Metsä Group press release 16 September 2021 at 10 a.m.

Metsä Group is planning to build a new Kerto® LVL plant in its expanding factory area in Äänekoski. The actual investment decision requires the completion of the town plan for the area. The value of the investment would be approximately EUR 200 million. The annual use of subsidies from Finland at the new Kerto LVL plant would be approximately 375,000 cubic metres.

The new Kerto LVL production would be sold to construction industry customers mainly in Europe and Asia. The market outlook for light, environmentally friendly and construction-accelerating Kerto LVL products is excellent, especially in industrial prefap manufacturing, modular construction and traditional project construction. The development of a hybrid element structure combining concrete and Kerto LVL products is also at an advanced stage and will further improve demand.

The annual Kerto LVL production capacity of the plant to be built in stages during 2022-2026 would be approximately 150,000 cubic metres. With the new plant, Metsä Group’s Kerto LVL production capacity would increase by approximately 50 per cent. The factory to be built is a pioneer in its technology and efficiency in the world.

The direct impact of the new plant on employment would be around 140 new jobs. In addition, the new plant would add about 200 man-years directly to its value chain. The employment impact of the construction phase is estimated to be around 1,000 man-years.

“We create profitable growth by processing Finnish wood. Our operations are guided by responsibility. In the coming years, we will increase the production of carbon-sequestrant products, and the next phase will be the new Kerto LVL factory. Wood is the most environmentally friendly building material and we believe that demand for the resource-efficient and high-quality Kerto LVL will continue to grow strongly. Finland needs more investment and faith in the future,” says Ilkka Hämälä, President and CEO ofMetsäGroup.

Metsä Group is in the process of planning with the City of Äänekoski with the aim of expanding the production of mechanical wood products for the Äänekoski factory integration. A town plan for the area of approximately 150 hectares south of Metsä Group’s existing factories is being prepared as an industrial area. The area currently has a master plan and is mainly owned by Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group. The planning process is expected to last until early 2022.

The area to be zoned will enable the production of a significant mechanical forest industry to be increased even after the planned new multiplication plant.

Pictures: https://databank.metsagroup.com/l/QVmKkt8PK_R9

METSÄ GROUP
Inquiries and interview requests:
Juha Laine, Communications Director, Metsä Group, tel. +358 10 465 4541
Metsä
Group www.metsagroup.fi

Metsä Group is showing the direction of the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, bioproduct development and a fossil-free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed forests in the north. In our business, we focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood procurement and forest services, wood products, pulp and first fibre cartons, as well as soft and sealed papers.

Metsä Group’s annual turnover is approximately EUR 5.5 billion, and we employ approximately 9,200 people in 30 countries. Our international group has its roots in finnish forest – our parent company is metsäliitto Osuuskunta, which has approximately 100,000 forest owners.

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