Metso invests EUR 150 million in a modern technology center in Tampere, Finland

Metso Corporation's press release June 3, 2024, at 10.00 EEST

Metso will gradually move its current operations in Hatanpää, Tampere, to a new Lokomotion technology center to be built in Lahdesjärvi, Tampere. In the future, Metso will design, test and manufacture technologies, equipment and components in Lahdesjärvi for the production of aggregates and sand.

The first phase starts in July 2024

The Lokomotion Technology Center site, which Metso acquired in 2021, covers 23 hectares, and it will host over 900 Metso employees working in Tampere. The initial total building area of the center is about 66 000 m2, of which the first phase will be about 34 000 m2. The investment in the first phase is about EUR 150 million, spread over three years. Construction starts in July 2024, and will include assembly and testing facilities for the manufacturing of mobile crushers and storage facilities for components and materials used in aggregates equipment. Investment in 2024 is estimated at around EUR 30 million. Production of the track-mounted crushing plants, Lokotracks, is scheduled to start in Lahdesjärvi during the third quarter of 2027.

According to the plan, the crusher factory, research center, maintenance workshop and office facilities will move from Hatanpää to Lahdesjärvi at a later stage. The new technology center is expected to be fully completed by the mid-2030s.

A modern and environmentally friendly technology center

The goal of the Lokomotion project is to develop and build a new modern technology center that will enable sustainable manufacturing operations. The center will provide an environment and facilities to meet the most demanding sustainability and environmental objectives. The project has applied for BREEAM certification with a "very good" rating. The City of Tampere has also defined a green factor in the land-use plan for the area, which will guide the design and implementation of the project in terms of climate resilience and nature-based solutions.

Operations in Hatanpää continue until the new center is ready

Metso's current site, Lokomo, focused on the aggregates business, is located in Hatanpää, Tampere, and it has had industrial activities for more than 100 years. Metso owns Lokomo's approximately 17 hectares of land and buildings. The company intends to move all Metso's Lokomo activities in a phased approach to a new technology center in Lahdesjärvi, and then to close down and leave the Hatanpää site and buildings.

"Tampere is a very important location for Metso and with our long presence in Lokomo, we are also an important part of the city's industrial history. We are very pleased to be able to implement the Lokomotion project, which is a significant project for Metso and will allow us to continue our operations in the area in a new state-of-the-art technology center and production facility. The project involves a number of partners and will have a significant employment impact in the area," says Markku Simula, President of Metso's Aggregates business area.

The aggregates produced by Metso's equipment are used for example in the construction of roads, railway tracks and other infrastructure, for foundations of buildings and as a raw material for concrete. The equipment can also be used to crush construction waste to be recycled and to produce industrial sand to replace natural sand for concrete production.

Further information

Markku Simula, President, Aggregates business area, Metso, tel. +358 20 483 5692, email: markku.simula(at)metso.com

Pasi Vuorinen, Vice President, Tampere plant, Aggregates business area, Metso, tel. +358 20 484 100, email pasi.vuorinen(at)metso.com

Helena Marjaranta, Vice President, Communications and Brand, Metso Corporation, tel. +358 20 484 3212, email: helena.marjaranta(at)metso.com

Metso is a frontrunner in sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries globally. We improve our customers’ energy and water efficiency, increase their productivity, and reduce environmental risks with our product and service expertise. We are the partner for positive change.

Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, Metso employs over 17,000 people in close to 50 countries and sales for 2023 were about EUR 5.4 billion. The company is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. metso.com, x.com/metsoofficial