill, located in the same mill integrate with the pulp mill, produces fresh fibre kraftliner to be used as raw material for corrugated consumer and storage packaging. The annual board production capacity, 420.000 tonnes, is very competitive. The capacity and product quality have been improved through planned investments.

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How can you procure wood sustainably?

Metsä Fibre procures traceable wood, and the certification rate is high, 85%. We ensure the sustainable management and growth of northern forests and foster nature values. We use raw material, water and energy resource-wisely and produce renewable energy from side streams.

The wood we use comes from areas that are rich in forests and in which forest growth exceeds the volume of use. We know the origin of the wood we procure. Forest certification verified by an external party is a proof of lawful and sustainable use of forests for us and our customers.

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What are the environmental impacts of the new bioproduct mill?

The environmental impacts of the new mill have been assessed as a part of the pre-engineering project. The Regional State Administrative Agency for Northern Finland granted the environmental permit for the new mill on December 2020.

The energy, material and environmental efficiency of the possible bioproduct mill will be among the best in the world. It will enable the integrated production of new bioproducts and resource-efficient use of the side streams. For instance, the production capacity of the new bioproduct mill in Kemi is over double of the old pulp mill. However, it does not exceed the emission limits specified in the environmental permit of the previous mill, and it also meets the requirements of the waste water permit.

The new technology and our skilled professional personnel ensure that the mill operates in the best possible way at all times.

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How many new jobs the new bioproduct mill creates in the value chain?

The new mill will employ approximately 2.500 people in its entire direct value chain in Finland, of which about 1.500 will be totally new jobs. The mill itself employs 250 persons at the mill site and the entire Metsä Group’s Kemi mills’ area employs about 500 people. With the investment to the new mill, these employments are secured for next decades.

The employment impact of the bioproduct mill’s construction phase is approximately 10.000 person-years which of half will be made in Kemi.

With the new mill, an increasingly diverse bioeconomy ecosystem will be developed in the Kemi mill site during next decades. The new mill enables a broader range of products and an expansion of the ecosystem of companies that produce bioproducts.

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What is the value of the increased export?

We estimate that the new mill creates for more than half a billion euros income to export value per year. The income effect of the new Kemi mill will be also about half a billion euros a year. As well as the new mill in Kemi, also Äänekoski bioproduct mill has similar figures.

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