Metsä Fibre’s new bioproduct mill is the largest investment in Finnish forest industry history, with total value of EUR 1.2 billion
November 11, 2015
Metso has signed a comprehensive framework agreement with Metsä Fibre to supply valve solutions for the world’s first next-generation bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Finland. Metso’s valve solutions will be used in all of the mill’s process phases. The delivery includes more than one thousand valves and peripheral devices and is one of Metso’s largest valve orders in Finland. Metso also takes care of the spare part services for the mill.
“We are very pleased that Metsä Fibre trusts our valve expertise. The design of the bioproduct mill puts special emphasis on minimized emissions, low specific water consumption, and high energy and material efficiency, among other things. The availability and efficiency of the production processes can be maximized by utilizing optimally selected, reliable valve solutions,” says Mika Sjöholm, Vice President, Pulp and Paper business line, Metso.
Metso will supply the plant with Neles® ball valves, segment and butterfly valves for on-off and control applications and Neldisc® butterfly valves for manual on-off duty. The control valves are equipped with Neles® ND9000 series intelligent valve controllers, which have the capability for advanced performance follow-up and also enable predictive maintenance planning activities.
The value of the framework agreement is not disclosed. Part of the order is included in Metso’s fourth-quarter 2015 orders received with following quarter bookings during 2016. Metso’s deliveries will start at the beginning of 2016, and the bioproduct mill will start its operations in the third quarter of 2017.
Metsä Fibre’s, which belongs to Metsä Group, new bioproduct mill is the largest investment in Finnish forest industry history, with total value of EUR 1.2 billion. Upon completion, the new mill will be the world’s first next-generation bioproduct mill. Pulp production at the Äänekoski mill in central Finland will increase to 1.3 million tons from the current approx. 0.5 million tons per year. In addition to high-quality pulp, it will produce a broad range of other bioproducts, such as tall oil, turpentine, lignin products, bioelectricity and wood fuel. The bioproduct portfolio is expanding in the future.
