Metsä Group initiates pre-engineering phase for Muoto product factory

FINLAND – Metsä Group has embarked on a pre-engineering project to establish its first commercial factory for producing Muoto, a new line of wood fiber packaging products.

Muoto products, currently undergoing demonstration, offer sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging, suitable for takeaway, trays, and combo packaging.

Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring, underscores the importance of this milestone, stating, “Taking an idea to an industrial scale is a lengthy process with multiple phases. Initiating the pre-engineering project marks a significant milestone for us.”

He recognizes the rapid progress achieved since the project’s inception in 2020, crediting the project team and key partner, Valmet, for reaching this pivotal stage.

The pre-engineering phase is anticipated to conclude by early 2025, setting the stage for factory planning and potential investment decisions.

Metsä Group aims to locate the factory at its Rauma site in Finland, contingent upon pre-engineering outcomes and ongoing demo phase activities utilizing a plant in Äänekoski, Finland.

Muoto’s innovative technology directly converts wet wood pulp into 3D packages without intermediate steps, resulting in products with a lower carbon footprint that can be molded into various shapes.

Initial mass production applications are likely to focus on light takeaway and lunch packages, berry containers, trays, and combo packaging, with the final product catalog subject to compliance with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

To lead the pre-engineering project, Metsä Spring has appointed Veli-Pekka Kyllönen as project director, reinforcing the company’s commitment to advancing sustainable innovations.

Metsä Spring has previously invested in start-ups like Boreal Bioproducts and FineCell, exploring forest byproduct conversion into biochemicals and cellulose-based materials for various industries.

Recruitment efforts are underway to assemble an expert team to support Kyllönen in establishing the Muoto project as Metsä Group prepares to launch a commercial factory by 2025.

This strategic initiative underscores the company’s dedication to pioneering sustainable solutions in the packaging industry.

In related news, Metsä Group recently announced its decision not to proceed with the planned investment in its Kaskinen folding boxboard mill in Finland.

This decision follows the completion of pre-engineering, which was announced in September 2022. The pre-engineering phase encompassed technical design, infrastructure and logistics solutions, equipment tendering, financial analysis, environmental impact assessment, and permit application.

Metsä Board cited concerns that the proposed investment’s costs were significantly higher than initial estimates, making the projected payback time and return on capital employed targets unachievable.

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