Metsä Board launches efficiency program at Husum mill

Metsä Board is launching an efficiency improvement program at its integrated pulp and paper mill in Husum, Sweden. The program involves all operations at the mill.

Metsä Board has completed a EUR 170 million investment program at Husum to improve its result by EUR 50 million as of 2018. In 2015, the company closed down two paper machines at Husum and converted one paper machine to produce linerboard. In addition, a new folding boxboard production line was started up at the mill in February 2016.

The investment program also included improvements to the integrated mill's pulp mill and port.

The new efficiency improvement program targets a minimum of EUR 10 million annual cost savings. The company will also begin charting the options for further development for the integrated mill.

“We've made a successful transition from paper production to paperboard at Husum, and next we will harmonize operating methods and eliminate overlaps,” said Metsä Board's CEO, Mika Joukio. “The Husum integrated mill is one of Europe's largest paperboard producers, and it has all prerequisites to be the most profitable unit in the industry as well.”

The measures to improve efficiency will begin as soon as possible, and the company expects results to be gained throughout 2016.

The company will report on the progress of the efficiency improvement program in its interim reports and separately, as necessary.

The Husum mill employs about 760 people and has a production capacity of ?400,000 tpy of folding boxboard, 300,000 tpy of linerboard and 750,000 tpy of bleached kraft pulp.