Metsä Fibre and Veolia have signed a long-term partnership agreement on the refining of crude methanol generated in pulp production at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill into commercial biomethanol. As part of this cooperation, Veolia has decided to invest in the construction of a crude methanol refinery in connection with Metsä Fibre's Äänekoski bioproduct mill in Finland. The refinery, owned and operated by Veolia, will be closely integrated into the bioproduct mill processes.

Veolia's refinery investment will further strengthen Metsä Fibre's bioproduct concept, which involves making various value-added products from production side streams and renewable wood raw material delivered to the mill. Biomethanol production adds value to methanol, and the resulting product can be used as traffic fuel, for example.

The bioproduct mill concept developed by Metsä Fibre takes resource efficiency and sustainability to an entirely new level. An extremely resource-efficient pulp mill lies at the core of the bioproduct mill concept. The concept makes it possible to convert pulp production side streams into valuable biochemicals, bio-based energy and other bioproducts that can be used to replace fossil-based materials and fuels.

Metsä Fibre is a leading producer of bioproducts, biochemicals and bioenergy. Metsä Fibre is part of Metsä Group.