Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has signed an agreement with ÅF Pöyry on the pre-engineerings of Kemi bioproduct mill and Rauma sawmill. The contract was signed on 27.5.2019. ÅF Pöyry will provide Metsä Fibre consulting services for pre-engineering projects. Pre-engineering projects include, among other things, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and environmental permit processes, main equipment contracts and investment proposals.
The aim of the pre-engineering projects is to create conditions for the investment decisions. The investment decision of the Kemi bioproduct mill will be made at the earliest in the summer of 2020 in and decision considering the Rauma sawmill in early 2020.
”ÅF Pöyry serves us with their competence in these large industrial investment pre-engineering projects. We have common target to design the most modern bioproduct mill and sawmill, that don’t use fossil fuels and are best in their classes”, says Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre.
Metsä Fibre and ÅF Pöyry has cooperated in several assignments also earlier.
“These assignments further strengthens the co-operation between Metsä Group and ÅF Pöyry, and we are pleased to be able to support Metsä Fibre in these strategically important sustainable assignments, targeted to reducing the use of fossil fuels, increase production of renewable energy and increase carbon dioxide stored in wood products that have a long lifespan“, says Nicholas Oksanen, Executive Vice President, Head of Division Process Industries of Pöyry.
If implemented the Kemi bioproduct mill would be the largest investment of the Finnish forest industry, totaling EUR 1.5 billion. The mill would produce annual 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp among other bioproducts. The annual wood consumption of the mill would be approximately 7.6 million cubic meters. The Kemi bioproduct mill would directly employ approximately 250 people in Finland, with increase of 1,500 people compared to the current situation.
The total investment of Rauma sawmill would amount to approximately EUR 200 million and the annual production would be approximately 750,000 cubic meters of pine sawn timber. New technology and utilisation of data guarantee that the new sawmill would be the most modern and efficient unit in its field. The new sawmill would employ in its entire direct value chain roughly 500 people in total in Finland.