UPM Kymi integrated mill site in Finland is getting close...

UPM Kymi integrated mill site in Finland is getting closer to zero carbon footprint

The first year of UPM Kymi pulp mill's new chemical recovery plant has succeeded as planned. The plant, started up in summer 2008, is top-class in terms of energy efficiency and its low airborne emissions fulfil the tight targets.

"Thanks to the new plant and by implementing energy efficient operation mode, we have a good opportunity to get very close to zero carbon footprint. This is a significant step towards carbon dioxide neutral paper making," cheers Timo Suutarla, General Manager. "A few years back the making of a single ream—500 sheets—of copy paper at Kymi produced the same amount of carbon dioxide as a few kilometres' car ride. Now the emissions have decreased even further."

The Kymi pulp mill's new chemical recovery plant, realised in 2006-2008, was the biggest investment project not only for UPM but also for the whole Finnish forest industry, employing 1,057 people at its peak. The total value of the investment measured EUR 360 million. The completion of the project made Kymi an extremely competitive integrated mill site producing pulp, energy and fine paper.

During the first year Kymi met all environmental permit limits for air emissions. Substantial improvements were reached instantly in sulphur dioxide, particle and malodorous gas emissions. The low air emissions result from a further developed evaporation and recovery boiler burning processes.

The use of fossil fuels accelerating climate change has also decreased. With the new recovery plant, the use of biomass based fuels in mill site's energy production has soared to over 90 %.

UPM aims to reduce its overall fossil carbon dioxide emissions from both direct and indirect sources. To achieve this, UPM has invested in carbon dioxide neutral biomass based fuels, improved its energy efficiency and increased the use of recycled fibre in its processes. So far, the work has resulted in a reduction of 40% of mill site carbon dioxide emissions per tonne of paper since 1990.