Metsä Fibre Taking Production Downtime at Joutseno Pulp Mill in Finland

The Joutseno pulp mill has the capacity to produce 690,000 tonnes per year of softwood pulp, which is used as raw material for paperboard, tissue and printing papers.

Sept. 23, 2024 - Metsä Fibre announced that its Joutseno pulp mill is undergoing a production shutdown to adapt to the current market situation.

The Joutseno pulp mill has the capacity to produce 690,000 tonnes per year of high-quality softwood pulp.

In addition to the shutdown, on the basis of construction technical reviews, the mill's baling plant building has been placed under a temporary operating ban due to the potential risk of collapse detected in the roof structures.

According to the current estimate, the dismantling of the roof structures and ensuring safe work conditions will take approximately two months. A more detailed schedule is determined on the basis of the project plan to be drawn up.

"Structural changes observed in the baling plant building pose a potential risk of collapse," explained Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre. "Over the years, the pillars have been repaired but despite the repairs, their subsidence has continued. We have been monitoring the situation and have carried out a number of surveys and inspections. Now, after the latest studies and more accurate measurements, it was found that roof structures pose a safety risk. Therefore, on September 19, we decided to ban the use of the baling plant building.

"At Metsä, safety is our top priority, and production volumes never take precedence over safety under any circumstances," Nousiainen added.

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, produces not only pulp and sawn timber but also other bioproducts such as biochemicals and bioenergy.

SOURCE: Metsä Fibre

Read a related article on PaperAge's website: Metsä Fibre Starts Negotiations on Possible Layoffs at Joutseno Pulp Mill in Finland - Aug. 6, 2024.