UPM’s investment project is worth EUR 98 million, and involves a renewal of the Kymi pulp mill wood handling, birch fibre line, recovery island and waste water treatment. As a result of this investment, UPM Kymi’s annual production capacity will increase to 870,000 tonnes of bleached northern softwood and birch pulp. UPM invests in the Kymi pulp mill in order to strengthen its position as a supplier of bleached chemical pulp for growing consumer and industrial end-use segments such as tissue, specialty papers and board.

The renewals that will be completed this year will increase the efficiency of pulp production as bottlenecks are eliminated, in addition to environmental performance being improved. As pulp production increases, so does energy production.

“All work site targets have progressed as planned and on schedule. So far there have been no lost-time accidents. Working when full production is in process requires all workers to focus on safety,” says Project Manager Tero Pöllänen.

The expansions of the birch fibre line, chemical recovery island and screening building have reached rooftop height. The largest of the targets is the manufacturing space connected to the birch fibre line – with a length of 60 metres and height of 23 metres. Mechanical and automation installation work will start in the spring. At the moment, around 100 people are working across different project sites.

The UPM Kymi investment will create jobs both during the project and after completion to the whole operational area including harvesting and transportation. The most significant construction contract partners are businesses located in the northern part of the Kymenlaakso region. The largest number of people working on the project will be reached in the autumn, during a shutdown and commissioning in October.

The previous extension of the Kymi pulp mill, worth EUR 160 million, was completed in autumn 2015, when a new debarking plant and a new pulp drying machine were commissioned.