Metsä Group has confirmed that the pilot plant of its innovation company, Metsä Spring, and Valmet’s 3D fibre product was inaugurated in Äänekoski on Monday, August 22, 2022.
The pilot plant was inaugurated by Petri Honkonen (Minister of Science and Culture), Ilkka Hämälä (CEO of Metsä Group) and Pasi Laine (CEO of Valmet).
The new Muoto® product is manufactured at the test factory, which is a significant new opening in the packaging market. Made from renewable and responsibly grown wood raw material, Muoto is an excellent alternative to plastic in many end uses, for example food packaging of different sizes and shapes.
“It is important that new types of value-added products with a higher degree of processing are developed from Finnish pulp, of which Muoto is a great example. It is a packaging material made from fossil-free raw materials for people’s everyday life. We are continuing the development work towards a broader business,” says Hämälä.
“Valmet wants to continuously develop new innovations to speed up the green transition. In the 3D fibre product, together with Metsä Group, we have combined our expertise seamlessly, and it is a pleasure to continue this significant development work together in the test facility that is now being inaugurated,” adds Laine.
The construction of the €20m test factory for the Muoto product began in Metsä Group’s Äänekoski factory area at the end of 2020 and was launched in May 2022.
The Muoto product’s properties and manufacturing method are developed in the test factory and the product’s potential is tested on the market. If market interest and product functionality can be demonstrated on a large scale, Metsä Group will consider building a larger production facility.
