Metsä Spring and Valmet announce collaboration to develop a new wood-based product as alternative to fossil-based materials
Metsä Group press release 13.2.2020
Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet have initiated a joint project for the development of a novel wood-based 3D product to replace similar products made out of fossil resources, especially in consumer products like packaging.
The joint project focuses on fine-tuning properties of the new environmentally-friendly material and on developing a highly automated and digitalized manufacturing technology. Utilising Metsä Group’s current industrial side streams as the raw material of the new product will also be assessed. The aim of the project is to jointly analyse the technical and economic performance of the new concept and evaluate the prerequisites to build, in a potential next phase, a pilot plant integrated to existing pulp or board production in Finland.
“Our new product would be of high quality, safe, easily recycled and based on sustainably grown, renewable Northern wood. Should material recycling, for some reason, not be an option, the product is also biodegradable. Moreover, its manufacturing would be fully fossil free. We aim at large scale market segments, and our ambition level is high. Hence, we are optimistic about the potential of creating a new important value-add product for the Finnish forest industry,” says Metsä Spring’s project lead Jarkko Tuominen.
“Valmet is strongly committed to the development of solutions that support sustainability. As a technology leader, we are in a first-class position to utilise our existing, unique technology and product development capabilities for the benefit of projects like this. A collaborative project with our customer is an excellent way of advancing development in concrete steps,” says Petri Rasinmäki, head of the Board and Paper Machines Technology Unit at Valmet.
The start-up of a potential pilot plant could take place in 2021. If the pilot plant phase proofs the concept viable, then the next step would be to construct a first commercial manufacturing line in the years ahead.
Metsä Spring was established in the spring of 2018. The development project with Valmet is the third investment made by Metsä Spring. The 40 MEUR textile fibre demo plant in Äänekoski, Finland, owned jointly by Metsä Spring and Japanese ITOCHU, is currently in the beginning of the start-up phase. Last July, Metsä Spring made an equity investment in Woodio Oy – a company which develops and manufactures fully waterproof wood composite material.
METSÄ GROUP
For further information, please contact:
Niklas von Weymarn, CEO, Metsä Spring Ltd, tel. +358 40 547 6977
Juha Laine, Senior Vice President, Communications, Metsä Group, tel. +358 10 465 4541
Metsä Spring
Metsä Spring is the venture capital arm of Metsä Group. Metsä Spring invests worldwide in promising startups as well as spinout and early-stage companies with a visible path to the Metsä Group business ecosystem. In addition to financing, Metsä Spring also provides access to Metsä Group’s global network and expertise.
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Metsä Group
Metsä Group is a forerunner in responsible bioeconomy, utilising renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. Metsä Group focuses on wood supply and forest services, timber products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, and tissue and greaseproof papers.
Metsä Group’s sales totalled EUR 5.5 billion in 2019, and it employs approximately 9,300 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by approximately 103,000 Finnish forest owners.
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Valmet
Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.
Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.
Valmet's net sales in 2019 were approximately EUR 3.5 billion. Our more than 13,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.
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