Kaicell’s environmental impact assessment ready

Map: Kaicell

KaiCell Fibers Ltd’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been completed and the EIA-report has been submitted to the local authorities. The environmental impact assessment report prepared by consulting company Pöyry covers three project alternatives and the so-called the zero option. The results of the impact assessment will be presented at a public event in Paltamo in June.

In the environmental impact assessment process, there have been three project alternatives where the production of bleached pulp is 500 000 – 600 000 tonnes per year and the volume of further processing of textile fiber from 100 000 tonnes to 400 000 tonnes per year. The company will submit an environment permit application later this year.

The options are intended to determine the potential impacts of production facilities. The progress of the project has been reported to local stakeholders, and the impact of the project has been discussed in different occasions from the point of view of the surrounding community.

"We are pleased with the dialogue we have already had with various parties during the EIA process. We have organized several meetings with different stakeholders to reach a comprehensive understanding of the project impacts and the attitudes of local residents toward the project. In this context, I would like to thank all those involved in the process - the dialogue has been active and constructive," says Jukka Kantola.

The most significant impacts are related to the economy. The societal impact of the project is approximately EUR 200 million per year, widely generating widespread prosperity especially in the Kainuu region. Process solutions and waste water treatment are based on the best available technology (BAT) to keep the environmental burden under control. There are currently almost 20 pulp mills in operation in Finland, therefore the process solutions are well known and there is a great deal of expertise related to those in Finland.

 

"KaiCell Fibers is a responsible actor that takes environmental protection needs into account. The plant is built to operate for decades and our only option is to fit it into the surrounding, beautiful natural scenery in Kainuu as well as possible", concludes Jukka Kantola.

The company's goal is to produce around half million tonnes of chemical pulp per year in Paltamo, Finland. Nearly a quarter of the production is used for further processing. KaiCell Fibers’ aim is to sell market pulp 323,000 tonnes for the paper, tissue and cardboard industry.

The company's own downstream product is ecological textile fiber Arbron.

The estimated production volume of textile fiber is about 100,000 tonnes per year.