Metsӓ Board Completes Board Machine Rebuild at Äӓnekoski Mill

Metsä Board, Finland, a producer of folding boxboard, reports that it has completed the rebuild of a board machine at its Ӓänekoski mill in Finland, increasing its folding boxboard capacity by 30,000 metric tpy, to 240,000 metric tpy. Normal production restarted in early May for the company's Carta Integra and Carta Solida products.

"Demand for sustainable packaging made from fresh forest fibers 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, compared with boards of 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 finalized in the autumn.

The Ӓänekoski board machine rebuild is part of Metsä Board's paperboard investment program 2011 - 2012, aimed at improving availability and service. Under this program, the Simpele mill rebuild was successfully finalized in June 2011 and the Kyro mill was rebuilt in December 2011. The program also included 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.

TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/