Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has temporarily suspended production at its Finnish pulp mill in Joutseno to adapt to the current market situation. In addition, a temporary ban was imposed on the baling plant building after technical inspections detected a potential risk of collapse in the roof structures.
According to initial estimates, dismantling the roof structures and ensuring safe working conditions should take approximately two months. A more detailed schedule will be defined based on the project plan to be drawn up.
“Structural changes observed in the baling plant building pose a potential risk of collapse. Over the years, the pillars have been repaired but despite the repairs, their subsidence has continued. We have been monitoring the situation and have carried out a number of surveys and inspections. Now, after the latest studies and more accurate measurements, it was found that roof structures pose a safety risk. Therefore, on September 19, we decided to ban the use of the baling plant building”, explained Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre. “At Metsä, safety is our top priority, and production volumes never take precedence over safety under any circumstances”, he concluded.
