Poyry Awarded Environmental Impact Assessment Services assignment

Finnpulp Oy has awarded Poyry with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) assignment for a planned pulp mill project in Kuopio, Finland. The assessment program includes Finnpulp Oy's plans on the various implementation alternatives for the mill project and a plan on the environmental impacts to be assessed. In addition to the construction and operation of the pulp mill itself, the assessment procedure will cover the essential auxiliary activities required by the mill such as road and rail connections and the power transmission network.

Finnpulp Oy is planning to realise the world's largest softwood pulp mill investment in Kuopio, Finland. The total amount of the investment is EUR 1.4 billion. The basis for all Finnpulp operations is to become the most efficient and modern producer of softwood pulp in the world. Producing market pulp, the mill is scheduled to start operation by the end of 2019.

The annual production capacity of this pulp mill, designed specifically to produce raw materials for the tissue and packaging board industries, is 1.2 million tons. In addition, it will produce bioelectricity and wood-based biochemicals such as tall oil and turpentine. It is estimated that the mill will use about 6.7 million cubic meters of wood raw material per year.

"It was easy and smooth to continue the EIA with Poyry after the prefeasibility study of the pulp mill. At Poyry the industrial and environmental knowledge is combined in a way that suits Finnpulp's requirements", says Timo Piilonen, Project Director of Finnpulp.

"The traditional pulp & paper industry is in transition towards a bio-based product business. As the world's leading pulp and paper engineering consultancy, we are proud to support our clients in this transition towards more sustainable solutions. Poyry is honored to be able to support Finnpulp in the development of this remarkable project", says Nicholas Oksanen, President, Industry Business Group.

The value of the order is not disclosed. The order was recognised within the Industry Business Group order stock in Q2/2015.