Metsä Botnia to invest in gasification plant at its Joutseno pulp mill in Finland

LAPPEENRANTA, Finland, Feb. 10, 2011 (Press Release) - The Board of Directors of Metsä Botnia, part of Metsäliitto Group, has decided to invest in a gasification plant at the mill. The investment will intensify the use of renewable energy at the mill.

The investment will replace fossil fuel used in lime kiln with biofuel, which is manufactured of bark. The mill will become a carbon dioxide neutral plant during its standard production. The gasification plant will utilise the mill's excess heat during drying of the bark. The investment is a clear indication of Botnia's leading position in the use of renewable energy.

The total value of the investment is approximately EUR 20 million, and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy has granted the investment energy support for EUR 4.2 million. Negotiations regarding the main equipment suppliers are currently ongoing. Construction work will begin in June 2011, and the new plant will be commissioned at the end of 2012. At the construction stage, the employing impact of the investment is approximately 120 person-workyears.

The Joutseno mill specialises in manufacturing pulp for wood-fibre printing papers and for high-quality coated printing and speciality papers. The production capacity is 650 000 tonnes per annum and the mill employs 160 skilled professionals. The energy self-sufficiency is 170 %.