1 ECHO — 1 / 2017

PULP VISION

P. 6 P. 22

FIBRE TECH

P. 12

GREEN GROWTH

WORLD-CLASS LOGISTICS

REDUCING WATER USAGE

SPECIALTY SOLUTIONS

ECHO ISSUE 1 / 2017 STAKEHOLDER MAGAZINE

FIBRE INTELLIGENCE

FIBREFACT ÄÄNEKOSKI

Proportion of certified wood raw material:

90%

100%

Energy self-sufficiency:

240%

2%Increase in the proportion of renewable energy used in Finland:

Utilisation of wood raw material and side streams:

The bioproduct mill in Äänekoski will help to realise the aim of a carbon-neutral society that requires us to minimise our dependence on fossil energy sources.

Mill products will be made from renewable raw materials derived from sustainably managed forests. The forests of Finland are a net carbon sink. Their growth binds more carbon than is released through forestry and natural attrition.

We can also cut fossil fuel consumption by promoting the use of cellulose for more long-term recyclable products, such as packaging cartons, biocomposites and clothing, together with a wide variety of products based on tall oil, turpentine and lignin.

Minimising energy consumption in mill departments was an objective underlying the entire design of the bioproduct mill. On-site operations will rely solely on renewable energy generated from process side streams, with surplus output fed into the public energy grid. The debarking, automated pulp storage and wood transport operations will also be electrified.

Automated pulp distribution centre:electrically operated

A FOSSIL-FREE BIOPRODUCT MILL

Recovery boiler:bioelectricity

Bark gasification plant: product gas

EcoEnergy biogas plant: biogas from sludge

Debarking plant: electrified wood debarking

Here are some concrete examples of the cornerstones of the bioproduct mill: minimal energy usage and maximum efficiency.

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ECHO

22166

INTELLIGENCE INNOVATION

ALLIANCE

METSÄ FIBRE ECHO. ISSUE 1/2017. METSÄ FIBRE, PO BOX 30, FI-02020 METSÄ, FINLAND. WWW.METSAFIBRE.COMPublisher: Metsä Fibre, Sales and Customership. Editor-in-Chief: Saija Tuomikoski, Editorial board: Ari Harmaala, Raili Koponen, Mikael Lagerblom, Tom Nickull and Saija Tuomikoski.

Production: Miltton. Producer: Minna Salama. Layout: Riina Walli. Printed by: Erweko Oy. ISSN 2324-0199 (printed) ISSN 2324-0202 (online)ECHO is published in English, Finnish, German and Chinese.All magazines are available at www.metsafibre.com.Cover: Carta Integra 190 g. Paper: Galerie Art 130 g.

16 PARTNERS IN PULPMachinery and raw-material suppliers do not look at the world so very differently, explains Valmet’s Timo Valkama.

06 PULP VISION

12 GREEN GROWTH

22 FIBRE TECHEfficient and reliable logistics are a key component in the operations of Metsä Fibre’s new bioproduct mill.

Metsä Fibre mills have systematically reduced process water consumption and wastewater quantities.

FIBRE INTELLIGENCE

1 / 2017 STAKEHOLDER MAGAZINE

METSAFIBRE.COM

We take a look at the challenges and opportunities currently represented by specialty papers.

01 COVERAutomated pulp distribution centre at the bioproduct mill in Äänekoski.

PEFC/02-1-01

CONTENTS2FIBRE FACTA FOSSIL-FREE BIOPRODUCT MILL

5EDITORIALLOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR RENEWAL AND GROWTH

6–11 PULP VISIONA MILESTONE IN EXPORT LOGISTICS

12–15 GREEN GROWTHRESPONSIBLE USE OF WATER 16–21PARTNERS IN PULPSUPPLIER SYNERGIES

22–26FIBRE TECHTHE SPECIAL TOUCH

27 COLUMNSUSTAINABLE FASHION FROM CELLULOSE-BASED MATERIALS

28–29 SEEDLINGSFIBRE ONLINE, SOFIDEL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD, MILLS OF THE FUTURE & TISSUE WORLD MILAN

30–31BRANCHING OUTFROM FACTORY TO FIELD

As the largest single investment in the history of the Finnish forest industry, Metsä Fibre’s bioproduct mill in Äänekoski has now progressed to the trial operation stage. Due to ramp up in the third quarter of this year,

the plant gives concrete expression to the company’s common core values, and particularly to its commitment to renewal. This next generation bioproduct mill is the first of its kind anywhere, and an unconventional new player on the pulp market that will respond to the growing demand for softwood pulp with an annual manufacturing capacity of some 1.3 million tonnes. It has also been necessary to design an entirely innovative logistical solution for transporting this substantially increased output to the export market. The scale of the mill project, the requirements of the construction stage, the tight project schedule and the location of the site have all called for a functional infrastructure and efficient logistics. Solutions related to the project infrastructure have been worked out in close partnership with local and central government, focusing on ensuring a smooth supply chain as a key factor from the very beginning of the mill design process. The outcome is a well-balanced combination of new technological solutions and more efficient use of existing approaches. The main thing for our customers is naturally security of supply and reliability, and so we designed the logistics for the Äänekoski mill with particular attention to efficient and smooth operation, for example by investing in new technology at the automated distribution centre and outsourcing the entire delivery chain from the mill to the export harbour to VR Group. An electrified pulp warehouse and rail haulage using comprehensively eco-friendly electric locomotives also help to realise our responsibility goals. See the article on page 6 of this edition for further details of this innovative export logistics solution. We believe that this ground-breaking partnership combining mill functions, rail haulage and harbour operations is the optimal way to guarantee that our products reach the customer. By outsourcing certain functions to the most capable professionals in each sector, we can focus more effectively on managing the overall process and ensuring our core operations. Metsä Fibre is always striving to improve, and accordingly we shall work with our partners to establish working habits that seek higher efficiency and further development in years to come.

Jyrki Ranki Vice President, Maritime Logistics, Metsä Group

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR RENEWAL AND GROWTH

6 ECHO — 1 / 2017

PULPVISION

Even at the planning stage, it was already obvious that a bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Central Finland, would greatly expand traffic flows in the region. Handling and transporting deliveries of raw wood to the mill and moving its annual output of up to 1.3 million tonnes of pulp would require logistical arrangements on an unprecedented scale. On an average day, the mill would

receive 240 raw wood trucks and 70 railcars, with some 40 outgoing railcars of pulp departing for Vuosaari port in Helsinki.

The 800,000 tonne share of annual capacity destined for export will be transported by rail from Äänekoski to Helsinki, over 300 kilometres away. Three trains have been reserved for a 24/7 operation: as one is en route between the mill and the harbour, another will be loading in Äänekoski and the third will be unloading in Vuosaari.

Efficient, reliable logistics will be a key component in the operations of the new Metsä Fibre bioproduct mill, with efficient raw wood deliveries to the mill and dependable pulp deliveries to the customer.

A MILESTONE IN EXPORT LOGISTICS

TEXT: TIMO NYKÄNEN PHOTOS: HELSINGIN SATAMA OY, VR GROUP, JANNE MIKKILÄ

AND METSÄ GROUP

E

8 ECHO — 1 / 2017

PULPVISION

“With our logistics service providers, we have designed a logistics concept that stresses reliable delivery. Metsä Fibre has established a dedicated terminal in Vuosaari to serve as a core element in this concept, as there will be no export pulp warehousing in Äänekoski. The pulp will be transported directly from production to port,” explains Jari Voutilainen, who is SVP, Logistics at Metsä Group.

Voutilainen reports that one reason for choosing Vuosaari as the company’s export port was that it is easily accessible by both land and sea.

“Äänekoski is right in the middle of Finland, with a choice of multiple seaport options, but Vuosaari emerged as the optimal choice after a careful review. This port is a hub for Finland’s foreign trade, and substantial investments have recently been made in its infrastructure. We also had prior experience of using Vuosaari as a port for other Metsä Group exports.”

A UNIQUE AUTOMATED DISTRIBUTION CENTREOne entirely innovative element of pulp logistics, even by global standards, will be an automated distribution centre at the bioproduct mill, providing buffer storage for the entire pulp output of the mill as it is sorted by product type and customer. Besides output destined for

Vuosaari, some pulp will be carried by road and rail directly to domestic customers and some will be refined locally.

The distribution centre will include a high bay warehouse with two automated stacking cranes and two automatic overhead cranes for loading railcars. These cranes will feature specially customised loaders. It will take approximately six hours to load a train carrying some 1,400 tonnes of pulp.

“The transport chain will be fully automated in normal operation, so there will be no need for manual handling of pulp units until they arrive in Vuosaari. RFID tags will also help to enhance traceability and security in the manufacturing and shipping process,” explains bioproduct mill project development manager Kristian Isaksson.

INCREASING CAPACITYTo ensure smooth and secure management of the rising volume of traffic generated by the bioprod-uct mill, some significant measures are under way to improve the road and rail infrastructure that serves the Äänekoski region. These infrastructure projects are a result of close co-operation between Metsä Group and national and local authorities.

The first 47-kilometre rail track section between the mill and the port is being electrified and structurally modernised to enable environ-mentally friendly electric locomotives to operate

“OUR OWN TERMINAL IN VUOSAARI WILL BE A CORE ELEMENT IN THIS CONCEPT.”

JARI VOUTILAINENSVP, LOGISTICS, METSÄ GROUP

A MILESTONE IN EXPORT LOGISTICS

10 ECHO — 1 / 2017

PULPVISION

over the entire route. Upgrading of the local road infrastructure, including Highway 4, is also under way to serve the needs of increased heavy goods vehicle traffic.

“A nearly threefold increase in output from the bioproduct mill compared to the present mill in Äänekoski also means a huge increase in raw wood deliveries,” Isaksson explains.

The bioproduct mill will use some 6.5 million cubic metres of wood annually, of which approximately three-quarters will be delivered by truck and the remainder by rail.

TESTS UNDER WAYThe construction project and equipment installations have progressed on schedule for the bioproduct mill, which is scheduled to begin operating in the third quarter of 2017. A com-missioning stage of testing and trial operation

began in February, with various process modules tested under normal mill operating conditions. The first tests of the high bay warehouse began in March.

“A new drying machine will start processing pulp in June, with the output then transferred to the high bay warehouse for the first time. Rail transport will only commence after the mill has started operating. Pulp will be transported by road until this time, as most of the output from the current mill goes to destinations in Finland,” Isaksson explains.

“The new concept will deliver some synergy benefits because VR, the national railway com-pany, will be responsible for both rail transport and port operations. This was the best way to ensure the quality and reliability of deliveries from the bioproduct mill.”

KRISTIAN ISAKSSONPROJECT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, BIOPRODUCT MILL, METSÄ FIBRE

JARI VOUTILAINENSVP. LOGISTICS, METSÄ GROUP

“THE AUTOMATED DISTRIBUTION CENTRE WILL BE AN ENTIRELY INNOVATIVE ELEMENT OF PULP LOGISTICS.”

The chosen logistics partner of the Äänekoski bioproduct mill is VR Transpoint, which will assume responsibility for an innovative concept that smoothly combines functions at the mill, rail transport and port operations. Martti Koskinen, Senior Vice President at VR Transpoint, stresses that the company was involved in planning the solution from the very beginning:

“This is a case of genuine collaboration and strategic partnership. It is more common for a mill and its rail link to be designed separately, with inefficient logistics when the deliveries finally begin at some later date. In this case, the entire concept was designed to be right first time, in accordance with production and with the customer’s requirements.”

VR Transpoint has made substantial investments in new rolling stock customised for pulp deliveries. It will be pulled by energy-efficient Vectron electric locomotives delivered by Siemens. These locomotives also have two auxiliary diesel engines for use in shunting yards, loading areas and short sections of non-electrified track. They also have a radio control feature to facilitate work done in shunting yards.

“The wagon design accommodates the requirements of the automated distribution centre and loading operation in Äänekoski. These wagons are already in service at the Joutseno mill, and the capabilities of Vectron locomotives have also been tested since the beginning of last year,” Koskinen says.

He explains that the Vuosaari port has an exceptionally long 400-metre track that enables unloading of an entire stationary train. This is an important consideration when transport schedules are tight. Some of the pulp will be stored in the Metsä Fibre terminal for break bulk shipments, and some will be loaded directly into containers.

“This is also an important deal for us because of the large volumes involved. It will make Vuosaari a significant port for rail transport,” Koskinen adds.

COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR VR GROUP

“The entire concept was designed to be right first time, in accordance with production and with the customer’s requirements.”

MARTTI KOSKINEN SVP, LOGISTICSVR GROUP LTD

A MILESTONE IN EXPORT LOGISTICS

12 ECHO — 1 / 2017

GREEN GROWTH

RESPONSIBLE USE OF WATER

TEXT: TIMO NYKÄNEN PHOTOS: METSÄ GROUP

Metsä Fibre mills have systematically reduced process water consumption and wastewater quantities. A largely closed water cycle and a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant at the bioproduct mill are now bringing environmental efficiency to a new level.

Metsä Fibre mills use water sparingly, even though in northern Europe they are surrounded by some of the world’s most abundant fresh-

water reserves. The company has systematically reduced process water consumption at all of its mills by investing in new technology and by enhancing and optimising processes, applying proactive environmental management strategies, environmental risk management tools, and other techniques.

Efficient water recycling has been the most effective way of reducing water consumption, with filtrates from the bleaching process recycled into earlier stages of the manufacturing

process. Consumption of process water at the bioproduct mill in Äänekoski continues to fall substantially.

“The amount of process water used in making a tonne of pulp will drop from the present level of about 25 cubic metres to about 10 cubic metres as the bioproduct mill deploys a largely closed water cycle of a kind not seen elsewhere on this scale,” explains Äänekoski Project Manager Johanna Harjula.

STATE-OF-THE-ART CLEANING TECHNOLOGYThe highly enclosed water cycle of the bioproduct mill will generate less wastewater than ever, and its state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant will also apply more treatment

M

ARI POUKKADEVELOPMENT MANAGER,METSÄ FIBRE

JOHANNA HARJULAPROJECT MANAGER,ÄÄNEKOSKI

14 ECHO — 1 / 2017

GREEN GROWTH

THE AMOUNT OF PROCESS WATER USED IN MAKING A TONNE OF PULP WILL DROP FROM ABOUT 25 TO 10 CUBIC METRES.

stages. This technology relies on multi-stepped biological purification and subsequent chemical processing. Some of the bioproduct mill wastewater will also be diverted to tertiary processing by chemical precipitation to reduce the non-biodegradable soluble COD content when necessary.

“Even though our current mills already deliver world-class performance in this respect, we shall be able to cut the volume of wastewater at the new facility by nearly half,” says Metsä Fibre Development Manager Ari Poukka.

The organic sludge extracted from wastewater will also be used in a new way by converting it into fuel at the EcoEnergy SF Oy biogas plant, a unique facility that will form an integral part of the bioproduct mill ecosystem.

“One new feature of the wastewater treatment plant is a division of the aeration basin into various stages with a view to improving the sludge. The first stage removes readily degradable COD content, with an

adjustment of microbe strains for tackling more resilient organic materials at the next stage. This multi-stage process delivers better purification performance and makes the plant less susceptible to malfunctions,” Harjula explains.

MINIMISING WATERCOURSE IMPACTS Even though the manufacturing capacity of the bioproduct mill will be nearly three times that of the previous facility, it will remain comfortably within the emission limits of the present environmental permit and European Union values for best available techniques (BAT). Effluent from the mill will have no impact on local watercourse standards, or on the use of these waters.

“Our environment load model from the bioproduct mill wastewater treatment plant for the environmental permit application and environmental impact assessment indicate no deterioration in the ecological state of the watercourse, even at maximum discharge levels,” Harjula explains.

The Effluent Purification and Reuse (EPR) research theme at Aalto University Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems focuses on purifying industrial wastewater, improving purification processes, recovering nutrients, and recycling process water. Metsä Fibre has conducted joint research work with the university, studying such aspects as water recycling and the behaviour of chemicals. The most recent initiative involves investigating ways of using bioproduct mill side streams.

Departmental professor Olli Dahl explains that this research has helped the Finnish forest industry to radically reduce its water consumption.

“For example, we are now using only a tenth of the fresh water that was required for processes in the 1980s. We have learned, in particular, how to recycle water back into the process at points where there is no need to use fresh water,” Dahl explains.

Professor Dahl believes that pulp manufacturing has already achieved a comprehensively optimal standard of wastewater treatment using biological processes. The bioproduct mill in Äänekoski will be one of the first pulp industry installations to introduce a tertiary stage that further enhances wastewater processing, and it is now essential for future research to consider solutions that are environmentally sustainable in general.

“We are always looking at ways of further reducing water consumption, for example by returning even more wastewater to the process. There are nevertheless limits to this, insofar as water treatment involves using energy that in turn creates emissions to the atmosphere. Increased quantities of sludge must also be reprocessed. Even though all wastewater could in principle be purified into drinking water, the local pollution that this could cause in terms of massive energy consumption could have regional or even global repercussions,” Dahl observes.

He nevertheless concedes that the carbon-neutral energy surplus generated by a pulp mill will have numerous potential applications in future, and the Äänekoski bioproduct mill is setting a new standard in this field.

WORKING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Poukka suggests that technological progress will achieve even lower wastewater volumes in future, even though a completely closed water cycle is not yet possible with current knowledge.

“We are still some way from a process that would enable us to use all of the naturally occurring inorganic material in wood as part of the final product, for example. Trees lift various metals and other inorganic material from the soil as they grow, and this material must be removed from the manufacturing process to prevent it from accumulating as deposits in the machinery or contaminants in the end-product,” Poukka explains.

OLLI DAHLDEPARTMENTAL PROFESSOR,AALTO UNIVERSITY

16 ECHO — 1 / 2017

PARTNERSIN PULP

Machinery and raw-material suppliers do not look at the world so very differently, explains Valmet’s Senior Paper Technology Manager, Timo Valkama.

SUPPLIER SYNERGIES

TEXT: IAN FENTON PHOTOS: PETRI BLOMQVIST AND VALMET

For Valmet’s Timo Valkama, the paper industry has always been a family affair. In fact, he represents the third generation of papermakers in

the family line.Before joining local paper producer

Schauman in the family base of Pietarsaari on Finland’s west coast, Valkama’s father also worked for Valmet, both then and now a major developer and supplier of technologies and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries.

“He began as a machinery manufacturer before moving to the paper industry,” Valkama explains, “whereas I went the other way around.” Beginning his career in Metsä-Serla

in 1987, which later was part of Metsä Group’s predecessor company M-Real, by 2013 Valkama found himself working from the same office his father had once occupied at Valmet.

His career has covered a broad range of the paper industry’s many facets: “I haven’t been involved in what we call traditional board, but I have spent a lot of time with fine papers and today, mostly deal with specialty paper producers – they are at the heart of what I do at the moment.”

PRESERVING KNOWLEDGEIn his role as Senior Paper Technology Manager, Valkama works on many of Valmet’s major sales cases, assisting paper producers the world over with their often very specific requirements. But

F

TIMO VALKAMASENIOR PAPER TECHNOLOGY MANAGER, VALMET

18 ECHO — 1 / 2017

PARTNERSIN PULP

a backbone of industry knowledge is behind all of this work, and it is tempting to look into how it was acquired. Are these skills something that can be taught? Where are they to be found in the modern paper industries? And is there a challenge in sourcing and developing them?

“I personally think that every paper mill should have the know-how to achieve the best possible optimisation of the furnish, for example,” says Valkama, “but sadly this is no longer very often the case. Economic pressures have had such a strong impact on manpower that our customers are often looking to suppliers to resolve these kinds of issues.”

Valkama is intimately familiar with the services offered by Metsä Fibre, and sees them as complementary to the outlook provided by his colleagues at Valmet.

“When we are working together, it’s easy to witness Metsä Fibre’s aim of optimising the performance of the pulp with the equipment that the customer has purchased. In tandem with this, our own motivation is to ensure the equipment is working correctly and at the optimal dimensional flow or capacity.”

Whether the intention is to optimise the paper-making process, maximise energy efficiency, or improve strength, the concept of improvement is, of course, never far away. This is where Valkama differentiates between the supplier offering and the responsibilities of a mill’s personnel.

“You have to remember that from the mill owner’s point of view,” he says, “the priority is to keep it running constantly, and their people will constantly be working towards that. If you have 50,000 orders per year, you have to make sure that they are fulfilled and the paper is delivered – as ordered and on time.”

“When we are working together, it’s easy to witness Metsä Fibre’s aim of optimising the performance of the pulp with the equipment that the customer has purchased.”

SUPPLIER SYNERGIES

20 ECHO — 1 / 2017

PARTNERSIN PULP

Communi cation with suppliers and absorption of their knowledge of the technology climate should not be overlooked.

With such delivery targets firmly in sight at all times, Valkama maintains, customers generally do not have the time or dedicated resources to concentrate on optimisation. He also emphasises the detailed level at which such improvements are conducted.

“The more demanding the production, the smaller the details we are talking about, and many of them are even invisible to the daily operators of the equipment. Changing the position of a component by less than a degree can represent a performance increase.”

Such attention to detail mirrors the attitude and methodology of Metsä Fibre’s Technical Customer Service team. With a shared approach as refined as this one, it is little wonder the two companies have made agile and effective partners on a number of customer projects.

A QUESTION OF PERSPECTIVE

As someone who has been in the paper industry for decades, Valkama has witnessed first-hand this gradually reduced emphasis on the need for know-how on customer premises. It may well be that the lessons of the past are being forgotten.

“This is one of the big challenges that all suppliers have in the paper industry today. Paper-making know-how is getting thinner and thinner, to the point where even the knowledge itself is becoming under-valued. This leads to the situation where, for example, a customer may not be aware that they even lack the expertise in their organisation, or that certain skill sets or techniques even exist at all.”

The increasing scarcity of specialist knowl-edge in the industry may also be compounded

by educational issues, he speculates. This goes beyond the relatively easy to grasp metrics of the number of graduating engineers or doctorates awarded each year, for example, to cover the hands-on practice of paper making itself, and the many disciplines involved.

Valkama maintains that even though his customers usually know best within their own case, their view does nonetheless have its limitations. Suppliers, on the other hand, with experience of a larger range of materials and technologies, surely have a wider perspective, which the customer is in a position to take advantage of.

“We don’t necessarily have the answer to every specific problem,” he concedes, “but that experience does often put us in a good situation to speculate.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING

Valkama also sees the limited networking possibilities available to paper producers as a major issue.

“Naturally, a mill which has developed its own ‘innovations’ through extensive trial and error may well see themselves as having invented part of the process. But looking beyond that environment, a supplier might see that the same technique or production method has been in use elsewhere for years.”

With this in mind, communication with suppliers and absorption of their knowledge of the technology climate should not be overlooked.

Asked to put himself in the customer’s shoes and explain how best he would draw

SUPPLIER SYNERGIES

upon the varied skills of his suppliers, Valkama is contemplative: “This is something I often wonder. As a customer, I would obviously be tempted to believe I know these skills quite thoroughly. I would say that the best approach would be to sit down with, for example, the machinery supplier and the raw-material supplier, point out the challenge and where I was headed, and ask them where they can best contribute.”

NEW SETS OF EYESValkama makes the observation that different categories of supplier will take a different view of any installation, and that the point of view of each provides the basis for their offering, when seen as extending beyond the initial product.

“You can easily be in a situation where the equipment that the company is using are over-dimensioned or under-dimensioned for a certain production level,” he explains. “It’s likely that the supplier of the raw material wouldn’t notice that – I’d expect them to be more concentrated upon how to optimise the furnish or the refining in relation to their pulp, with the existing equipment. We would first look at the dimensioning and see whether this combination of parts is fit for the purpose at all.”

Both parties take a systematic approach, he believes, but the specific perspective of each allows them to quickly identify where to be of best use to the customer. Used in conjunction in this way, it is evident that an open-minded approach to suppliers’ offerings may provide some of the most important benefits available to the modern paper maker.

22 ECHO — 1 / 2017

FIBRE TECH

‘Specialty papers’ is not an easy grouping to define, and so it can be helpful to begin with the industries in which we find their application. The average consumer is likely to see them mostly as a means of packaging goods, but we can also find specialty papers in printing, in construction, and even in an industrial context. A use case here might

be in isolating components, for example, to keep them free of moisture or out of contact with other adjacent materials.

Examples of such papers are all around us, in fact, and in common use every day. Peel off a label or sticker from its paper backing, or remove a waterproof plaster from its packaging – you have just made use of a specialty paper, manufactured to serve that precise function.

There is no typical specialty paper machine, but normally they are fairly small and offer enough flexibility to be capable of producing several grades. The number of products and customers is often large, and the product specification – for example, for thickness and porosity – are strict. This is due to the high demands of the next process steps such as lamination or surface treatment.

One of the major end uses for those companies producing specialty paper is that of packaging products, where it may take the form of plain brown or white-surfaced paper, or flexible packaging paper. The latter is

EXAMPLES OF SPECIALTY PAPERS ARE ALL AROUND US, AND IN COMMON USE EVERY DAY.

THE SPECIAL TOUCH

S

Metsä Fibre’s offering for specialty papers has never been stronger. We take a look at the challenges and opportunities the area currently represents.

TEXT: IAN FENTON PHOTOS: PETRI BLOMQVIST AND METSÄ GROUP

TARI VÄÄTÄINENTECHNOLOGY

MANAGER,

METSÄ FIBRE

normally coated on one side only, with the other side laminated or attached to another material such as plastic film. Another popular application is release paper, which is also an accessible product for fine paper producers to manufacture with their existing equipment.

METSÄ FIBRE’S PATH TO SPECIALITIES

With increasing pressures in the field of printing and writing paper over the last two decades, turning to serve more specialised niches in the marketplace has become an appealing option for paper makers. This was enabled on one hand by that same flexibility of paper-making machinery already highlighted. A standard paper machine can tackle certain specialities without the need for extensive modifications – although, as we shall discover, the production techniques differ and specialty products require considerable specialist knowledge.

In parallel, Metsä Fibre’s own production of

pulp grades adapted to serve the market as it developed. Establishing a high-strength pulp with long fibres was an early goal, but customers were soon demanding more from the product, particularly as sustainability began to rise in the public consciousness early in the last decade.

One product very suitable for specialty paper applications is Metsä Fibre’s Botnia Nordic Strong RMA, now considered to be Europe’s best reinforcement pulp. In addition to the high tensile strength and elastic modulus, which is a hallmark of Metsä Fibre’s long-fibre pulps, Botnia Nordic Strong RMA gives excellent tear resistance and burst strength.

“This pulp is a true product of systematic development,” says Fibre Technology Manager Tari Väätäinen, “from the raw material management process all the way to the customer interface. Accordingly, it has received excellent feedback, both from printing- and specialty-pa-per customers.”

24 ECHO — 1 / 2017

FIBRE TECH

SKETCHING THE MARKET

But how does one measure interest in this category? While the market is difficult to judge precisely due to the lack of a firm definition of the term ‘specialty papers’, surveying the projections of the leading consultants in the area leads us to a figure of roughly 23 million tonnes annually for white (kraft-based) specialty paper.

It is important to note that for a pulp producer, specialty paper currently shows high market potential both in Europe and Asia. “The more established players in Europe are the key producers of specialities today,” says Kirsi Hirvonen, Fibre Technology Manager. “The knowledge base is largely here, which is very important – the paper makers leading the trends are well informed and have solid research behind them and long-term customer cooperation. They know what they are doing, and this helps shape the market.”

Nevertheless, Metsä Fibre have also noted considerable customer interest in Botnia Nordic Strong RMA in China, where specialities represent a relatively new and growing area. In grades such as art paper and laminating paper in particular, growth in China has been rapid and the total capacity of specialty papers actually exceeded the European level two to three years ago.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERTISESpecialty paper making certainly poses some unique challenges. For Metsä Fibre, the issue is made even more complex by a lack of trans-parency over the customer’s processes, made necessary by the highly secretive nature of brand customer agreements (and the requirements made within).

“We regularly see situations in which a specialty paper customer would prefer not to share the specifications of their end product with their suppliers,” says Koponen, “due to the stipulations of their own customer, who may be a large international brand, for example.”

Such a situation often demands long-term relationships and close cooperation between the pulp supplier, paper maker and their own customer, which in turn can lead to optimisation of the process with the help of Metsä Fibre’s Technical Customer Service department. The optimisation toolbox consists of a large variety of service packages such as Botnia FIT, Botnia Start-up Kit and Botnia Wet-end Kit, which many customers have found extremely effective. The furnish and refining optimisation the com-pany offers not only provide runnability, but also a better bottom line. This is an area in which the company excels, thanks to its own long history in paper making, among other factors.

With specialty papers produced in lots far smaller than conventional products, quality and consistency are even more critical than in conventional paper production. The paper maker’s customer will often strictly monitor quality requirements, and no inconsistencies will be tolerated.

“Entire categories within the area of specialty papers often see an end use such as food packaging or medical supplies,” points out Kirsi Hirvonen. “As a brand owner, if the product relates to food or requires some other acceptance, you can see why the quality control is so very strict. This also generates long lead times as a product is developed, because with every new package, consumers could react strongly if there is even a slight issue.”

METSÄ FIBRE HAS A NUMBER OF EXCELLENT REFERENCES THANKS TO ITS LONG INVOLVEMENT IN THE FIELD.

DEVELOPMENTNEVER ENDS

RAILI KOPONEN

DEVELOPMENT

MANAGER,

METSÄ FIBRE

KIRSI HIRVONEN

TECHNOLOGY

MANAGER,

METSÄ FIBRE

FOLLOWING THE VALUE CHAIN

Metsä Fibre quickly realised that with the end product under such intense scrutiny, it was important to understand the needs of the end customer, and therefore conducted exten-sive benchmarking across Europe. There are a huge number of small paper producers active across the continent, all with diverse customer needs and a large roster of small converting customers.

Raili Koponen, Development Manager at Metsä Fibre, feels that the need to take account of these end customers’ needs is greater than ever, but also that the company has a strong head start based on its existing experience.

“I think we have a good, solid understand-ing thanks to our participation in a number of research projects across a large network of universities, and our development work on other papers.”

The company also has a number of excellent references thanks to its long involvement in the paper field – some of Metsä Fibre’s customers have been using its pulp in the production of specialities for many years. With a history like this, as well as a keen eye on the development of customer and convertor needs, success in keeping up with the growth of the area seems assured.

FIBRE TECH

26 ECHO — 1 / 2017

The furnish and refining optimisation Metsä Fibre offers not only provide runnability, but also a better bottom line.

COLUMN MILLA ASIKAINEN

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER,

MARIMEKKO

SUSTAINABLE FASHION FROM CELLULOSE-BASED MATERIALS

Consumers are becoming increasingly interested and knowledgeable about the impacts that their purchasing decisions have on the surrounding world, and they are keener to find out about the process of turning raw materials into the products that they buy and use. Easier recycling of products after use is also an important bonus in the eyes of many. Even so, this progress has not yet reached the point at which consumers would be willing to make major sacrifices for products that would be better for both the environment and people. We should, therefore, still seek to make sustainable consumption at least as easy as other alternatives. We also have certain established patterns of consumption that are hard to change. What we need is a fresh perspective.

One emerging opportunity for the clothing and fashion industry is the use of more environmentally friendly materials and raw material innovations. These include the Ioncell F method jointly developed by Aalto University and the University of Helsinki, which uses new technology to spin synthetic cellulose-based

textile fibre. A prototype dress made from this new material featured in a Marimekko fashion show in 2014. We successfully tested the printing properties of this material at our own fabric printing mill in Helsinki last year.

Several splendid projects are currently under way in Finland to develop methods for manufacturing biodegradable, environmentally friendlier textiles from cellulose fibre. Bringing such materials onto the market would solve many challenges of the clothing and fashion industry at a stroke. Besides reducing environmental impacts, this would enable clothing brands to rely on the expertise of the forest industry in tracing the origins of raw materials.

Marimekko is committed to increasing the share of more sustainable materials in our collections, and we are always looking for more environmentally friendly options. We pay close attention to raw materials research, and we try to make our own expertise available to various projects. We believe that the new generation of cellulose-based textiles will give Finland an excellent opportunity to take the lead in pioneering more responsible textile materials.

28 ECHO — 1 / 2017

SEEDLINGS

The Mills of the Future operating format developed by Metsä Fibre won the Quality Innovation Award of Excellence Finland in the large corporation category last December, and has now repeated this success as first runner-up in the same category of the European Quality Innovation Competition.

Mills of the Future is an innovative operating format for manufacturing based on shared leadership and autonomous teams. The format stresses customer-oriented practices in a manufacturing organisation.

The European Quality Innovation Award ceremony took place this February in Prague, Czech Republic. The award winners were selected through an international voting procedure in which the senior management of eleven quality associations in participating countries nominated the best innovations in each category.

Metsä Fibre won the Finnish Quality Award in 2012 with the highest score in the history of the competition, and the company has won the Quality Innovation Award on two previous occasions in 2012 and 2013.

TEXTS: TIMO NYKÄNEN PHOTOS: METSÄ GROUP, SOFIDEL, VELHOT / LORENZA MERCURI

This autumn, Metsä Fibre’s customers can look forward to the launch of a fully re-designed Botnia FibreOnline extranet service. The service has been created to ensure easier access to useful digital content and reports.

Numerous new features, including the freshly re-designed user interface, are all aimed towards providing an improved online experience for our customers. Ease of use, combined with the availability of relevant up-to-date information, give the new and improved Botnia FibreOnline service its appeal.

THE NEW AND IMPROVED BOTNIA FIBREONLINE COMING SOONRECOGNITION FOR

MILLS OF THE FUTURE OPERATING FORMAT

Metsä Fibre took part in the world’s largest dedicated tissue industry trade show, held on 10–12 April, 2017 in Milan, Italy.

During the event, Metsä Fibre’s Technical Sales Manager Tuomo Niemi gave a presentation titled “The role of softwood fibre morphology in the runnability of a toilet tissue line”, where he presented the results of a trial study.

According to Niemi, the softwood quality plays a crucial role, not only in tissue paper production, but more importantly, in converting operations. The conducted trials showed that the high fibre number of the NBSK pulp, together with high pulp yield, are important factors when comparing the softwood pulp performance in tissue production.

METSÄ FIBRE AT TISSUE WORLD MILAN

Italian tissue paper manufacturer Sofidel presented Metsä Fibre with a Suppliers Sustainability Award at the company’s recent 50th anniversary celebration. A long-term partner of Sofidel, Metsä Fibre received the Best Sustainable Project award in the Large Companies category.

The award was granted to recognise Metsä Fibre’s next generation bioproduct mill, under construction in Äänekoski, Central Finland, and due to be inaugurated in the third quarter of 2017. The innovative bioproduct mill is seen by Sofidel as implementing a significant industrial strategy, which reinvents “the production process in a more sustainable way, to generate a positive impact in terms of environmental production and local employment.”

METSÄ FIBRE WINS SUPPLIERS SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

30 ECHO — 1 / 2017

FIBRES OF SUCCESS

INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FROM CELLULOSE FIBRE

SOURCE: SOILFOOD / JUUSO JOONA

TEXT: TIMO NYKÄNEN

PHOTOS: SOILFOOD

BRANCHING OUT

A COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE

Soilfood delivers a full service to optimise the benefits of using industrial side streams, which also promotes the interests of Metsä Fibre. The enterprise takes care of by-product processing and logistics, and ensures compliance with the legal requirements of the Fertiliser Product Act. Soilfood’s services for farmers include use planning and spreading fertiliser products directly onto the field.

SOIL IMPROVEMENT

FIBRE PREVENTS

EUTROPHICATION

Metsä Fibre is involved

as a business partner in

the NSPPulp research

project financed by

the Finnish Funding

Agency for Technology

and Innovation – Tekes

to investigate the

environmental and

fertilising impacts

of soil improvement

fibre. Recent findings

suggest that the risk

of nutrient leaching

from fields into

watercourses can fall

by as much as 77 per

cent following soil

improvement using

Soilfood nutrient fibre

made from fibre-rich

forest industry side

streams. In addition

to Soilfood and

Metsä Fibre, the

other partners in

the project are UPM,

Stora Enso, Biolan,

Fortum, Outotec,

LUKE, Aalto University

and Lappeenranta

University of

Technology.

INFO

www.soilfood.fi

Soilfood is Finland’s largest supplier of recycled fertilisers and soil

improvement products, with a staff that combines solid expertise in

agricultural science with practical farming experience. The company

focuses on researching and developing products with a view to

expanding its business concept into the international market.

The side streams and by-products of pulp manufacturing are also used in agriculture. Metsä Fibre supplies lime by-products and wood ash from its Joutseno mill to Soilfood Oy for reprocessing into high quality fertilisers and soil improvement products.

A BETTER HARVEST WITH LOWER CARBON EMISSIONSThe co-operation between Soilfood and Metsä Fibre is a prime example of the circular economy in action. Substituting recycled fertilisers for fossil energy-intensive synthetic products helps to curb climate change by sequestering carbon to the soil and reducing the leaching of nutrients to watercourses. Returning nutrients and organic materials to the agricultural cycle is a cost-effective way of helping farmers to improve crop yields.

FROM FACTORY TO FIELD

ECHO ONLINE The new home of fibre intelligence.

Sustainability is deeply rooted in our business.Take a look at the unique nature of Finland, and the origins

of Metsä Fibre’s high-quality Botnia bioproducts.

metsafibre.com/echo

This video and other quality content from the world of pulp and other bioproducts are available on Echo Online.