{"id":16445,"date":"2021-05-28T15:12:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T12:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/?post_type=showroom_cpt&p=16445"},"modified":"2022-12-05T18:35:29","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T16:35:29","slug":"metsa-groups-pilot-plant-produces-eco-friendly-textile-fibre-out-of-paper-pulp","status":"publish","type":"showroom_cpt","link":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/projects\/metsa-groups-pilot-plant-produces-eco-friendly-textile-fibre-out-of-paper-pulp\/","title":{"rendered":"Mets\u00e4 Group\u2019s pilot plant produces eco-friendly textile fibre out of paper pulp"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t
\n\t\t\"Mets\u00e4\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Mets\u00e4 Group\u2019s pilot plant produces eco-friendly textile fibre out of paper pulp <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tCommission<\/em>\t\t\t\t\t

preliminary design, cost estimate and implementation planning including process design, layout design, piping and mechanical design, HVACEA and fire design, structural engineering<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\tCustomer<\/em>\t\t\t\t\t

Mets\u00e4 Spring Oy (preliminary design) and MI Demo Oy (implementation planning)<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\tYear<\/em>\t\t\t\t\t

2018-2020<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\"Affordable<\/figure>
\"Industry<\/figure>
\"Responsible<\/figure>
\"Climate<\/figure>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/section>\n\n\n
\n\t
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Mets\u00e4 Group\u2019s pilot plant produces eco-friendly textile fibre out of paper pulp<\/h1>\n

A textile fibre pilot plant owned by Mets\u00e4 Group and the Japanese company Itochu was completed next to the \u00c4\u00e4nekoski bioproduct mill at the start of the year. Sweco\u2019s experts in industry, building service systems and structural engineering worked as consultant partners in this unique project.<\/p>\n

A pioneer in forestry and bioeconomy, Mets\u00e4 Group has already developed new textile fibre manufacturing technology for several years in collaboration with different research institutes. \u201cThe first large-scale co-research project FuBio began in 2009 with new chemicals that dissolve pulp as one research focus,\u201d explains Mets\u00e4 Spring CEO Niklas von Weymarn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In 2012, Mets\u00e4 Group established its own comprehensive research project and began cooperation with Itochu two years later. Itochu and Mets\u00e4 Group\u2019s innovation company Mets\u00e4 Spring together own MI Demo that is in charge of developing the pilot plant of about EUR 40 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, the pilot plant is only an intermediate step or, in the best case scenario, a stepping stone towards gaining answers to critical questions,\u201d von Weymarn says. The long-term objective is a full-scale production plant in \u00c4\u00e4nekoski, for example, and later in connection with other Mets\u00e4 Group pulp mills. \u201cIf all goes to plan, we will have the potential to further develop the technology and commence the commercial production of the textile fibre in due course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Confidential relationship with the client<\/h4>\n

There are several ongoing textile fibre projects in Finland, but no other pilot plant of the same scale. The pilot plant, about 120 metres in length, receives its raw material from the nearby \u00c4\u00e4nekoski bioproduct mill that was completed on schedule in late summer 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in charge of the principal design of the bioproduct mill, meaning that we already had a direct and uncomplicated cooperation with Mets\u00e4 Group,\u201d explains Project Manager\u00a0Leena Hannonen<\/strong>\u00a0from Sweco. Mutual trust was an important factor in the preliminary design and implementation planning of the pilot plant. \u201cFor example, we participated in the procurement negotiations and document drafting in confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expertise required in equipment acquisition<\/h4>\n

Sweco worked in close cooperation with the project\u2019s equipment suppliers from several different countries. The manufacturing method is unique and the plant required equipment of just the right size.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe amount of material required by the pilot plant corresponds to only a couple of minutes of the bioproduct mill\u2019s production, meaning that it was difficult to find suitable equipment for such small flow amounts,\u201d says Hannonen. The same equipment types are to be used later in the full-scale production plant. \u201cCareful investigation allowed us to find new equipment suppliers, and traditional suppliers in the field provided us with their pilot equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another challenge was the unique solvent that was not initially available anywhere in the world in the required amount. The upscaling of solvent production was carried out alongside the pilot\u00a0plant project. \u201cSweco helped us ensure that it was safe to work with the new solvent at the plant. Occupational safety is our priority,\u201d von Weymarn emphasises.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur chemical safety specialists produced different surveys and risk analyses and ensured that the equipment suppliers produced the required documentation for CE markings,\u201d Hannonen adds.<\/p>\n

Pilot plant saves water and energy<\/h4>\n

The pilot plant reached the implementation stage in early 2020. The new manufacturing technology helps reduce the global environmental issues related to cotton production due to the significantly lower water consumption, for example.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to the lifecycle analysis performed by an external consultant, the pilot plant\u2019s carbon footprint, i.e. global warming potential, is significantly smaller than in cotton production,\u201d von Weymarn says.<\/p>\n

Instead of dissolving pulp, the process utilises undried paper pulp. \u201cThe recovery of textile fibre is greater, the manufacturing process is cheaper and there is less need for chemicals,\u201d Hannonen explains. Also, one processing stage is eliminated, which saves energy. \u201cThe undried pulp is normally dried into sheets at the bioproduct mill, but the raw material is now extracted for textile fibre manufacturing before drying.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pilot plant receives all of its energy and raw material from the bioproduct mill that is the first fossil-free facility of its kind in the world. \u201cThanks to the bioproduct mill, the pilot plant is also fossil-free,\u201d von Weymarn emphasises.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mets\u00e4 Group\u2019s pilot plant produces eco-friendly textile fibre out of paper pulp<\/p>\n

A textile fibre pilot plant owned by Mets\u00e4 Group and the Japanese company Itochu was completed next to the \u00c4\u00e4nekoski bioproduct mill at the start of the year. Sweco\u2019s experts in industry, building service systems and structural engineering worked as consultant partners in this unique project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9996,"template":"","showroom_cats":[160,147,156,158],"showroom_expertise":[],"showroom_partners":[],"showroom_location":[],"showroom_client":[],"class_list":["post-16445","showroom_cpt","type-showroom_cpt","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","showroom_cats-circular-economy","showroom_cats-sustainability","showroom_cats-industry-energy-and-environment","showroom_cats-industry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/showroom_cpt\/16445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/showroom_cpt"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/showroom_cpt"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"showroom_cats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/showroom_cats?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"showroom_expertise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/showroom_expertise?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"showroom_partners","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/showroom_partners?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"showroom_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/showroom_location?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"showroom_client","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/showroom_client?post=16445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}