Sustainability and proactive environmental work are an integral part of daily operations at the Kemi bioproduct mill. Our mill’s operations are governed by an environmental permit overseen by the environmental authorities. We monitor, measure and report the emissions and impacts of the mill on a broad scale. In addition, the environmental authorities perform yearly inspections at the mill. Although its production capacity is nearly triple that of the previous pulp mill at Kemi, it will be below the emission limits of the environmental permit for the old pulp mill in Kemi.
Each one of our employees has an important role in proactive work. We focus on the consistent availability of our mill, and perform continuous and active monitoring, observation and reporting on the environmental performance of the mill. We react immediately to any deviations, investigating their causes and defining corrective measures. Proactive work covers active environmental observations, info sessions on environmental topics, risk assessments and environmental investigations. In addition, the personnel participates in regular training concerning the environment and sustainability.
We also perform maintenance, investments and development projects that support our sustainable development goals and the mill’s environmental performance. We use the best available techniques (BAT) at our mills.
Superior environmental efficiency
Our unique bioproduct mill concept significantly reduces the environmental impact of pulp mills. Energy efficiency, low water consumption, and minimised emissions were key criteria when choosing equipment for the Kemi bioproduct mill.
The mill’s state-of-the-art closed chemical cycle allows water and chemicals to be efficiently recycled and reused. This considerably reduces the mill’s purchases of chemicals and the need to transport them by rail and road, leading to lower logistics emissions.
Thanks to its closed cooling water cycle, the mill’s water consumption is very low. The cooling water towers minimise water intake and thermal stress on waterbodies. They ensure the mill does not affect ice conditions off the coast of Kemi, which is a popular recreational area.
Wood consumption
The wood consumption of the Kemi bioproduct mill is approximately 7.6 million m3 per year. We use pine, spruce and birch pulpwood from sustainably managed forests, as well as sawmill chips as raw materials. The wood we use is obtained mainly from Finland, and 95% comes from certified forests. We always know the origin of the wood we use. Forests are always regenerated after felling, and Metsä Group uses domestic tree species and seedlings in forest regeneration. We work to protect the diversity of forest nature in many ways.
Impact on waterways
We monitor and measure actively load of the water, such as chemical and biological oxygen demand, and phosphorus and nitrogen load. Our mill uses an efficient, multiphase biological wastewater treatment plant that purifies the wastewater produced by the mill. The sludges from the wastewater treatment plant are directed to the mill’s biogas plant, where they are refined into biopellets and biogas.
We conduct long-term work to decrease the use of process water, and we have mapped new sites to increase the efficiency of water use in our process. With these measures, we will implement Metsä Group's sustainable development goal to reduce the use of process water by 35 percent per product tonne in 2018–2030. We can thus also minimise the nutrient load on waterways.
Promoting biodiversity and regenerative forestry
Pilot project to boost biodiversity in an industrial environment. Over 12 hectares of meadows and sunlit habitats will be added to the Kemi mill area. Metsä Group is committed to regenerative forest management, aiming at boosting economic growth and natural assets side by side.
Air quality
We participate in joint monitoring of air quality in our area. The results are monitored by local environmental authorities. The city of Kemi is responsible for carrying out the monitoring.
The bioproduct mill uses a powerful collection and processing system for odorous gases, which collects odorous gases. Odour nuisance occurs in conjunction with process malfunction, as well as shutdown and ramp-up situations at the mill.
Some of the odorous gases are utilized on production of sulfuric acid, which is used in the mill's process to replace the sulfuric acid supplied to the mill as a purchasing chemical.
Noise
Noise caused by the mill's operations is managed in day-to-day operations by taking care of the maintenance of equipment and machinery, and by taking noise into account when planning investments and purchasing new equipment. The mill’s noise emission level is checked regularly with measurements and model calculations.
The noise caused by the equipment was especially considered already when planning the Kemi bioproduct mill and selecting devices. Limit values were set for noise when acquiring equipment for the mill. Equipment that causes noise was placed in such a way that its environmental impact is minimised.
Local traffic
Raw wood is transported from the forest to the mill by trucks and trains. Two thirds of the new mill’s wood will be transported by rail, using the new private track.
All exports from the new mill will be concentrated in the port of Ajos in Kemi, where Metsä Fibre has built a new 37 000 m2 product warehouse. In the port warehouse, the pulp bales will be handled by electric forklifts and an electric harbour crane.
Truck traffic to the mill will use the new Sahansaarenkatu logistics road, the improvements to which have been carried out by the City of Kemi. The private track and the new logistics road have been built so that they do not intersect with other traffic, which will significantly improve traffic safety in the surrounding area.
For our part, we want to ensure that movement in the Kemi area is as safe as possible. Metsä Fibre cooperates with the road authorities and the local authorities to improve road safety. To increase the fluidity and safety of traffic, wood trucks have a route different from chemical and product transports. In addition, Metsä Group organises a road safety tour for primary school children each autumn in the Kemi area. At the events organised under the road safety tour, schoolchildren get to see a timber truck and receive practical advice on road safety.
Renewable energy from side streams
The energy efficiency of the Kemi bioproduct mill is excellent. All energy required by the mill is generated from production side streams, and the mill’s self-sufficiency rate in electrical energy is 250 per cent.
The sidestreams from the Kemi bioproduct mill are utilised efficiently as different bioproducts and bioenergy.
Our bioproduct mill generates 2.5 times the amount of renewable electricity it consumes annually, and does not use any fossil fuels in its pulp production. The mill produces 2,000 GWh of bioenergy from its side streams. This accounts for around 2.5 per cent of Finland’s total electricity production. The surplus power is supplied to the national grid.
In addition, wood bark is gasified and used to replace heavy fuel oil in the lime kiln. And the mill’s odorous gases are converted into sulphuric acid that we use in tall oil production.
Metsä Group’s goal is to utilise production side streams fully by 2030 and to achieve a state in which our production will not generate landfill waste. Our increasing, environmentally efficient production makes us an even stronger partner for our customers’ sustainable growth.