The mill will have an annual production capacity of about 160,000m3 of Kerto LVL and is expected to start production in the second half of 2026.
The foundation stone for the future wood product mill was laid by Member of Parliament Timo Harakka, Metsä Wood's executive vice-president Jaakko Anttila, SRV’s chief executive officer Saku Sipola, and Metsä Wood's project director Eero Lampola.
"The Kerto LVL mill in Äänekoski is an important investment for Metsä Group,” said Mr Anttila. “With the new capacity, we will meet the growing global demand for wood construction, which is an important step towards a low-carbon future for the construction industry. Kerto LVL products are strong and material-efficient, store carbon and reduce the carbon footprint of construction. The impact of the investment is also significant locally, and Äänekoski has provided us with excellent conditions to develop our operations in the long term."
”Metsä Group is a pioneer in the industry's transition to modern, co-operative project forms in its construction investments,” said Mr Sipola. “We are implementing a large and demanding project, where a quick schedule and coordination with the construction and production process is extremely important, in close and good cooperation with the customer and a competent design team. We also share common responsibility goals with Metsä Group. This construction site will also be built using emission-free renewable energy, taking into account energy efficiency and the versatile use needs of the future.”
At the ceremony, newspapers of the day, the charter, valid Finnish coins, plans of the mill, a Kerto LVL beam, and a Kerto LVL handbook were deposited in the foundation stone time capsule as a memento of this era for future generations.
The construction site is progressing well on schedule. Land construction works are currently under-way in the area. The massive building is divided into six different sections, where work is progressing in stages. In section one, the main frame installations have already been completed, while in sections five and six concrete works are still ongoing. Next, in section one, the roof element installations will start. Currently, around 80 people work at the site, and the headcount will grow to 200 people.
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 value chain.
