Modernising for the future: Metsä Board drives forward with major upgrades to Simpele mill
Metsä Board Corporation press release 18.11.2024
Metsä Board is advancing with its significant investment to modernise the Simpele folding boxboard mill, focused on further enhancing product quality, production efficiency, and reducing the carbon footprint of its operations and products.
Known for producing the high-quality and lightweight MetsäBoard Classic FBB product, the Simpele mill will undergo significant upgrades in the second half of 2025, further solidifying the company’s position as the leading choice for premium food and healthcare packaging.
Valued at approximately EUR 60 million, the investment includes the modernisation of the pre-drying section and the installation of a new state-of-the-art coating section on the production line. These enhancements will further improve the print quality and visual consistency of the MetsäBoard Classic FBB product while enabling the company to shift to fossil free alternatives in its paperboard production process.
“This project marks an important milestone in our shift toward fossil free paperboard production at the Simpele mill and is in full alignment with Metsä Board’s goal of achieving fossil free production across all mills by the end of 2030,” says Markku Leskelä, Senior Vice President of Development at Metsä Board. “The mill upgrade will also further solidify our leading position in the food and pharmaceutical segments, offering customers a product with an even higher print quality, better visual uniformity, and a reduced carbon footprint".
Announced last April, the modernisation of the Simpele mill is being implemented in stages and is progressing according to schedule in all areas. The technology purchases for the project were mostly completed in June, and detailed planning with equipment suppliers is ongoing. The building permit was granted earlier this year and the first visible work at the mill has already started. Most tasks, such as installing the new pre-drying and coating sections, will be completed during a scheduled maintenance shutdown at the mill in September.
Metsä Board will ensure uninterrupted service and consistent product availability by careful planning in close collaboration with its customers. The upgraded Simpele mill is expected to start up in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The modernisation of the board machine is part of a planned wider investment programme at the Simpele mill. The planned programme also includes renewals in the mechanical pulp production, in the finishing area of paperboard as well as a new power plant. The company has not yet taken investment decisions on these.
