A big day for Metsä Board's paper mill in Husum, Sweden. On May 3, the inauguration of its new recovery boiler and turbine took place. The new machines, which required an investment of EUR 380 million, are the first step in a major modernization plan for the mill, which produces folding boxboard (FBB) and pulp, white uncoated kraftliner (WKL) and bleached chemical pulp (BKP).
"The equipment renewal will strengthen the role of the integrated Husum mill as an efficient and sustainable platform for the long-term development of paperboard production and is an important step towards our goal of completely fossil-free mills." says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board.
The new equipment covers 80% of the site's electricity needs, compared with 50% previously. The Finnish group is committed to using only entirely non-fossil raw materials at all its sites by 2030.
2nd phase: the cardboard machine "the largest and most modern in Europe"
A new control room and office are also under construction, which will consolidate operations and maintenance personnel on one floor. "This will allow us to establish new integrated ways of working between technicians, engineers, maintenance and operators." continues Winblad von Walter, Vice President of the Husum plant.
And in the fall of this year, another project will be finalized at the Husum plant: the annual production capacity of folding boxboard (FBB) will be increased of approximately 200,000 tons to reach 600,000 tons "which will make it the largest and most modern cardboard machine in Europe" . The length of the board machine will be extended by 54 meters by adding more drying capacity, and its speed will reach 1,000 meters per minute. Full production capacity is expected by the end of 2025.
But the group does not intend to stop there. It plans to replace the two existing fiber production lines with a new line within the next ten years.
