Sappi continued its environmental projects and invested EUR 16,5 million in the Kirkniemi paper mill, enabling the mill to switch to large-scale biofuel use in its energy production this year. The event was celebrated at the mill in late August. Among the guests was the Minister of the Environment and Climate Kai Mykkänen.
The Kirkniemi plant's multi-fuel boiler, completed in 2015, switched from coal to biofuel in early summer. At the end of the investment, new reception, storage and processing equipment for biofuels such as bark and forest chips was put into operation. The total amount of energy investments made, including the multi-fuel boiler, was approximately EUR 72 million.
The bark used by Kirkniemi comes from the Finnish sawmill industry and the mill's own bark mill. Forest chips come mainly from domestic suppliers. The mill's own bio- and fiber sludges are also utilized for energy. The fuel needed for steam production and various drying processes on three paper machines is approximately 1050 GWh annually.
“Paper is already an important part of the bio-based circular economy as a product. We are proud that by switching to bioenergy we are part of the solution to combat climate change. At the same time, we are able to support the Sappi Group in achieving sustainable development and the Science-Based Emissions Targets (SBTi) in 2030,” says the director of the Kirkniemi mill. Martti Savelainen.
The same issues were also emphasized in his speech at an event about the investment by Sappi Europe.
in the management team based in Brussels Jan Sander van TuijlHe said that the Sappi Group will continue its investments in cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. For the past 18 months, these have been made at three factories in Europe, of which the Kirkniemi investment has been a true master model, according to Sander van Tuijl.
Sappi's Kirkniemi mill is the world's largest factory producing coated magazine papers. Three paper machines produce 750 tonnes of Galerie product family paper annually for high-quality publications around the world. The mill employs approximately 000 people. Over 550 percent of production is exported.
WHAT? The multi-fuel boiler at Sapi's Kirkniemi plant, completed in 2015, replaced coal with biofuel.
WHY? With the new investment, the factory's direct greenhouse gas emissions will decrease by almost 90 percent, or approximately 230.000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
