Our Metsä Birch branded bleached hardwood kraft pulp (BHKP) is produced by kraft pulping in our bioproduct and pulp mills. Metsä Birch BHKP is made from high-quality Nordic birch (Betula verrucosa, Betula pendula, or Betula pubescens) that is responsibly and sustainably sourced. The wood we use is fully traceable and comes from sustainably managed forests.
The birch wood chips are cooked with a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na2S). As the lignin dissolves, the remaining pulp, containing cellulose, is separated. This pulp is then bleached, resulting in BHKP, which is commonly used in white paper and tissue products. BHKP’s versatility, brightness, and strength make it a preferred pulp in paper and tissue manufacturing.
We produce Metsä Birch products at our bioproduct mills in Äänekoski and Kemi in Finland and at Metsä Board’s pulp mill in Husum, Sweden. Our Metsä Birch pulp gives end products the high tensile strength and surface properties that our customers need. Some of the pulp we produce is used within the Metsä Group, being processed further for a wide range of end products, from paperboard and its end uses to consumer and professional tissue papers.