Lapp Automaatio delivered Finnish quality to Metsä Fibre's bioproduct mill in Kemi Finland

Lapp Automaatio has supplied temperature instrumentation for Metsä Fibre's new bioproduct mill in Kemi, Finland. When completed, this state-of-the-art plant will be the most efficient wood processing plant in the northern hemisphere.

Metsä Fibre's state-of-the-art bioproduct mill, located in the Kemi mill area, Pajusaari and Sahansaari, will be launched in the third quarter of 2023. The bioproduct mill will produce 1.5 million tonnes of Metsä-branded softwood and birch pulp per year as raw material for paperboard, tissue and printing paper and special products.

This is the largest investment in the history of the Finnish forest industry, worth EUR 2.02 billion. The plant is environmentally, energy and material-efficient and operates entirely without fossil fuels.

Throughout its direct value chain, the plant will employ around 2 500 people in Finland, of which around 1 500 will be new employees. The Kemi bioproduct mill will increase the value of Finnish exports by half a billion Euros per year and will have a positive impact on Finland's revenue of also half a billion euros per year.

Lapp Automation has supplied Metsä Fibre's factory with EPIC® SENSORS temperature sensors manufactured in Finland, thermowells and temperature transmitters from PR electronics.

In a mill like the Kemi bioproduct plant, it is crucial to have the correct temperature at all stages of the process. That is why the plant requires reliable, high-quality temperature instruments.

Flexibility and Finnish quality were key factors

"Flexibility in operation and the sensors being manufactured in Finland were decisive factors in choosing Lapp Automaatio as the instrumentation supplier," says Ari Länsikallio, Project Engineer for instrumentation at Metsä Fibre.

Länsikallio praises the good cooperation and Lapp Automastio's fast response.

"Messages have been answered very fast. Everything has been done on time and we have always received the extra products we have sometimes needed within a short delivery time."

Länsikallio also praises Lapp Automaatio's exceptionally clear manuals and brochures.

"These things are not always nearly as good and well organized in other big international companies."

Focus on quality and service

Lapp Automaatio's Key Account Manager Antti Ahonen, also praises the excellent cooperation in Metsä Fibre's Kemi mill project.

"It has been very nice to work with everyone. Our customer understands the products and the cooperation is relaxed and the spirit is good."

Ahonen says that Lapp Automaatio has continuously focused on quality and service.

"We manufacture almost all of our products, for example EPIC® SENSORS temperature sensors and thermowells, entirely in Finland. The manufacturer of PR electronics products is Danish, but we have represented them in Finland for already decades. The quality of our products is backed by a five-year warranty."

The Kemi bioproduct mill produces not only pulp but also a wide range of other bioproducts entirely without fossil fuels and produces significantly more bio-based electricity than a conventional pulp mill.

The bioproduct plant is world class in terms of energy, material, and environmental efficiency. Despite a clear increase in production, the new bioproduct mill will remain below the emission limits of the existing Kemi pulp mill's environmental permit. Noise from the mill and the mill site will not exceed the guidelines.

Read more about the Metsä Fibre bioproduct mill in Kemi.