The renewal of Metsä Board's pulp mill in Husum, Sweden, is in full swing. The measures include the construction of a new modern recovery boiler and a turbine. Metsä Board, a leading European producer of premium virgin fiber-based board and part of the Metsä Group, is pursuing the goal of ensuring completely fossil-free production plants and raw materials by 2030. The modernization of the Husum mill is a significant step towards this goal.
The construction of the new high-performance recovery boiler has now reached the stately final height of 73 meters. Project manager Kimmo Kangas explains: "The project is now half complete. The steel structure of the new recovery boiler is ready and we have started the construction of the pressure part. The upgrading of the evaporation plant will be done by October 2021, the building for the turbine will be completed in the fall, and the installation of the turbine will start in November. All new process areas will be ready for commissioning in the first half of 2022."
The new state-of-the-art recovery boiler replaces the two old recovery boilers and increases the capacity and efficiency of the plant, enabling it to increase the production of environmentally friendly energy. At the same time, there will be benefits for production reliability, and annual maintenance will require a shorter interruption of operations than before. The new turbine replaces all three previous turbines. There has also been further progress in energy supply: The integrated plant's self-sufficiency rate will increase from about 50 percent to more than 80 percent, with electricity needs met entirely by renewable biomass.
"The renewal of the pulp mill is a decisive step towards our goal of completely fossil-free production plants," explains Olov Winblad von Walter, VP, Husum Board and Pulp Mill. "By using the latest technology, we can increase our energy efficiency and environmental compatibility in all relevant areas. The investment means a further strengthening of the Husum site and creates an efficient and sustainable basis for the long-term development of world-class board production."
