Metsä Wood and SRV sign agreement to build Kerto LVL mill in Äänekoski
1 September 2023Metsä Wood and construction company SRV have signed an agreement for the construction of Metsä Wood's new Kerto LVL mill in Äänekoski, Finland. SRV will be the main contractor for the project, which will be carried out as a co-operative project management contract.
“Our choice of partner was influenced by SRV's expertise in industrial project construction and the contract model based on close co-operation,” said Jaakko Anttila, EVP, Metsä Wood.
Metsä Wood decided to build a new Kerto LVL mill in June, and preparatory work at the mill site has progressed as planned. The employment impact of the construction phase of the project is estimated to be around 1,000 person-years. When completed, the mill will employ around 150 people directly and 200 people in its direct value chain. The mill is expected to start production in the second half of 2026. The mill will have an annual production capacity of about 160,000m3, which represents a 50% increase in the company’s total Kerto LVL capacity.
“The Äänekoski Kerto LVL mill will be carried out using a modern co-operative model, which is clearly becoming more common in industrial projects due to its advantages,” said SVP Hannu Lokka, who is responsible for SRV’s regional units. “During the development phase, we planned and co-ordinated the project in good and close co-operation with the client, and are now ready to launch the implementation phase.”
