Towards carbon-free production
Metsä-Botnia's Joutseno pulp mill will soon be carbon dioxide-free in its production when the new gasification plant is completed in 2012. The new plant will also reduce dependence on external energy.
Pulp is in demand again. Last year, the mill reached record production.
The decision to build a 20 million euro gasification plant sounds particularly good from a sustainable development perspective. The factory will no longer need any natural gas in normal operation. In terms of energy, the factory is already 170 percent self-sufficient.
"A modern pulp mill is a bioenergy plant. More energy is generated in the process than the mill needs," reminds the manager who has been managing the mill since last autumn. Henrik Soderstrom.
The investment also shows faith in the future. The technically highly advanced gasification plant complex is the first of its kind in Finland, and the equipment supplier is Andritz.
Is high-tech needed in pulp production?
“Absolutely. For example, the factory's control systems, automation systems and many process steps require high technology,” Söderström answers.
Read more in Paper and Wood magazine 2/11
