Rami Karhu to lead Metsä Spring's Kuura textile fibre plant concept design

Metsä Group's innovation company Metsä Spring has appointed M.Sc. (Eng) Rami Karhu as its first Manager, Plant Engineering. Karhu began his role at Metsä Spring's Kuura demo plant in Äänekoski on August 7, where he will lead the team developing plans for scaling the facility to full industrial production.

The resulting proposal for a production concept will form a central part of Metsä Group's future assessment of Kuura's potential to become a new, fully operating business within the group. Karhu brings extensive experience in chemical engineering and process design, having previously held positions at market-leading companies such as CP Kelco and engineering firm Elomatic.

In recent years, Karhu served as lead project manager at Nouryon's Äänekoski carboxymethyl cellulose plant, responsible for taking new development projects from ideation to full production. Metsä Spring CEO Niklas von Weymarn stated that Karhu's background with cellulose and pulp, and his expertise in bringing new ideas to industrial production, was precisely what the company sought.

Metsä Group's Kuura textile fibre project has been active since 2014 and is currently in the demo phase. The company is exploring ways to utilize Nordic wood to replace fossil-based materials.