More cartonboard capacity at Metsä Board

Metsä Board, Europe’s leading producer high quality folding boxboard, has completed the rebuild of the board machine at the Ӓänekoski mill in Finland, increasing its folding boxboard capacity by 30,000 tonnes per annum to 240,000 tpa. Normal production restarted in early May of Carta Integra and Carta Solida, Metsä Board’s products especially recommended for high quality packaging and graphics.

“Demand for sustainable packaging made from fresh forest fibres continues to be strong, and we have responded by increasing the availability of our cartonboards,” says Olli Mäki, VP Cartonboard Sales, Metsä Board. “Their purity and excellent sensory properties make them ideal for confectionery, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and beautycare products, and their superior printing surface allows perfect reproduction for high quality packaging. Their light weight, in comparison to boards with similar strength, means less impact on the environment.”

An additional project to increase cartonboard sheeting capability is also underway at Ӓänekoski, converting the facility released by closure of the paper machine at the site. This will be finalised in the autumn.

The Ӓänekoski board machine rebuild is part of Metsä Board’s paperboard investment programme 2011–2012, aimed at improving availability and service. Under this programme, the Simpele mill rebuild was successfully finalised in June 2011 and Kyro mill rebuild in December 2011. The programme also included the improvement of the Kemi linerboard mill’s coating operations. Further investment continues with the building of a new biopower plant next to the Kyro mill, for completion in autumn 2012, to replace fossil natural gas with carbon neutral bioenergy.