Metsä Fibre’s bioproduct mill in Äänekoski was one of the winners at the 2020 Pulp & Paper Industry (PPI) Awards in Lisbon. Metsä Fibre is part of Metsä Group. The bioproduct mill won the Mill of the Future Award. In this category, the mill was evaluated based on the implementation of modern and innovative solutions that improved efficiency, production and environmental performance, for example.
The jury were particularly pleased with the Äänekoski mill’s solutions for material, energy and environmental efficiency, and its extensive bioproduct concept. In line with the concept, the wood raw material and production side streams are used in a resource-wise manner as pulp and other bioproducts that can replace fossil-based materials. The concept also enables the fossil-free operation of mills. The bioproduct concept was created by Metsä Fibre.
“We are grateful and proud to have received this award. Our bioproduct mill at Äänekoski is an example of the large-scale practical implementation of the bioproduct concept. It also reflects our operating method, which is based on continuous improvement, and our leadership in the sustainable bioeconomy. Renewable wood raw material and new types of innovation offer solutions for the global challenges of the future while improving our company’s resource efficiency. We will continue to develop our concept, which will next be applied to the pre-engineering of the Rauma sawmill and Kemi bioproduct mill,” says Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre.
Metsä Fibre’s pulp mill in Joutseno won the Internet of Things category at the 2017 PPI Awards for the use of data in industrial business operations.