Metsä Board has finalised a €60 million modernisation project at its Simpele paperboard mill, introducing the renewed MetsäBoard Classic FBB folding boxboard to the market. The investment marks a major milestone in the company’s drive toward higher product performance and fossil-free production.
The upgrade included a complete rebuild of the coating section, expansion of the coating colour kitchen, and the installation of a new pallet packaging line. Over 430 professionals contributed to the project. The mill’s upgraded board machine is now fully operational, and customer deliveries of the enhanced Classic FBB have commenced.
MetsäBoard Classic FBB is one of the leading consumer packaging boards in the market, widely used across the food and healthcare sectors for its consistency and reliability. The addition of modern curtain coating technology now further improves print quality and visual uniformity, enabling sharper and more vibrant results for premium packaging.
Esa Kaikkonen, CEO of Metsä Board, described the investment as a decisive step in supporting customers through regulatory and market change. “Our customers face increasing pressure to meet stricter sustainability and safety standards, while also managing cost efficiency and waste reduction. We want to help our customers stay ahead and lead the pack – by offering solutions that are safe, reliable, and deliver excellent material efficiency, with a high-quality print surface for brand promotion. That’s also the aim with our Simpele investment, which is now completed,” he said.
Before the upgrade, 89% of the energy used at the Simpele mill was already fossil-free. With the new technology in place, that share will increase to 98%, reinforcing Metsä Board’s target of achieving fossil-free mills by 2030.
