Finnish Metsä Group invests EUR 25 million in fiber packaging line to be launched in 2028

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Metsä Group will invest approximately EUR 25 million in a new Muoto fiber packaging production line at its Äänekoski mill site in Finland, with production scheduled to start in 2028 and a nominal capacity of over 100 million products per year.

Muoto is a wood-fiber-based packaging solution formed directly from the company's own wet wood pulp, eliminating intermediate process steps. The products are lightweight while offering stiffness and functionality, making them suitable for foodservice and food packaging applications with demanding performance requirements. The products comply with the strict requirements of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, and the company expects that the regulation's push for plastic alternatives will support market adoption of the products.

The new production line will be located adjacent to the existing Muoto demonstration plant at the site. Compared with the previously planned Rauma location, Äänekoski offers advantages in infrastructure, existing production lines, and investment costs. Technology supplier Valmet will deliver the production line.

The previously planned Kuura textile fiber plant project in Kemi will no longer proceed. The company states that severe global overcapacity in man-made cellulosic fiber production, particularly the impact of new capacity added in Asia, has weakened the competitiveness of high-quality and responsibly produced fiber products, with an insufficient number of customers currently willing to pay a premium. The company is evaluating how to utilize the textile fiber technology it has accumulated.