On the west coast of Finland Kaskinen is home to one of Europe’s largest and most modern bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp mills. The mill is now aiming for fossil free production by the end of 2030, in line with Metsä Group's targets.
"In 2018, the mill's capacity was increased, and since then there have been several smaller investments and improvements made to our processes which has moved the mill forward. Our position at Metsä Board is pivotal, as our pulp is used in the production of folding boxboards. A significant part of our pulp goes to the Husum mill in Sweden, where recent investments have been made to increase production volumes of folding boxboard. Our next goal is to become fossil free, and we are currently considering other investments, for example, replacing the backup boiler with an electric boiler," says Kaisa Sariola, VP Metsä Board Kaskinen mill.
A lot is happening at the mill on many fronts, not only with production developments, but everyday work has also changed.
"Towards the end of last year, we introduced an individual working time model at Kaskinen, which has been very well received by the employees. Most of our employees wanted a 12-hour shift system. In addition, we try to consider different requests and needs, because we want to treat people on an individual level," says Sariola.
Long careers allow for long-term skills development
Long careers are typical in Metsä Group, and the Kaskinen mill is no exception.
"We have a lot of expertise in-house, and there is hardly any turnover of employees. Good and long careers enable the long-term development of skills at the mill," says Sariola.
In addition to the current 80 employees, eight apprentices started at the mill in January.
"Our experienced professionals have seen how the mill works for up to 10-15 years, and all that is involved in its operation. When new and enthusiastic apprentices join the skilled professionals, they have a unique opportunity to learn from the more experienced ones," says Sariola.