Sweco appointed designer for Metsä Group’s new wood product mill in Finland 

Published: 20.12.2023

Sweco and Metsä Group have signed the agreement to start a new collaboration project to build Kerto LVL wood product mill in Äänekoski, Finland. The new mill will serve mainly European construction industry, producing laminated veneer lumber beam and panel materials for low-carbon construction. Operations will start at the end of 2026.

The Kerto LVL mill will be built as part of the existing energy- and resource-efficient integrated mill in Äänekoski, where the side streams generated in production and the added value of wood can be fully utilised. The annual production capacity of the new mill is approximately 160,000 cubic metres of laminated timber. 

“This has been an inspiring project for Sweco and a great way to continue our cooperation with Metsä Group in Äänekoski. We started planning two years ago by participating in the feasibility phase. We have been able to offer Sweco’s extensive expertise in planning large industrial investments as well as local knowledge of our previous projects for Metsä Group, ” says Erik Skogström, Division Director, Industry and Energy at Sweco Finland. 

Sweco is responsible for the complete implementation planning of the mill project including structural design, electrical design, layout and plant design, instrumentation and automation design, safety design, ICT design, HVAC design, process design, fire engineering, stormwater design, geodesign, safety design and BIM coordination. The project will employ approximately 100 Sweco experts. 

“We have strong confidence in Sweco’s expertise and resources from our previous joint projects. Therefore it is natural that we continue our cooperation in this project to develop the Äänekoski mill area,” says Jaakko Anttila, Executive Vice President at Metsä Wood.  

Sweco was also responsible for the design of the Äänekoski bioproduct mill, which started operations in 2017, and the planned wood product mill will apply the synergy benefits offered by the mill area.  

“For example, the steam needed in the production process of Kerto wood will be produced at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill, and the condensate generated in the process will be utilized for heating the building. It is great to be involved in designing a resource-efficient production plant whose material-efficient wood products store carbon and reduce the carbon footprint of construction,” says Tuulamari Helaja, Business Unit Director, Industry and Energy at Sweco Finland. 

For additional information, please contact: 

Erik Skogström, Division Director, Industry, Sweco Finland, tel. +358 40 082 8912, erik.skogstrom@sweco.fi 

Tiina Varhee, press contact, Sweco Finland, tel. +358 40 723 1231 ext.tiina.varhee@sweco.fi