Metsä Tissue invests in modernization and announces changes at Mänttä mill
Finnish company plans to improve water and energy efficiency, as well as ending the production of recycled fiber at the plant
Metsä Tissue, the tissue division of Metsä Group, has announced new investments at its Mänttä mill in Finland, as part of its strategy to strengthen the production of high-quality toilet paper based on fresh fibers. The company will allocate significant resources to the processing of these fibers and to the modernization of the water circulation systems of two tissue paper machines.
The initiative is in line with the Future Mill strategic program and the 100 million euro investment plan already underway at the unit. One of the main actions is the installation of a new hand towel line, scheduled to come into operation in 2026.
With the changes, Metsä Tissue hopes to reduce water consumption by 75-80% compared to current levels, as well as improving the energy efficiency of tissue paper production by 25%. However, as part of the plan, the company will end the production of recycled fiber at the mill and decommission a tissue paper machine at the end of its life cycle.
In view of these changes, Metsä Tissue will begin negotiations on changes at the mill, which could lead to the elimination of up to 35 jobs, while five new positions are expected to be created. The potential impact covers 331 employees but does not include workers on the grease-proof paper line.
The Mänttä mill currently operates three tissue paper machines, one grease-proof paper machine and 10 converting lines. The plant produces Serla, Lambi and Katrin brand tissue papers, as well as customers’ own brands and SAGA baking and cooking products.
Joonas Kukkonen, Metsä Tissue’s SVP for Finland and the Baltics, stressed the importance of the investments: “We reinforce our focus on fresh fibre based, locally produced hygiene products, of which main raw material comes from Northern forests. We have already earlier implemented the investment programme by renewing the hand towel line, and now we are consistently continuing our strategy by investing in the mill’s production equipment. Improving the mill’s environmental performance through modernisation of paper machine water systems is at the same time a significant step towards our company’s 2030 sustainability targets for fossil-free mills and reducing the use of water.”
