Finnish paperboard producer Metsä Board has decided to suspend its planned production conversion at the Husum mill in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The decision affects the BM 2 paper machine, where the company had been considering a shift toward food packaging papers and siliconised greaseproof papers.
The conversion will not be carried out in the foreseeable future, and no revised timeline has been announced.
Uncertain demand behind the decision
According to the company, the pause is driven by uncertain market conditions and shifting demand for the products under consideration. As a result, plans to convert production at the facility have been put on hold.
Husum is one of Metsä Board’s largest industrial sites and a key hub for pulp and paperboard production in Sweden. The mill produces pulp, paperboard and energy and has in recent years been the subject of several investment studies and reviews concerning future production.
The BM 2 machine has been central to discussions on how the site should adapt to changing market conditions. Food packaging papers and speciality grades have been highlighted as potential growth segments, but demand forecasts have proved difficult to assess.
Key site in the Swedish forest industry
The Husum mill in Ångermanland has long been an important employer in the region and a significant part of Sweden’s forest industry supply chain. At the same time, the operation is influenced by global price fluctuations, energy costs and broader industrial restructuring pressures.
In recent years, several industrial companies in Sweden have announced production changes or postponed investments. For the forest industry in particular, volatility in demand for packaging materials and speciality papers has contributed to more cautious investment decisions.
The decision to suspend the conversion at Husum means that existing production will continue for the time being. It remains unclear when, or if, the plans could be revived.
Metsä Board has not provided further details on how the decision will affect employment levels or future investments at the site. The move reflects a wider pattern in the European pulp and paper sector, where companies are reassessing capital spending in response to uncertain demand, high costs and shifting market dynamics.
Husum remains a strategically important location for Metsä Board, but the long-term direction for the BM 2 line is now unresolved. The company indicates that any future changes will depend on market developments and clearer signals on demand for packaging and speciality paper grades.
Source: Metsä Board.
