Metsä Group's Kemi Bioproduct Mill Officially Inaugurated

Metsä Group marked the official inauguration of its bioproduct mill in Kemi on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The ceremony was attended by the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, the Chair of Metsäliitto Cooperative's Board of Directors, Jussi Linnaranta, and Metsä Group's President and CEO, Ilkka Hämälä.

The mill represents Metsä Group's largest single investment to date, approximately EUR 2 billion. It is projected to boost Finland's annual export revenues by approximately half a billion euros. The bioproduct mill directly employs around 250 individuals, with a total workforce of approximately 500 at the mill site. The broader value chain, primarily in wood supply, supports around 2,500 jobs.

Metsä Group states the Kemi facility is designed for high environmental efficiency and energy production, operating below the emissions limits of the previous mill while doubling production capacity. The mill generates two terawatt-hours of electricity annually, sufficient for about 100,000 electrically heated detached houses. Metso was the main equipment supplier.

The bioproduct mill is designed to produce 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and birch pulp per year. In addition to pulp, the mill will significantly increase the production of co-products such as tall oil, turpentine, and bioenergy. Other products include product gas, pellets, sulfuric acid, heat, and steam. The new mill began operations in September 2023 but experienced a production interruption in May-June 2024 due to an explosion in its evaporation plant.