Metsä Group plans commercial plant for wood-based carbon capture in Rauma
Metsä Group is initiating pre-engineering for a commercial facility to capture wood-based carbon dioxide at its Rauma pulp mill. The plant is planned to have a capacity of approximately 100,000 tonnes annually.
Metsä Group has begun a pre-engineering project for its first commercial plant focused on capturing wood-based carbon dioxide. The company has applied for state investment aid through Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment for clean transition projects to support the plant's financing.
The proposed facility would be located at Metsä Group's pulp mill in Rauma, in southwestern Finland. It is designed with a nominal capacity to capture approximately 100,000 tonnes of wood-based carbon dioxide per year from the mill's flue gases. This initial commercial plant is seen as a precursor to larger-scale operations, as Metsä Group has a long-term potential to capture several million tonnes of wood-based CO2 annually. The captured carbon dioxide is intended for use as a raw material in industries such as chemicals and fuels, thereby replacing fossil-based alternatives.
An environmental permit application for the plant was submitted in December 2025, with a decision expected later this year. The annual use of 100,000 tonnes of wood-based carbon dioxide in the fuel value chain could offset fossil emissions equivalent to those of nearly 30,000 passenger cars annually.
"We are very pleased that the first supply agreements with customers have now been signed," said Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring, Metsä Group's innovation company. He noted that the development of new value chains often requires early-stage public financing. The investment decision for the Rauma facility is contingent on a positive grant decision, environmental permit, completion of the pre-engineering study, and confirmed customer demand, with a decision possible by early 2027.
Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre, stated that capturing wood-based carbon dioxide aligns with Metsä Group's strategy to enhance its fossil-free business and develop competitive new products. The initiative is also expected to improve the competitiveness of the company's pulp production.