Metsä Board has successfully completed a EUR 60 million modernization initiative at its Simpele paperboard mill, marking a significant advancement in product performance. The upgraded board machine is now fully operational, and the renewed MetsäBoard Classic FBB folding boxboard is ready for customer deliveries.
Renowned as one of the market’s leading consumer packaging boards, MetsäBoard Classic FBB is trusted across the food and drink packaging and healthcare sectors for its exceptional consistency and reliability. The latest enhancements elevate its quality to new heights, while reinforcing Metsä Board’s commitment to transitioning towards fossil-free production. With the introduction of modern curtain coating technology, print quality and visual uniformity have significantly improved, resulting in sharper, more vibrant print outcomes for demanding packaging applications.
Esa Kaikkonen, CEO of Metsä Board, perceives this investment as a strategic advantage for brands addressing the evolving packaging landscape and increasing regulations: “Our customers face increasing pressure to meet stricter sustainability and safety standards, while also managing cost efficiency and waste reduction. We want to help our customers stay ahead and lead the pack – by offering solutions that are safe, reliable, and deliver excellent material efficiency, with a high-quality print surface for brand promotion. That’s also the aim with our Simpele investment, which is now completed.”
The investment encompassed a comprehensive rebuild of the coating section, an expansion of the coating color kitchen, and the installation of a new pallet packaging line. More than 430 professionals contributed to bringing this project to fruition.
Previously, 89% of the energy consumed in production at the Simpele mill was fossil-free. With the newly implemented technology, that figure is set to rise to 98%, further solidifying Metsä Board’s commitment to achieving fossil-free mills by 2030.
For more information, visit www.metsagroup.com/metsaboard/.
