In a grand ceremony, Metsä Board of the Metsä Group inaugurated its upgraded folding carton machine in Husum, Sweden on April 11th.
In 2016, Metsä Board commissioned a new folding carton machine, BM1, in Husum, with a capacity of 400,000 tonnes per year of folding carton board (FBB). In 2023, an investment of 230 million euros will increase the BM1's capacity by 200,000 tonnes. This machine, which runs on 98% renewable energy, is the largest and most modern in Europe, according to Finnish forestry and paper group Metsä.
"Thanks to the investment in folding carton production capacity at Husum, Metsä Board is well positioned to meet the growing demand for fiber-based packaging materials." says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board, mainly in demand for consumer packaging in the European and North American markets.
A 54-metre-long flat-board machine
The machine is now equipped with a new winder and an automated reel handling system. Its length has been extended by 54 meters, increasing its drying capacity. Its speed should reach 1,000 meters per minute, and full production capacity is expected by the end of 2025.
The new fully-automatic transfer and roll control system is unique in the cartonboard industry," emphasizes the owner.
The project also included the modernization of the entire pulp and paperboard mill, as well as an increase in the capacity of the port warehouse.
Metsä Board Husum had already benefited from an extensive investment program between 2019 and 2023. The first phase, completed in December 2022, included installation of a new boiler and a new recovery turbine, for an investment of 380 million euros .
In addition, Metsä Board will launch a plan to introduce new products on the current white kraft paper production line (BM2) at the Husum plant, with the aim of finding new solutions for the 'food packaging and services' segment.
The Swedish Metsä Board Husum mill, which employs 700 people, is an integrated paperboard and pulp mill producing folding boxboard (FBB), uncoated white kraft paper (WKL) and bleached chemical pulp (BKP).
