Espoo, Finland 17 October 2014 -- Metsä Fibre Oy, part of Metsä Group, and the Port of Helsinki have signed a letter of intent to develop Vuosaari as the export harbour of pulp produced at the planned new bioproduct mill in Äänekoski.

Vuosaari's central role in Finnish foreign trade flows and its good access by both land and sea were factors favouring its choice as an export harbour. Recent investments into the port infrastructure and the port's current role as an export harbour of Metsä Group companies create a good foundation for building a competitive solution both for Metsä Group and the society.

"Vuosaari provides us with good opportunities to develop operations that support an efficient and competitive logistics system," says Jari Voutilainen, SVP, Logistics at Metsä Group. "This is an important milestone in designing the export logistics solution for the investment proposal next spring. Cost-efficient and fluent logistics are key contributors when deciding on the investment."

The final investment decision on the construction of the bioproduct mill will be made next spring. A positive investment decision would mean starting production in 2017. The mill would increase Metsä Group's annual export deliveries by 800,000 tonnes, equivalent to approximately 35 railway wagons of pulp per day.

Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products' main raw material is renewable and sustainably grown northern wood. Metsä Group focuses on tissue and cooking papers, consumer packaging paperboards, 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.

Metsä Fibre is a world-leading producer of softwood pulp, whose main brand is Botnia. Our main products - sustainably and cost-efficiently produced bleached softwood and birch pulps - are specially developed for the production of high-quality tissue and printing papers, speciality products and board. Metsä Fibre has four pulp mills in Finland. Our sales in 2013 totalled approximately EUR 1.3 billion, and we employ some 900 people. Metsä Fibre is part of Metsä Group.