Metsäliitto Osuuskunta
Environmental permit granted for Metsä Group’s planned bioproduct mill in Äänekoski

DGAP-News: Metsäliitto Osuuskunta

2015-01-28 / 09:18

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland has
granted an environmental and water-intake permit for Metsä Group's planned
bioproduct mill in Äänekoski. 

An environmental permit has been granted for Metsä Fibre Oy's bioproduct mill,
a bark-drying and bark-gasification plant, a digestion plant, wastewater
generated in the integrated mills, joint treatment of municipal wastewater from
the town of Äänekoski, and Metsä Board Corporation's wastewater treatment
plant. The permit also allows wastewater from the town of Äänekoski to be
treated in the bioproduct mill's wastewater treatment plant. 

The decision was made in accordance with the reformed Environmental Protection
Act, which came into force in autumn 2014, and the best available techniques
(BAT) approved by the European Commission. The bioproduct mill's environmental
and water-intake permits also contain permission to proceed, which means that
operations may be launched regardless of any possible applications for
alterations. 

'The environmental permit is an important step in our preparations for making a
decision on whether to invest in construction of the mill,' says Ilkka Hämälä,
CEO of Metsä Fibre. 

You can read the decisions on the Regional State Administrative Agency's
webpage at http://www.avi.fi/web/avi/ymparisto-lupa-tietopalvelu 


METSÄ GROUP
Group Communications


For more information, contact:
Timo Merikallio, Project Director, Metsä Fibre, tel. +358 (0)50 5989 342


www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products' main raw
material is renewable and sustainably grown Nordic wood. Metsä Group focuses on
tissue and cooking papers, consumer packaging paperboard, pulp, wood products,
and wood supply and forest services. Its high-quality products combine
renewable raw materials, customer-orientation, sustainable development and
innovation. Metsä Group's sales totalled EUR 4.9 billion in 2013, and it
employs approximately 11,000 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries.
Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by
approximately 123,000 Finnish forest owners. 


www.biotuotetehdas.fi

When materialised, the approximately EUR 1.1 billion bioproduct mill planned by
Metsä Fibre would be the largest ever investment in the forest industry in
Finland. The mill would have an annual pulp production capacity of 1.3 million
tonnes. It would be built in the existing mill area in Äänekoski, and would
replace the mill currently operating in the area. If the investment
requirements are met, the decision on construction of the bioproduct mill will
be made in spring 2015, meaning that production would begin in 2017.
News Source: NASDAQ OMX



---------------------------------------------------------------------

2015-01-28 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de

---------------------------------------------------------------------


Language:    English                 
Company:     Metsäliitto Osuuskunta  
 
 
             Finland                 
ISIN:        FI0002001611            
 
 
End of News    DGAP News-Service  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
316975 2015-01-28