Metsä Fibre’s Kemi Bioproduct Mill Begins Operations with AFRY’s Comprehensive Support

Metsä Fibre’s Kemi Bioproduct Mill Begins Operations with AFRY’s Comprehensive Support

(IN BRIEF) Finland’s largest investment in the forest industry, Metsä Fibre’s new Kemi bioproduct mill, successfully commenced operations on September 20, 2023. AFRY, a key contributor to the project, provided extensive services throughout its various phases, from initial studies and pre-engineering to detailed engineering and construction. This state-of-the-art bioproduct mill has an annual production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp and operates without any fossil fuels. It aims to achieve complete waste-free operations by 2030. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, the mill embraces a circular economy, efficiently utilizing all wood raw materials and production by-products for various bioproducts and bioenergy. Additionally, the mill generates renewable electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of 100,000 electrically heated single-family homes. AFRY’s contributions encompassed project management, detailed engineering, digitalization services with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Process Information Modelling (PIM), and the establishment of a Single-Source-of-Truth (SSOT) concept for digital twin integration. Furthermore, AFRY provided project management, engineering, and site services for the chlorine dioxide plant and delivered the tall oil plant as an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) solution. This collaboration reflects a longstanding partnership between AFRY and Metsä and contributes to job creation, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. Nicholas Oksanen, EVP and Head of Process Industries at AFRY, highlights the successful collaboration between Metsä Fibre and all project partners as a crucial factor in the project’s success.

(PRESS RELEASE) STOCKHOLM, 4-Oct-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The largest investment of the forest industry in Finland – Metsä Fibre’s, part of Metsä Group, new Kemi bioproduct mill – came into operation as planned on Wednesday 20 September 2023. AFRY contributed significantly to the bioproduct mill project from the early study and pre-engineering phases to detail engineering and construction phase with multidisciplinary engineering and project management services.

The Kemi bioproduct mill produces 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp annually. It uses zero fossil fuels and will be completely waste-free by 2030. Featuring cutting-edge technology, the mill operates a fully-fledged circular economy, as all the wood raw material and production side streams are efficiently used for various bioproducts and bioenergy. For example, the mill produces tall oil and turpentine, as well as two terawatt hours of renewable electricity per year, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of 100,000 electrically heated single-family homes.

AFRY delivered project management services for the bioproduct mill, detailed engineering services for all engineering disciplines for Balance of Plant (BOP) and digitalisation services for the mill with BIM (Building Information Modelling) and PIM (Process Information Modelling) of the project, including the establishment of SSOT (Single-Source-of-Truth) concept towards digital twin. AFRY also provided project management, engineering and site services of the chlorine dioxide plant as well as delivered tall oil plant as EPC delivery.

Kemi bioproduct mill can now utilise the single-source-of-truth digital platform in their daily operations by integrating all operational data (OT) including e.g. maintenance and production data to existing engineering data (ET).

“Good engineering work is key when building this kind of new and modern bioproduct mill. AFRY has been an important partner for us, and together with other main partners we have managed to run the project on schedule and start the mill as planned,” says Jari-Pekka Johansson, Director of the bioproduct mill project at Metsä Fibre.

“We are proud that we have been part of this project that contributes to job creation, economic stability, and an improved environmental footprint. The longstanding partnership between Metsä and AFRY spans several decades and the good collaboration with Metsä Fibre and all project partners has played a pivotal role in making this project a success,” says Nicholas Oksanen, EVP and Head of Process Industries at AFRY

AFRY is ranked #1 globally in pulp and paper industry consulting, engineering and project implementation (ENR 2022). We have deep understanding of the whole forest industry value chain, from strategic insight and studies, to EPCM project implementation services to daily operational phase support. Mills designed by AFRY set the industry standard for safety, energy and resource efficiency, meeting stringent environmental standards. Read more about our offerings for pulp & paper projects.

AFRY provides engineering, design, digital and advisory services to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable society. We are 19,000 devoted experts in industry, energy and infrastructure sectors, creating impact for generations to come. AFRY has Nordic roots with a global reach, net sales of 24 BSEK and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

Making Future

Media Contact:

Marika Hahtala
Head of Business Development, Marketing & Communications, AFRY Process Industries
Mobile +358 40 823 8986
E-mail marika.hahtala@afry.com

SOURCE: AFRY