Metsä to build world’s most modern sawmill

Investing €200m in the Rauma project, Metsä’s newest sawmill will have a projected capacity of 750,000 m3 of sawn pine timber per year. The new sawmill will utilise machine vision and artificial intelligence in different stages of the sawing process which Metsä states “Is not yet in use anywhere in the sawmill industry”.

“The next-generation sawmill to be constructed in Rauma is a significant leap forward for the whole industry. The new technology allows for the transition from workstations to control room monitoring and continuous operation. The key elements of the Rauma sawmill’s operating model include employees’ in-depth expertise and multiple skills as well as user maintenance,” said Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre. “The demand for high-quality sawn timber will increase globally, especially in the demanding component and woodworking industries.”

The new sawmill will employ around 100 people directly and around 500 people across its supply chain. The total annual log consumption, sourced entirely from Finland, is estimated to be around 1.5 million m3. Sawn timber produced by the Rauma sawmill will be sold mainly to Europe and Asia.

The location of the new sawmill was chosen for its easy integration into the pulp mill and logistics through the Port of Rauma. Metsä Fibre has made an agreement with Veisto on the delivery of the new sawline.

“The full utilisation of the wood raw material is central to our unique bioproduct concept. Log wood is used as raw material for the sawmill. The bark and sawdust generated during the production of sawn timber are used for bioenergy, and the chips are used as raw material for pulp. Pulp production generates bioenergy for the sawmill, and the remaining energy is sold outside the integrated mill. In the future, this investment will enable both the Rauma sawmill and pulp mill to operate without using any fossil fuels,” said Nousiainen.